Spring has sprung, which means that your space likely needs some tidying up. Take a look at this spring cleaning checklist to help make an apartment feel like home and give your place a fresh start for the season.
Clean With a Plan
It’s easy to get distracted by something else that needs attention at your apartment while you’re deep into the cleaning process. That’s why it’s important to have a plan as you undergo spring cleaning tasks.
Go in with the mindset that you’ll be cleaning room-by-room, focusing on those areas you don’t already regularly clean. Less-trafficked areas need sprucing up, too, especially if they’ve become magnets for clutter.
Consider going through that clutter to organize where you can before doing any heavy cleaning to save time down the road. Sort, donate, or dispose of things you don’t need that make your space feel smaller. Go through your closet and consider whether you need items you haven’t used since your last spring cleaning checklist. And don’t forget that junk drawer!
Help Your Space Smell Like Spring
The spring season brings to mind scents of florals and citrus, but it’s also about a fresh scent that you can only get with a good cleaning. If it’s your furniture that’s a bit musty, it likely needs a good cleaning. Pull out those vacuum attachments from the back of the closet and give couches and upholstered pieces a good cleaning.
One of the easiest cleaning tips that leads to an immediate fresh scent boost is the power of lemon. Grind lemon rinds down the garbage disposal, especially if your kitchen isn’t smelling so clean these days. Use halved lemons on cutting boards or hard water stains you’ve been ignoring over the last year.
Give Your Appliances Some Love
Even if you’ve been diligent about wiping down your kitchen surfaces and appliances after meals where they’re used, your appliances could likely still use some attention during your spring cleaning.
To give your microwave a good steam clean, heat a bowl of water with some citrus and vinegar and let the solution do the work, leaving a quick wipe for you when it’s done. Dishwasher rinse packs can make quick work of a dishwasher that hasn’t been cleaned in a while.
Yes, that appliance that cleans your dishes also needs likely attention! That means your washing machine, too. Run the machine on hot without a load inside and disinfect with a white vinegar rinse. If your washer is extra smelly, let a bit of vinegar sit inside the machine for about half an hour before running your cycle.
Give your fridge a good once-over, removing any expired condiments or foods that have passed their freshness dates. Follow that up with a good wipedown on the interior, removing any shelves that you can to give them a good wash.
If you’ve been neglecting your oven, it’s likely seen better days. Kick-off spring by giving the inside of your oven a good scrub with oven-safe cleaners. Just make sure the products you’re using aren’t so harsh that you’re scratching surfaces, particularly if you’re living in a rental apartment.
Don’t Skip Exterior Spaces
Even in a downtown San Diego apartment, there are spaces outside of your immediate living areas that you may not have been keeping up with in your regular cleaning routine.
Consider doormats outside that front door that may not make your usual pass when vacuuming or patios and balcony areas that need some attention. Are there cooking tools or appliances in those exterior spaces that may need a good scrubbing? Do you have patio furniture that could use a good cleaning?
Create a Space You Love
If you’re already organizing and cleaning room-by-room, think about ways to make your apartment a space that you love coming home to and spending time in and where you can add opportunities for eye-catching apartment design.
Apartment essentials most certainly include storage solutions and furniture pieces that make life more comfortable for you. Still, they’re also the things you enjoy looking at to make even a rental apartment feel like home. It could be as simple as displaying the items you own in a unique way. Take a closer look at spaces like bookshelves and entryway nooks and how to organize around your apartment to create spaces that you love.
Tidy Up for a Good Night’s Rest
If you can’t remember the last time you washed your bulkier bedding items, like comforters, mattress covers, and throw pillows, they likely need a wash. Check labels before you throw anything in the washer, of course, as some items are dry clean only. In that case, a trip to the dry cleaner may be necessary.
While you’re at it, rotate, don’t flip, your mattress. This prevents dips on the side that you sleep and extends to the life of this expensive purchase. The label on your mattress should give you an idea of how often to do so.
Make Your Job Easier for Next Spring
Consider whether there were any tasks this time around that were made more difficult because you tackle them annually. Do you have any spring cleaning ideas to incorporate into your regular routines to make a big spring cleaning job more efficient next spring?
Introducing a rotating schedule of monthly tasks that will keep your space fresh year-round will make your spring cleaning checklist that much shorter when the season comes around next time.
Seeking a new space to call home? The Ariel luxury apartments in the heart of San Diego’s vibrant Little Italy neighborhood offer the comfort you need. Contact Ariel today and fall in love with your new space.