If this is something you want to do too, I’m here to help you out! Today I’m sharing several different ways you can spring clean your home using completely natural cleaners. You can make most of them at home yourself using inexpensive things you can grab from the store, so you’ll save money too!

Spring Clean Every Room in the House with Pyoure Hydrogen Peroxide

I love cleaning with hydrogen peroxide because I know it’s safe for my family and the environment. In the past I’ve used it to clean toys, laundry, etc. and in this post, I show you how you can use Pyoure hydrogen peroxide to spring clean every room in your house. Seriously, you’re going to love it!

The post Top Tips for Spring Cleaning with Natural Products appeared first on Ask Anna.

The first thing you notice when you drive up to someone’s house is the outside. Is the garage door dirty, are the windows cloudy, are there cobwebs hanging in the eves? Not for long because today I’m going to show you how to clean all those and more so that your house will make a great impression on all your guests!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pressure washer
• Broom
• Dish soap
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Bucket
• Clean rags
• Cobweb duster
• SteamMachine
• Ladder (if needed)
• Odor eliminators
• Concrete Cleaner
• Stiff bristled brush
• Cordless handheld vacuum
• Daddy Pro Grill Cleaning Tool

The Garage Door

You’ve probably never really thought about cleaning the garage door but I guarantee you it’s dirty! Luckily it’s a very easy thing to clean, here’s what you need:

• Pressure washer
• Dish soap
• Water
• Bucket
• Clean rag

Pour a small amount of dish soap in the bucket, then, fill it up with water from the hose. Get the rag wet then wash the garage door with it, just like you would a car.

You can also get your kids involved with this cleaning task, our daughter loved helping us wash the garage door!

After you’ve wiped the entire garage door down, spray it off with the pressure washer.

Wash the trim around the door also to give it an extra clean look! Be careful with the setting on the pressure water since too focused of water pressure will cut through wood, brick, concrete and other materials.

Cob Webs

During the winter months you probably haven’t spent much time outside looking under your eves and while you weren’t looking those pesky spiders came and made your home their own. To get rid of them all you need is a cobweb duster with a telescopic pole. Walk around the outside of your home and capture any webs you find with the cobweb duster.

To clean the cobwebs off the duster, simply roll it around on the lawn or a bush. This is a simple trick but it works great for getting the sticky webs off!

Windows

After a season of rain and snow the windows on your house will look dingy and dirty. Now that the sun is out you don’t want to be looking out at water spots, you want to be able to enjoy the view! A quick and easy way to wash your windows is with the SteamMachine. Here’s what you’ll need:

• SteamMachine
• Water
• Clean rag
• Ladder (optional)

Fill the SteamMachine with water and let it sit until the water is hot. Using the squeegee attachment, steam the window in an upward motion and then squeegee the window on the way down.

You’ll be amazed at the gunk the steam gets off the window! Use a clean rag to wipe excess water and dirt off the bottom of the window. This is a quick and easy way to wash all your exterior windows and it gives you professional results!

Trash Cans

Have you ever walked up to someone’s house and been offended by the smell of trash. I know I have and it’s gross! We store our trash cans on the front of our house so I’m always worried someone will smell our trash when they come over. Now is the perfect time to wash out your trash cans and get them smelling fresh!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pressure washer
• Dish soap
• Odor eliminators

First make sure there is no trash in each of the cans. Then pour a little dish soap in each of the cans. Lay them on their sides and use a pressure washer to wash them out.

After each of them has been cleaned, dry the inside of the lid and stick a odor eliminator to the underside of the lid.

Now your trash cans are clean and the odor eliminators will keep them smelling fresh for up to 6 months!

Dusting the Garage

We love to play and entertain in our front yard and a lot of times we have our garage door up. Having our garage exposed can be embarrassing if we don’t do some cleaning in there too! Start by taking everything out of the garage then it’s readying for dusting. Personally I don’t like to dust so I use a cordless handheld vacuum and let it do all the work for me.

Make sure you dust off workbenches, window sills and all the other nooks and crannies in the garage. If you come across any cobwebs use the cobweb duster to take them down.

The Garage Floor

Cleaning the garage floor is very important because it constantly gets tracked with dirt and everything else on your car tires. Since the garage has already been cleared out for dusting this is the perfect opportunity to clean the floor. Start by sweeping the floor and throwing away all the dust and dirt. Next let’s clean the garage floor, here’s what you’ll need:

• Concrete Cleaner
• Pressure washer
• Stiff bristled brush

Sprinkle the concrete cleaner over the garage floor then sprinkle with a small amount of water to “active” its molecules.

