Being proactive with your cleaning will help keep your home a healthier one, and likely save you money in the long run because your appliances don’t have to work as hard to be efficient. It also means your home will smell fresher and not get stinky. It’s finally spring and a good time to start spring cleaning- but let’s not forget these 5 things to clean monthly. I’ve also included tips to clean these items without harsh chemicals for a healthier clean!
1. Washing Machine– There are products available for purchase to clean your washing machine. Buy them. Or, better yet, run a cycle with vinegar and call it a day. You want to run it on a hot cycle with an extra rinse. Be sure to clean the detergent, softener and bleach compartments when you clean the washer. For front loaders, be sure to wipe down the rubber gasket. This is a big part of why people’s washers start giving them stinky clothes. Stay on top of things save yourself time and money.
We learned the hard way that you have to clean the front loading washing machines on a regular basis. Somehow, when we first purchased ours, we missed that detail. Oops. Lesson learned, after all laundry and our basement smelled gross and we couldn’t figure out why!! Vinegar.
2. Dishwasher– Again, you can buy cleaner for this, or you can simply run vinegar through a cycle. Also be sure to clean the drain trap each month. Build up in there can cause backup and trouble starts with that. You want your dishwasher running efficiently so be sure to empty the trap and clean your dishwasher!! This keeps your dishwasher from being stinky, too!
3. Dryer Vent — The foil-ish thing that the air and moisture travel with the lint through? That totally needs to be cleaned. Regularly. It’s a fire hazard. I’m assuming you clean the lint trap before or after each load goes through the dryer.
4. Ceiling Fans- I actually try to do these when I change the sheets on Saturdays, but often just don’t….and it ends up being monthly. Any longer than that and we get a build up that is just gross, and I fear we’ll end up turning them on before cleaning them and have all that dust and build up flying all over our bedrooms. 2/3 of our kids have allergies- this is NOT something I want flying around.
When I do my ceiling fans, I either use a pillow case so the dust and stuff fall into my case and not all over the room, or I use a damp microfiber cloth. No chemicals needed, but still effective.
5. Filter(s) Filters for your furnace, filters for your air conditioning unit- whatever you have, change or clean them once a month. Filters help to clean the air in your home and really, who wants to breathe in all the stuff filters work to keep OUT of our homes? (GROSS).
The Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter is 65 times more effective than other carbon filters at removing odors from the entire home, such as those from cooking, tobacco smoke, pets, mildew and cleaning chemicals.
Register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring special offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more at www.Filtrete.com.
This post about 5 things to clean monthly is brought to you as part of my Filtrete Healthy Home Ambassadorship. I was compensated for my time but opinions are my own.
Trisha McKee says
Be organized. Have a list of what you are going to tackle when and stick to it! If I don’t do this, I’m all over the place, doing a million things but finishing nothing.
AEKZ2 says
My best tip is to declutter before you start cleaning.
Jennifer says
I would say to only do a little bit at a time. If you try to tackle too much at once, you will get burnt out quickly.
trixx says
Work from the top down, inside to outside, to avoid getting what you just cleaned dirty again!
Elizabeth Ray says
Good music playing can help. (The tv on does not!)
Lisa L says
Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails!
Laurie Emerson says
My best spring cleaning tip is to do it in similar sections for each room. I start with the windows in the rooms it makes the rooms look so cheerful. I then go to closets, floors and so on. It makes it go so much faster.
Kobi Hensley says
I don’t spring clean. I heavy clean one room a month so I don’t have to.
Sarah L says
My tip is to open all the windows and put on some loud dance music. Makes everything go better.
Thanks for the contest.
CharityS says
Use old t-shirts to dust your house, and use a cleaning chart for each room.
Karrie Millheim says
My tip is to make a list. Do only one thing on your list a day to keep from going on overload
Angela Nichols says
My tip is if you haven’t used it in over six months then donate it or get rid of it.
Peggy Rydzewski says
Always put music on and dance your way clean,
Melanie H says
I say clean your house well all through out the year so you don’t have to devote a whole season to cleaning it
Breanne says
Do a little every day
April Brenay says
pick one room at a time and don’t stop till its done
Sherry Conrad says
My best tip is to teach your kids early and well so they can help you. 🙂
Erica C. says
Do a small area each day so that it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Evelyn Driver says
Go thur all your change of season clothing and discard or donate anything you will never wear again.
