Home Mom Hacks Top Hacks to Stay Clean & Organized Beyond Spring by Melissa HeckscherApril 2, 2019 iStock Search more like this how toanimal rescueanimal shelterdiyessential oilfire hazardflu seasonfurry companionshumane societysalvation armysimple instructionsbaking sodacleaningorganize Advertisement Trending Now Entertainment & Movies Netflix Finally Releases Trailer for Netflix Addams Family Spinoff ‘Wednesday’ Recalls 2 Million MamaRoo & RockaRoo Baby Swings Recalled after Infant Death Viral & Trending Scotland Becomes the 1st Country to Make Period Products Free Viral & Trending School’s Cell Phone Policy Goes Viral after Mom Refuses to Comply: ‘Nope’ News California Becomes 1st State to Provide Free Meals to Public School Kids Advertisement Spring is almost here! And besides enjoying everything there is to love about the season, now’s also the perfect time to clean out your drawers and get the grime off your tiles and tubs. Need some simple organizing tips and spring cleaning hacks to help you get there and—even better—keep you there for months afterward? Keep reading! Karly Wood Clean Out Your Dryer Vent Does it take more than one cycle to get your clothes dried? If so, your dryer vent may need a good cleaning. This vent is not the same as the lint trap, and is the path your dryer lint and fuzz usually takes to get outside. If it’s clogged, it can result in long dry times and even pose a fire hazard! Head to Frugally Blonde for easy tips on purging your dryer vent. Karly Wood Wipe Out Window Tracks Long winters mean dust and grime can build up in your window tracks, preventing them from properly closing and looking downright disgusting! Spend 10 minutes using the tips from The Intentional Mom and you’re on your way to sparkling windows! Karly Wood Dust Heating & Air Vents After a hot summer and long, cold winter, your heating and air vents have probably taken a beating. Use a duster, toothbrush, or a butter knife wrapped in an old towel to get in between all the vents for a thoroughly cleaning. The next time you turn on the heating or AC, you won’t be sending excess dust flying around! Beddy’s Make Your Bed, Every Day This simple act can become a habit and can help a whole room look better in just a few minutes. If you want to go one beyond, try this awesome bedding from Beddy’s: your bed and your kids’ beds can be made in seconds. The bedding essentially is like a comforter + sheet set that fits any size mattress (there’s even a toddler size). You simply zip it up along the sides to make a seamless look. Unzip to give yourself breathing room in the night, or keep it zipped up for coziness. Added bonus? Your partner can’t kick the sheet down in the bed. Find out more at beddys.com. Karly Wood Disinfect Your Dishwasher If your dishwasher isn’t doing it’s job, smells funny or is leaving white residue on your dishes then it’s probably time for a clean. It’s a good idea to run a cup of white vinegar through your dishwasher to remove build up and odors. Simply pour it in the bottom of your dishwasher (with or without dishes––it won’t harm them or leave a smell) and run a regular cycle. Karly Wood Melt Away Microwave Grime Cleaning out your microwave doesn’t have to be a hassle. All you need to do is fill a bowl with one cup of vinegar and one cup of water, then microwave for roughly five minutes. When the time’s up, carefully remove the bowl (it will be HOT!) then easily wipe down the mess inside that has been loosened from the vinegar and steam. No scrubbing required! Bill Smith via flickr Clean Your Humidifier Now that flu season is waning (mostly), it’s time to deep clean that humidifier that has been saving your kids’ noses all winter long. Anna Mosely from Ask Anna suggests half-filling your humidifier with vinegar and running it outside (so your house doesn’t smell like vinegar) for at least 45 minutes. Then, wipe it out with a sponge, fill it up with water and run it for 45 more minutes. Then, let that baby dry out, and put it away until next season. According to Noelle Tackle Your Tank Tops Are tank tops taking over your closet? Organize them with this genius DIY tank top hack from According to Noelle. Or, roll up your tops and slip them into a shoe organizer. Bam! Your available closet space just quadrupled! Richard Kelland via flickr Give Your Fridge a Makeover Ah, the fridge—the place we spend so much time in front of, all year long. It’s time to get it back to the clean, cool space your food and drinks once knew. To do this, you’ll need to remove everything (and unplug the fridge if you don’t want to waste tons of electricity), and then take out the shelves and drawers and wash them thoroughly with mild dishwashing soap. Dry everything thoroughly before sliding back into place. mgstanton via flickr Use Box Lids or Inserts to Organize Inside Drawers Do all of your drawers look like a free-for-all of junk? Put box lids or plastic drawer inserts into your drawers and decluttering accordingly. For more tips on organizing