Let it sit for 10 minutes then scrub it with a stiff bristled brush. After scrubbing the garage floor let it sit for another 5 minutes. When 5 minutes has expired rinse the garage floor with the pressure washer.

Now your garage floor will be nice and clean and ready to show off! You can also use concrete cleaner to clean your driveway, sidewalks and even your front porch!

Organizing Storage, Toys & More

The thing that makes garages look dirty, more than anything else, is clutter. To make your garage look clean, organize seasonal totes, toys and sporting equipment. The previous owners of our home installed lots of shelving in our garage but it was still cluttered with all our sporting equipment. To clean up our garage I purchased a board storage rack and a Racor 2-Bike Folding Rack.

By organizing the kids’ toys, the shelves and getting our bikes and boards off the ground our garage is much cleaner and looks even bigger!

The Front Porch

Another important place your guests will see is the front porch. For most people, the front porch is the first impression they get of your home so it’s definitely not an area you want to forget about! There are lots of pieces that make up the front porch: lights, front door, windows, threshold steps and possibly even more. Luckily, even though there are a lot of things to clean, they are all easy to clean. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Broom
• Water
• Dish Soap
• 2 Clean Rags
• Ladder

Start by removing the light fixture. Empty the bug carcasses into the trash and wash the glass bulb in the sink with dish soap and water. Dry it off and secure it back in place.

Next sweep the front porch. It’s important to sweep before doing anything else to get rid of the dust because if you sweep last you’ll be getting things dirty that you already cleaned!

Luckily if your porch has windows you would have already cleaned them with the SteamMachine, so we can skip that step. The next thing to clean is the front door. Dampen a clean rag and wipe down your front door. Next use the same rag to wipe down the threshold.

By cleaning the patio and the threshold you’ll keep dirt from getting tracked into your clean home. If you have any decorations on the front porch wipe them down as well.

Tidy up and add some fresh flowers to make your front porch inviting and a perfect first impression for your guests.

The BBQ

One of the most important things about having guests over is food. People always have a good time if there are drinks and food being served! After a long break the BBQ is probably a little crusty and in need of a good cleaning. A seasoned BBQ is a good thing but a dusty and dirty BBQ is just gross. For an easy way to clean your BBQ use a grill cleaning tool.

Use a grill cleaning tool according to the directions, start by heating up the grill and scraping off the food that’s crusted to the grates.

Then turn the brush over and turn the valve on to release the water. Most grill cleaning tools use steam to clean off tough grease and dirt. With minimal scrubbing your grill will be ready for serving in no time!

Patio Furniture

When your guests arrive you’ll want to make sure they have a clean place to sit and relax. Cleaning your patio furniture is the last thing we need to do to have the outside of your home fully prepared for Summer! To clean the patio furniture here’s what you’ll need:

• Dish soap
• Water
• Empty spray bottle
• 2 Clean rags
• Cordless Vacuum

The first step in cleaning the patio furniture is cleaning the cushions. Vacuum up any dust, pollen, leaves, etc. that are sitting on the furniture.

Next vacuum any pillows you have on your patio furniture to get any dust and pollen out of their stuffing. After you’ve cleaned the cushions, set them aside.

Fill the spray bottle with warm water and add 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap. By adding the soap second you’ll avoid having bubbles overflow the bottle. Lightly shake the spray bottle to mix the soap and water. Spray the patio furniture with the soap and water mixture and then wipe it with a clean rag, removing dust, pollen, etc.

After you’ve finished washing all the furniture, dampen the second clean rag and wipe all of them down to remove any leftover soap residue. Replace cushions and pillows and you’re patio furniture will look good as new!

We’ve done a lot of cleaning but now your home is ready for Summer and a season of outdoor parties! Enjoy!

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The post 10 things to Clean to get Ready for Summer Entertaining appeared first on Ask Anna.

The problem is, it’s so easy to struggle with motivation – especially when it comes to cleaning and decluttering. The idea of getting up to clean or throw out clutter definitely doesn’t beat doing something more fun! That’s why I’m here: to help you with your spring cleaning motivation!

Here are some of my favorite spring cleaning checklists and printables to get you up and moving. If you’re not sure where to start, just choose a checklist, start from the top, and away you go! Your home will be sparkly clean in no time!

6 Spring Cleaning Checklists to Help Get You Motivated

This handy checklist breaks down every single one of your spring cleaning chores into rooms, to make it less daunting. This way, you can choose to focus on one or two rooms at once, instead of doing it all in one go! Download it here.

Prefer something more fun and colorful? Try this one instead, lovingly created by my friend Jennifer! Again, this one is split into rooms, giving you a handy overview of everything that needs to be done. There’s also a blank section at the end to add things that might not be included already. Jennifer has also included some extra tips to help you when you get down to work, so go and have a look!