Angela Ash says
There is so much I want to get done it’s hard to know where to start. I often felt overwhelmed when Spring cleaning because I was jumping around so much. I realized that if I concentrate in one room at a time it goes so much smoother but also faster.
Samantha says
Tackle one room at a time each day. This way it doesn’t get overwhelming.
tina reynolds says
First thing go to each room and do a quick purge for chairty/donation
Daniel M says
dust first then vacuum
Joshua Johnson says
My tip would be take it one room at a time. Cleaning a whole house is a big job but cutting into small parts makes it more manageable.
Deanna says
My best spring cleaning tip is to do it a little at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself. 😉
Daphne P says
It’s time to get back to the clothesline!
joe gersch says
my best spring cleaning tip is to get behind things like furniture
Jimmy says
My tip is to clean a little everyday so you’re not overwhelmed.
Monique Rizzo says
Clean your microwave and garbage disposal with lemon!
robyn paris says
i like to clean under the beds for spring
Samantha L says
My spring cleaning tip would be to get the edges and corners of your carpet.
Holly C. says
best cleaning tip is to get the family involved and have them help lol. other than that I keep a spray bottle under kitchen sink with a vinegar solution that I can quickly clean up a spill on counter or floor
Lisa V. says
Use vinegar when cleaning windows.
richelle bowers says
clean one room a day and go from top to bottom. Vinegar is also a natural disinfectant
Ingrid Jackson says
To save money, I use warm water with vinegar to wash my windows and mirrors. I dry them using newspaper. No streaks this way.
Rebecca Parsons says
Take it one room at a time. I like to clean the most cluttered part of the room and go from there.
Brittney House says
My tip is to get the whole family involved.
Ashley C says
My tip is to pick a room every day and clean it, that keeps everything from getting too messy
RICHARD HICKS says
If you are cleaning windows and have a lot of them, then space them out over a few days so you do not get burned out doing them
Cynthia C says
My tip is to tackle a job every day so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Crystal F says
I recommend doing one room at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself by thinking about everything that you have to get done. Thank you!
Natalie Brown says
Hi! My Spring cleaning tip is to make a list of what needs done in each room & then approach each room at a time. It can become overwhelming, but this helps me to focus better & be more efficient. Thanks!
Colleen Boudreau says
Don’t overwhelm yourself, stick to one room at a time.
heather s says
Take one room at a time and start with donating or throwing away what you don’t need.
Rita M says
I assign days to chores – then the daily cleaning doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
Alexa B. says
try to keep things clean and tidy year round so u don’t have much to do when u begin spring cleaning.
Desiree Dunbar says
I like to plan out cleaning over a 2 week period when the weather starts getting warmer, so I can open the windows and let the fresh air in. I use an all purpose cleaner that I make with white vinegar and Lavender Essential Oil to clean the house.
Dawn Goiss says
When you have a dishwasher that leaves your dishes dirtier than when you put them in, you don’t have to buy a new one. To clean it, avoid adding more dishwasher detergent, which is probably the culprit anyway. Use citric acid. It will remove the detergent and food particle build up, but you might have to run five or six cycles (or more if the problem is really bad) with the dishwasher empty before it leaves your dishes clean again.
Adrienne Gordon says
I tackle one room at a time.
april yedinak says
My best spring cleaning tip is to make a weekend of it, make a list of tasks and delegate to family members. That way everything gets done in one weekend with the whole family working together.
Sarah Hall says
My spring cleaning tip is to only do one room at a time. Trying to do more at one time only gets you disorganized.
shelly peterson says
Make a list of what needs to be done in each room and tackle one room at a time.
Danielle D says
organize one room at a time
Mami2jcn says
Get your kids involved! They’ll think it’s fun and the work goes quicker.
Cindy T. says
I clean a room from top to bottom & then move on to another room. Thank u for the chance to win. 🙂
amy stonger says
Focus on one task at a time and never bite off more than you can chew!! It can be a daunting task but if you take it piece by piece you can get it done in no time!
christine jessamine says
my best tip is to keep things organized. And to take it slow.
Stephanie Colvin says
Vinegar, vinegar, vinegar~~ I use it to clean everything!
Victoria says
My best tip is to organize while you clean because it will save you time later and make it easier to clean
Fawn H says
My best tip is to make sure you have everything that you need to clean with and to divide all your cleaning into little projects. If you try to do to much at once, you could get frustrated and not want to do it at all.
rachel says
Buy a fun new cleaning spray to make it more exciting!
