The one small spring cleaning task that makes a big difference

Spring cleaning can be a beast. Just the thought of getting everything tidier and cleaner — whatever shape your home is in now — can be so overwhelming, it can be hard to know where to start.

So we reached out to household cleaning expert Dana K. White for some help. (She gets us! Hallelujah!)

We asked Dana: If there is just one thing you absolutely must do when it comes to spring cleaning, what is it?

Dana’s answer: Look up!

If you do nothing else at all this spring, be sure to look up and knock dust down to the ground.

This one easy spring cleaning task can make a huge difference toward your whole home feeling clean, and here’s why.

Dust tends to build up big time in the winter because, let’s face it, in the shorter daylight hours of the coldest months of the year, we just see less of it. But as more sunshine peeks through the windows, and we look around, we really do see those cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling, and dust clinging secretively to the molding and the top shelves of our bookcases.

My tips for spring de-dusting are simple; no need for special tools or fancy cleansers. Just use what you have on hand:

-Attach a microfiber cloth to your regular broom with a rubber band, and knock that dust down.

-Pay special attention to your walls around your windows and any crown molding. They get dusty too, and that dust seems to show up so vividly when the light hits it just right.

-For your windowsills and frames, you can use regular old dish soap to scrub away dirt and leave surfaces clean and shiny.

-If you find those windowsills are extra dirty, you can use a handheld vacuum cleaner to suck up the loose dirt before you clean; that way, you won’t create more of a muddy mess.

-And remember, your curtains collect a lot of dust too. If they’re machine washable, give them a rinse, and simply hang them back on the curtain rods to dry. – Dana K. White

Find Dana’s book How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets from our affiliate Amazon or your local independent bookseller and check out her blog A Slob Comes Clean.

Photo: Orzalaga via CC | Pixabay