Now for the bathroom! The bathroom is one of the areas that should definitely be kept clean all the time, but when you’re spring cleaning the rest of the house, it’s a good opportunity to give it a real deep clean. Here’s a useful list of everything you should clean, including some areas you’re likely to miss. As well as the list, I’ve also shared some tips on how to clean some of these areas, so you’re good to go! See the full list here.

Don’t forget the dining room! When you think about spring cleaning I’m sure you don’t immediately think of the dining room but there’s quite a lot to be done in there. It’s the room where a lot of us have guests over for dinner, so it’s a good idea to give it a thorough clean. With this checklist, it’ll be ready for a dinner party in no time!

Decluttering is important, too. It’s difficult to spring clean when you have clutter everywhere, so decluttering while you clean is the most proactive way to a spotless home. My friend Krista has put together this awesome checklist filled with tons of ideas, so you can work your way through and get rid of some of that junk! Download your decluttering checklist here.

If those weren’t enough, how about 25 more?! In this huge post, I’ve shared 25+ spring cleaning checklists, tasks, and other free printables that I know will be so helpful for you! I’ve also included some handy tips and tutorials to help you along the way. This post has everything you need to tackle your spring cleaning!

It’s Time to Spring Clean!

Now it’s over to you. I hope all of these spring cleaning checklists make tackling your home feel a little bit easier. Just choose a printable or two, print them out, and get started. If you need any more help, I have loads more spring cleaning tips and tricks for you on the blog.

It might feel difficult to get started, but imagine how amazing it’ll feel when you have a beautiful, sparkling, home! Good luck!

The post 6 Spring Cleaning Checklists to Get You Motivated! appeared first on Ask Anna.

Now let’s explore the final four dirty spaces that we are going to slay with our spring cleaning!

How to Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places In Your Home – Part 3

What You’ll Need:

• Plain 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• All Purpose Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
• Fragrance Free Liquid Castille Soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes

#7  Bathroom Faucet Handles

Finally, something from the bathroom!  Although I’m still a little shocked that it’s the bathroom faucet handles on the top 10 list and not the toilet seat or handle.  (This is a pleasant surprise for me actually.  I’m in the middle of potty training my daughter.  Now, watching her touch all over the toilet seat and handles makes my stomach a little less queasy, although it still makes me cringe.)

To thoroughly clean the faucet handles, make sure to first remove any soap scum and debris.  Second, generously spray the handles with a solution of equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and water.  Let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then rinse or wipe thoroughly.

To save some time you can also use hydrogen peroxide wipes or an all purpose peroxide cleaner.

#8  Kitchen Counter Top

And, here’s yet another surface from our kitchen.  I’m starting to see a pattern here.  It seems that the kitchen is the dirtiest place in the home, just from the sheer number of appearances on our top 10 list.

Fortunately, since countertops are hard and smooth and normally don’t have many cracks for bacteria to hide in, cleanup is relatively easy.  Remove all crumbs and debris, and spray generously with a solution of equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and water.  Let it sit for 2 minutes and rinse.  To save time, wipes or a food grade hydrogen peroxide based cleaner can be used here as well.

#9  Bathroom Door Knob

Interestingly, the bathroom door knob made it on the list, but not the toilet handle.  My best guess as to why this is the case is because a lot of us don’t flush the toilet directly with our hands but use our elbows and feet instead.  A door knob, however, is much harder to manipulate with an elbow or foot (although I actually was able to twist a door knob once with my two elbows!), so damp hands are more prone to come in contact with it.  Plus, the sheer fact that door knobs are much less likely to be cleaned at all, help explain why they accumulate germs and rank as high as they do on this list.

To clean the bathroom door knobs, wipe them with hydrogen peroxide wipes, paying special attention to the crevices of the knob.  Hydrogen peroxide wipes are great because not only do they contain peroxide, they physically remove grime and bacteria from the surface, much like washing does.

#10  Stove Knobs

Finally we close out our top 10 list with stove knobs – yet another item from our favorite germ-infested room – the kitchen.  I must admit, when I clean my counters and stove, a lot of times I forget to clean the knobs.  And when handling raw produce and meat, it’s easy to see how these can turn into breeding grounds for all sorts of bacteria and microorganisms.

Here again, hydrogen peroxide wipes are phenomenal and convenient (make sure to choose the food grade variety).  Just wipe the knobs down, paying special attention to any crevices.

Phew!  That was fun!  Hopefully this series has given you some tips that will help you along with your spring cleaning this year!  Any other areas that you think should have made it to the top 10 dirtiest places list?  Let us know in the comments below!

