As I type this column, the weatherman is predicting 70-degree temperatures.
Spring is finally making an appearance! As much as I love the long hours of daylight and the boost to my daily Vitamin D intake, the spring season brings a lot of extra work and worry.
Spring sports combined with the chore of outdoor landscaping and lawn care add a lot more to my to-do list.
While I will gladly swap the extra chores for those cold winter days stuck inside, it does make getting all of my chores completed a little trickier.
The key to being able to enjoy the warmer temperatures is streamlining your spring cleaning routine.
• Awesome Apps to Keep You On Track: If you are like me, you spend a ton of money on your monthly phone bill?
To justify that insane and ever growing bill, I try to put my phone to work for me.
Do you ever look for cleaning apps on your phone? If you haven’t, give it a try.
There are a ton of apps you can find them in the same place you get apps to help you track steps, calories or social engagements to keep your cleaning chores on track.
Here are a few of my favorites!
“Tody” is a great app that can help you get the entire family involved in the cleaning process!
You can create cleaning tasks with frequency, and the app will tell you when things are overdue and when something was last cleaned.
Each family member can actually track the chores they’ve done and cross them off the to-do list.
Another worthy option to consider is “Chore Checklist.”
While you are adding new — and hopefully helpful — apps to your fun, look into “The Fridge” and “Think Dirty.”
If you are like me and throw away insane amounts of food because of spoilage, this is a great way to record what you have in your fridge and pantry, and it will let you know when certain foods are about to go bad and will even recommend recipes to make with the ingredients you input.
How awesome is that?
The list of good options is endless — I just discovered the “Spotless” app, and I hope it means that our HVAC vents are never forgotten again!
Finally, as you deep-clean your house this spring of all those awful germs and dust bunnies, take some time to detoxify your house.
The “Think Dirty” app, which you can download to your phone, lets you scan items in your house — whether it is makeup or cleaning supplies — to determine that product’s “dirty” meter, i.e. how toxic it is.
Anything over a 10 needs to go!
• Get Organized: Several years ago,I turned a corner in my own love-hate relationship with cleaning my house.
It happened after I stocked up on cleaning supplies from a friend who sells all-natural cleaning supply company.
I was so excited about all the new goodies that I bought a fun caddy to house all of them and voila, everything changed.
While I am sure that having the right cleaning supplies on hand to help me with this dreaded chore was a major player in my catharsis about cleaning, taking the time to organize those cleaning supplies was key.
Whenever I go to clean, I am not overwhelmed by a ton of cleaning supplies or deciding which one I need to use.
I grab my caddie that has just a few key items and whether I need a quick spruce up or a heavy-duty cleaning, it suits my needs just fine.
You can do the same by purging all those unnecessary cleaning items and putting your most-used spring cleaning tools in a container.
Unsure what is an essential item? Try stocking up with antibacterial microfiber clothes, an easy eraser, a dust and wash microfiber mitt, window cloths, a bottle of all-purpose cleaner (Method has some great options that smell amazing) and get to work.
If you are still wedded to the disposable wipes, throw some of those in the caddy too!
• Reward your Efforts: One of the things that I have found is that when I schedule cleaning into my week, I make it a treat.
Since we are always on the go, I remind myself that I get to stay home, stay in comfortable clothes and enjoy the home that we work so hard for!
I turn on my favorite iTunes playlist, crank it up and get cleaning.
In case you were wondering, Rhianna and Bruno Mars are my favorites to jam to on those cleaning days!
I also always make sure to reward myself after a good solid morning of cleaning with some couch time and one of my favorite shows on Netflix (“Outer Banks” is a great binge, FYI!)
That way I can enjoy the fruits of my labor — with my feet propped up in my freshly cleaned living room!
Happy spring — and happy cleaning, friends!
(Editor’s Note: Kristine George is a freelance journalist who resides in Easton.)
