Every spring, we have the opportunity to freshen up our homes. While cleaning and organizing are not as much fun as binge-watching Netflix, we need to remember how much time we spend in our living space. So, let’s get started cleaning those kitchens and bathrooms!

Give Your Kitchen a Refresh!

We all clean our counters, microwaves, and kitchen floors on a regular basis. However, other areas of the kitchen tend to get neglected:

• Stove/Oven: clean your stove hood filter and run your oven cleaning cycle (Note: If you use your oven infrequently, running the cleaning cycle once or twice a year is sufficient. For those who use their ovens on at least a weekly basis, it is best to run the cycle at least every three months).
• Cupboards/Fridge: take everything out of your cupboards, fridge, and freezer. Clean those areas thoroughly, this includes pulling out the drawers in your fridge and washing them in warm, soapy water. Now, before you put your food back, check all the expiry dates and throw away anything that’s past its best before date. Don’t forget to check your spices. Finally, dust on top of all cupboards and the fridge.

Make Your Bathroom Beautiful Again!

While we may be cleaning our toilets, bathtubs, and sinks in the bathroom on a weekly basis, there is a lot more we can do to make our bathrooms better.

• Under the Sink/Medicine Cabinet: Like in the kitchen, you want to take everything out before cleaning these areas. After wiping them down, check the expiry dates on skincare, makeup, and medications. While some beauty products may not have exact expiry dates, here’s a good guide to help you figure out whether its time to toss that mascara.
• Shower Curtain/Liner: If you have a fabric shower curtain and liner that you can wash, this is probably something you are doing regularly. However, plastic shower curtains and liners may not be things you can throw in the washing machine. Therefore, this spring you might want to consider replacing both.
• Bathroom Exhaust Fan: It’s really critical that this fan is cleaned at least once a year so moisture does not build up in your bathroom and damage it. Check out this step-by-step tutorial for an easy ten-minute fan cleanup.

Clean These Areas in Both Rooms

Go through this checklist to ensure you get both rooms sparkling clean:

• Light fixtures
• Walls, especially corners with dust bunnies and/or cobwebs
• Doors and door handles
• Baseboards
• Windows and window sills
• Blinds
• Smoke alarm batteries (ideally replaced twice a year, in sync with the time change)