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From buying & selling to home maintenance tips & market updates, we provide valuable insights to help you protect and grow your investment.
Easy Ways to Refresh and Clean Your Home
Now more than ever we want our homes to be a place where we can feel relaxed, safe and find joy. My 4-week series, How to Create a Happy and Healthy Home Inside and Out, will help you do just that! And most importantly, you will learn what steps you can take to improve your home’s health, functionality, and freshness. You’ll find some easy and simple ideas that don’t cost much but could have a big impact.
In this final week, you’ll get tips on “housekeeping” tasks that will help you wipe out grime and smells in your home in some places you may be overlooking. You’ll wonder why you don’t put these easy tasks on your to-do list more often!
Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back if you are on top of your home’s maintenance. You make sure you’re checking off a wide range of to-do’s from your list regularly, whether it’s cleaning your gutters, having your HVAC system serviced each season, or upgrading your smoke alarms. This means you are making SMART real estate decisions each and every month!
Today we are going to focus on smaller cleaning items that may be easy to overlook but will help your home smell fresh and clean in some unnoticed places. If you do have a cleaning service, these might not be on their list at all.
And don’t wait for a whirlwind weekend of spring cleaning to focus on these, put them on your year-round list and make them a routine — you’ll be happy you did!
WARNING: If you plan to make your own cleaning solutions with items in your pantry, keep in mind to never mix bleach with vinegar; or bleach with hydrogen peroxide; or bleach with ammonia. These mixes can be toxic. And when using chlorine bleach, keep the windows open or a fan blowing, and wear gloves.
Let’s get started!
Tackle Kitchen Smells
Garbage Disposal — Does your kitchen sink sometimes stink? It could be leftover bits of food scraps and slime stuck in your disposal’s splash guard and grinding chamber. All of which means bacteria can grow and so do the smells! It’s quite simple to clean with baking soda, vinegar, ice, table salt, and lemon peels.
Trash Can — Last night’s dinner could be stinking up your trash, but don’t forget to double check the actual trash container. Crumbs seems to fall in there and liquid can seep in somehow…making a yucky sticky mess inside (and even outside).
Dishwasher — Do you find yourself constantly wiping away smudges and fingerprints on your stainless steel dishwasher door? But what about cleaning the inside of your washer? Don’t think it’s cleaning itself! Your dishwasher needs a good rinse once a month to keep it running properly. This can help mildew from forming on the interior rubber gasket, and even stains on the plastic interior.
Good-Bye to Bathroom Grime & Germs
Shower Curtain Liner — Don’tforgot about your shower curtain and water-repellant liner when cleaning your bathroom. Soap scum, mold and mildew can build up on your liner. Not a pretty sight when you’re taking a shower!
Shower Head — Have you looked carefully at your shower head to see if it’s clogged with mineral deposits? It might explain why you’re not getting that full blast of water when showering.
Toilet Bowl Brush and Holder— It’s a bit gross to think about, but these items can harbor bacteria and more if you don’t clean them regularly. Remember you use them to clean the toilet so it doesn’t help if they are germy too!
Take Action in the Laundry Room
Washing Machine — Have you ever thought that you’re cleaning your clothes in something that might not be clean itself? That could happen if you have a front-loading washing machine since its rubber gasket around the door opening can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew — which could be coming in contact with your clothes.
You’ll see these black spots start to pop up on this rubber seal (even underneath and in crevices). Another tell-tale sign is that you’ll get a yucky smell coming from your washer when in use.
Spruce Up Your Entrance
Doormat — If you spend time and money power washing your home to get rid of dirt and grime, then take a moment to consider cleaning your doormat too. It’s filled with dirt, pollen, and dust, and who wants that tracked into your home by feet and paws! Plus, depending on weather conditions, you could see mold and mildew growing on the top and bottom of your mat.
As you can see, these tasks are easily overlooked on a daily basis and also might not be on your spring cleaning or fall maintenance lists. Take the time to make them part of your regular cleaning routine so that you can get the most out of these products so that they work properly, avoid repairs, and you don’t have to replace sooner than you’d like.
Plus, you’ll find yourself smiling and feeling a sense of accomplishment in your fresh clean home!
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