April 16, 2020
Its that time of the year again, Monarch Residents! Flowers blooming, sun is out, birds are chirping—and there’s cleaning that needs to be done!
Nothing feels better than being in a clean, cozy and comfortable home. Now is a great time to get a jump start on that spring cleaning that you’ve been meaning to get to!
Below is a list of tips and resources to make your cleaning easier and efficient:
Doormats:
Starting with the outside, it’ll be much easier to trap more dirt with two doormats—one on the outside of your apartment home and one on the inside.
Kitchen Sink:
Do you have a funky smell coming from your sink? No problem!
Run a couple lemon rinds through your garbage disposal and then rinse with cold water. Before you know it, the sink wont stink!
Microwave:
Tired of stains? This simple trick will help get rid of them.
In a microwavable bowl, pour water, chopped-up lemon, lime, orange and several tablespoons of vinegar inside. Put the bowl inside and microwave it for several minutes, or until you see it boil. Then, let it sit for 15 minutes until you take it out.
After that, just remove the bowl and begin magically wiping away the stains!
Refrigerator:
You may be used to wiping the shelves of your fridge, but don’t forget about the drawers!
Pop out the shelves and bins and wash in soupy and warm water to get rid of stains, spillage and other food bacteria that may have left its trace.
Oven
Use your self-cleaning function remove any grime in your appliance. Or, use a hot, wet cloth on the burnt and grease spots to soften the gunk.
Finally, use a heavy-duty pad to wipe dry.
Shower Drain:
To help freshen drains, not unclog, mix ¼ a cup of table salt with ½ a cup of baking soda. Pour down drain and the afterwards, pour 1 cup of heated vinegar.
Let it foam and bubble for 15 minutes, and then rinse with hot tap water for 15-30 seconds!
Furniture:
Pull all furniture away from walls and vacuum anything behind or under where it was. While you’re at it, go over the woodwork and air-vents too!
Then, flip to the upholstery tool on your vacuum to go over the cushions! The crevice tool is essential when getting the gunk in the stitching and trim!
Curtains:
Who says your curtains and drapes can’t be cleaned? Put your dryer to work and toss them and even throw pillows in for 15 minutes on the “air-only” cycle!
Make sure to rehang your curtains and drapes immediately to avoid those annoying wrinkles!
Ceilings:
Reach for the sky! Grab an extendable duster and attack ceiling fans, hanging and recessed lights, moldings and much more.
Need More Organization?
One of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential, Marie Kondo, has helped the world become a little more organized!
Through the KonMari Method, she encourages tidying not by location, but rather, by category! Keep things that matter to you, and discard items that do no spark joy! People all around the world have been draw to this method not only because of its effectiveness, but also because it places importance on being mindful and introspective.
Check out her website for organization tips through her books, testimonials, and shopping items.
Don’t Forget!
If you need an easy way to “declutter” your closet and donate/sell your clothes, look no further!
Thred Up allows you to order a Clean-Out Kit, fill up your items you want to discard, and ship them through FedEx or the USPS, and receive either cash or credit for your clothing items. If you are donating, they will give $5 dollars to a charity of your choice!
Act now and for every Donation Kit you send, Thred Up will donate $15 dollars to Feeding America!