And if you missed the first 2 posts, you can start the series by clicking HERE. Happy Spring Cleaning!!!

Raven

Pyoure

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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The post Part 3 – How To Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in your Home appeared first on Ask Anna.

Now let’s explore three more surprisingly dirty spaces that could use a thorough spring cleaning!

What You’ll Need:

• Plain 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• All Purpose Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
• Fragrance Free Liquid Castille Soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes
• White Vinegar (optional)

Now, let’s get this party started!

#4  Coffee Reservoir

Coffee reservoirs were found to have the second highest concentration of yeast and mold (dish rags had the highest).  I must say, that this one surprised me.  It makes sense that a coffee reservoir would harbor germs because it’s constantly dark and moist, but I didn’t realize just how nasty it really is.  When I think back on just how much coffee I drank from my former office’s free, but never-cleaned pot and brewer, I shudder.

While researching in preparation for writing this article, I did a bit of digging to see just what information is out there on the internet as it relates to cleaning a coffee pot.  Every single article I found only mentioned running vinegar through the brewer, which is woefully inadequate for disinfecting purposes.  Since vinegar is not very good at killing germs by itself, you’re going to need something with a little more oomph to get the job done (click here to read an article about an experiment that tested vinegar’s bactericidal properties).  However, when you use vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide, it creates a very powerful disinfectant.  But keep in mind that you cannot combine the two in the same bottle – you have to use one, and then the other.  The order of use doesn’t matter; you just can’t use them together at the exact same time.

Here’s how to use vinegar and peroxide to clean your coffee maker.  If you’re able, wash the reservoir out with hot soapy water (if not, then skip this step).  Next, fill the reservoir with half 3% peroxide, and half water.  Let it sit for about 30 minutes.  Run that peroxide solution through your coffee maker and discard.  You’ll probably notice that the water you’ve run through the machine fizzes and looks like seltzer water as the peroxide continues to kill germs.

Next, fill the coffee reservoir with half white distilled vinegar and half water, and run it through your coffee maker.  It is important to use distilled vinegar for this step because it will remove any mineral deposits in your maker in addition to working with the peroxide to disinfect.

Finally, run clean water through your coffee maker.  I did this about two times to make sure I got all of the vinegar and peroxide out of my machine.  But definitely make sure you don’t leave any peroxide behind.  Peroxide is a very strong oxidizer and can rust the internal metal parts of your coffee maker if it is left to sit for too long.  This is why I like to do the peroxide first, so that it’s sure to be cleared out with the vinegar and clean water passes.

#5  Kitchen Sink

Fortunately, the germ counts for kitchen sinks dropped by nearly half from the coffee reservoirs in the study.  But make no mistake, this area still needs a thorough cleaning!

To clean, wash the sink thoroughly to remove any food residue and generously spray it with 3% hydrogen peroxide.  Let it sit for about 30 seconds before rinsing. Pyoure’s hydrogen peroxide cleaners remove food and contain peroxide, so they are a great one-step alternative.

For under-mounted sinks, pay extra attention to the area where the sink meets the countertop (circled in the picture below):

This gap is an ideal place for bacteria to accumulate because its propensity to catch old food and moisture.  For this area I highly recommend gently scrubbing out the crud and old food with a dish brush, and then spraying 3%  peroxide in the crevice.  Let the peroxide sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing.  If I see the peroxide foaming excessively while sitting, that lets me know that there is a large amount of bacteria present and I usually repeat the application a couple of times.

#6  Pet Toys

Here’s another pet item that made it to the top 10 list: pet toys.  Since pets primarily play with their toys via their mouths and paws, you can totally see just how icky they can become after a while.

Interestingly, pet toys were found to have the highest overall concentrations of staph in the study.  Staph is a family of bacteria that cause all sorts of nasty diseases.  Although it does generally coexist peacefully on the skin of our pets and ourselves, if left unchecked, staph multiplies quickly and can wreak havoc on our bodies.  The bacteria themselves, in addition to the toxins they produce, can cause boils, food poisoning, abscesses, and toxic shock syndrome, just to name a few.

To safely disinfect your pet toy, wash the toy thoroughly in warm soapy water and rinse.  Next, let the toy soak in a solution of half 3% hydrogen peroxide and half water for 30 minutes, and rinse thoroughly. Remove as much excess water as you can, and let the toy air dry. (Added bonus: this cleaning reduces dust mites on soft toys too!)

And we’ve made it through the top 6 dirtiest places in our home!  Stay tuned for the final four items to Spring Clean! How’s your cleaning coming along so far?  Let us know in the comments below!

In case you missed the link at the top, click HERE to learn how to clean the top 3 dirtiest places in your house.

Raven

Pyoure

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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