Spring Cleaning for your Apartment

Preferred Living’s Favorite Spring Cleaning Tips from Architectural Digest

1. Scrub under large appliances with dish washing soap

Little bits of food and dust frequently get trapped under major appliances like the stove-top, so spring-cleaning is always a good excuse to check out what’s under there. You might need to do this regularly to keep pest issues at bay too.

2. Banish food spatters from your dirty microwave

With all the pasta sauce splatters and greasy grime, the microwave is yet another overlooked appliance you should put on your spring-cleaning checklist.

3. Deal with kitchen cabinet tops

According to Dulude, the tops of kitchen cabinets is another often neglected area. “It’s important to clean those once or twice a year before your kitchen starts smelling funky and you won’t know what’s causing it,” she says.

4. Sprinkle baking soda on linens

Depending on the type of bedding you own, Harasim suggests refreshing comforters, pillowcases, and sheets with baking soda, white vinegar, and laundry detergent by running the washing machine on the hot max setting or the delicate setting. For mattresses and pillows, she recommends sprinkling baking soda on top, leaving for a couple hours, then vacuuming all the baking soda off. This helps absorb lingering smells.

5. Deep clean the mattress with steam

For deeply embedded stains and smells, call in reinforcements. Dulude notes that if you own a steam cleaner, it’s always a good idea to use one on a mattress, or to spray it with white vinegar if you don’t. “For both cases, be sure to let it dry out completely before making the bed,” she advises.

6. Don’t just dust—wash your vent covers

If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your bathroom vents, and a simple dust cloth isn’t going to cut it, Dulude’s tip is to remove the vent cover with a screw driver and actually wash it in the sink with soap and warm water before drying and screwing it back on.

8. Make a DIY drain cleaner

Drain clogs can be tackled with cleaning products you have on hand. Both of our experts recommend making a DIY cleaning solution with common household items by pouring baking soda down the drain for traction, followed by white vinegar (about a cup) to keep the drains clean and odor-free.

To see the full article: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spring-cleaning-checklist