Barbara Montag says
I turn on snappy music to keep my energy level up.
thank you
Trisha Burgess says
I use a pillow case on the blades of the fan to contain the dust!
Pauline Milner says
When I am cleaning, I carry a large basket with a handle filled with all of my supplies from room to room. I find it saves me a lot of time. I do not have to remember where I left the furniture polish or window cleaner. Thank you for a super giveaway opportunity. Please continue with the terrific blogging.
Sunnymay says
My best cleaning tip is to start at the door and work your way clockwise around the room. That way you’ll be doing a thorough cleaning once and can see the progress.
Dawn says
My best spring cleaning tip is to make sure you dust everything really well….seriously, like everything. Change your filters and then open the windows and air everything out. It makes such a huge difference in how your house smells after being boxed up all winter.
Rachee says
My ceiling fans are a hot mess! I am good with the dryer vent but not so good with the washer.
Autumn says
Thanks for the reminder. My dishwasher needs some vinegar! These things all do need to be cared for each month.
Mary V says
Go through all of your summer clothes. If you wouldn’t buy it today, get rid of it.
Desiree M. says
Using vinegar in my new HE washer has been a Godsend! I didn’t realize you had to clean those dryer vents though. Guess that’s something else I need to do!
Kelly D says
My best spring cleaning tip is to get rid of anything you haven’t used in the past year.
mysweetiepiepie says
My best spring cleaning tip is to clean out the closet after I take out the winter clothes and before I put in the summer clothes :+)
Jessica To says
My best tip is to start early so you can enjoy the spring!
Shell says
It looks like I have a lot of cleaning to do! Adding to my spring cleaning list!
Amber K says
I have yet to clean my dishwasher. I really have to get on that – yuck!
Chrysa says
Hmmm….I’m not a very good cleaner to leave a tip, but I would say to convince family members to help out to share the workload! 🙂
Rosey says
I love the pillow case idea for cleaning the ceiling fans. I will totally be designating a pillow case for just this job.
Jackie says
My best spring cleaning tip is to wait until everything is in bloom and the pollen has stopped floating through the air before washing windows, screens and curtains.
Thank you!
Amanda says
My best spring cleaning tip is to just get started!
Janel C. says
These are great tips for cleaning items that usually get neglected on a monthly basis. I am guilty of not cleaning the ceiling fans as much as I should. And thanks for reminding me it’s time to buy new AC filters 🙂
Jaime Nicole says
My best spring cleaning tips is pick one room a day to get done – then it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
Estelle says
Who knew that vinegar had a better use than being in salad dressing:) I’ll remember the tip for cleaning ceiling fans-very helpful.
Rachel says
I love my Lysol wipes! I use them for everything. When I go shopping for cleaning supplies, I always over do it. For some reason, I’m a sucker for new cleaning products out on the market.
Jenn @ The Rebel Chick says
I had no idea that you could clean most of those things with vinegar. I’ll have to remember that!
Cheryl Abdelnour says
I like the set sail outfit– http://www.carters.com/carters-kid-girl-new-arrivals-outfits/Set-Sail-For-Spring-kid.html#navID=header&start=5&cgid=carters-kid-girl-new-arrivals
ken ohl says
go room by room don’t skip around and do some here and there finish one room than go onto the next.
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says
I’m so bad about changing out filters. My tip is for the microwave. Heat a cup with water or a wet washcloth for a minute or two. The steam helps release things from the edges.
aimee fauci says
I am so bad about changing out filters and that darn ceiling fan is so high up and when it spins you can’t tell it is dirty.. of course at times it will rain dust ;/
BUT I have found a new love for vinegar. We are battling w hard water and you can see residue on the dishes. I’ve gotten in to the habit of tossing some vinegar in the dishwasher w every load and they come out shiny!
Kelly Hutchinson says
I am terrible about changing out my filters but am getting better! I did not realize you needed to clean the washing machine that often. God to know.
Chrysa says
This is a great list. I admit that I definitely don’t get to those every month. The ceiling fans is one I definitely notice though – that build up of dust looks horrible!
Lolli @ Better in Bulk says
OK, I am horrible about cleaning my washing machine and dishwasher. I have a huge thing of vinegar, though, so I’m going to do that tomorrow!
Greta says
I should probably clean out my dishwasher. It’s kind of funny how we don’t think about cleaning these kinds of things.