your drawers, head to this article from Real Simple. Matti Mattila via flickr Use Binder Clips to Organize Computer Wires If you’ve got wires snaking every which way behind your computer, try this easy hack from Lifehacker that uses binder clips to keep wires attached and organized. evan p. cordes via flickr Give Old Bedding and Towels to People or Animals in Need With spring cleaning in full force, don’t just toss old towels and bedding! Give them to an animal rescue organization or a homeless shelter to be re-used by someone in need. To donate to furry friends, call your local animal shelter or go here to find out how to donate to the Humane Society. To donate to people in need, call your local Salvation Army or Goodwill to see if they have any local shelters or shops in need of bedding. Vernon Area Public Library via flickr Same Goes for Old Toys When kids toys start taking over the house, you know it’s time for a clean-out. But don’t toss all those old treasures in the trash—donate them to children in need! To find worthy places or organizations to take your toys (because some organizations, including hospitals, usually only take new toys), check out this great article from Money Crashers. Hey Tonya via Youtube Use Plastic Bins to Organize Your Laundry Room Putting all your stuff into bins is the quickest and easiest way to go from total mess to super neat! So head to Dollar Tree and get as many plastic bins as you can fit in your laundry room and use them to organize all your supplies. Get a step-by-step on how to organize a small laundry room (plus a free stain removal printable) from Hey Tonya. A Girl and a Glue Gun Use Shoe Organizers for More Than Just Shoes Got a zillion Barbie dolls strewn around your house? A few too many Hot Wheels? Hook a shoe organizer onto your kid’s door and start popping toys in the slots. It’s an easy way to organize and keep track of your little collector’s stash. The organizer shown here is even customized to fit the height of each doll! Get the simple instructions at Girl and a Glue Gun. Homemaker Chic Clean the Fan Blades with a Pillowcase Old pillowcases work wonders at scooping up fan blade dust and keeping it contained. Get more details at Homemaker Chic. Jason Gooljar via flickr Use Vinegar and Dish Soap On Tub Stains Is your tub looking more Bates Motel than Beverly Wilshire? Use a spray bottle filled half-and-half with cleaning vinegar and Dawn dishwashing liquid to scrub stains away (Hint: Some people say you should warm the vinegar in the microwave if you’ve got really tough stains). Your tub will be ready for a proper bath in no time. Psst: This cleaning solution works on toilet bowls and sinks, too! Melissa Heckscher Use Microfiber Towels and Tongs to Clean Blinds It’s tough to get at the dust that inevitably collects on the length of your window blinds. To reach these hard to get slats, just wrap two microfiber towels around a set of tongs and use rubber bands to tie them in place (you can cut the towels in half if they’re too big). Then, wipe away! If the dust has really settled in, spray the cloth with cleaning spray before wiping. Get pictures and details at One Crazy House. Melissa Heckscher Use Rubbing Alcohol To Clean Microfiber Sofas According to this article on Herbs and Oils Remedies, rubbing alcohol is the magic potion that will tackle tough stains on your microfiber furniture. Just put it in a spray bottle and spritz the stains until they’re saturated. Then scrub with a sponge until the stain disappears. When the area is dry, scrub it with a bristle brush to fluff up the fibers. Gabby Cullen Use Your Washing Machine to Clean Plastic Toys Let your washing machine do double-duty: Toss all your grimy plastic toys into a mesh bag and throw it all into the wash with some towels or blankets (to prevent the toys from banging into the washer wall). Your toy supply will be squeaky clean! Tom Magliery via flickr Unclog Your Showerhead Don’t go buy a new shower head when your water pressure starts to wane, or you notice a few clogged holes. Instead, head over to The Melrose Family to get the simple step-by-step instructions for how to use vinegar and lemon essential oil to get the gunk out. Melissa Heckscher Deep Clean Your Oven You don’t really see the mess that’s being made inside the oven when your casseroles are bubbling, or your baked yams are dripping, but the walls and floor of your oven certainly know what’s happening. If you’re like most sheet pan dinner-loving mamas, we can bet your cooker needs a good deep clean. Try this cleaning hack from Thekitchn.com, which involves coating the whole inside of the oven with a baking soda/water paste then letting it sit overnight before spraying it all down with vinegar.Pssst: Your kids will love the way the vinegar and baking soda mixture fizz, so be sure your kids help out with this cleaning project. Melissa Heckscher Dust, Clean & Organize Your Bookshelves Books are notorious dust-hoarders, so now’s a good time to give your bookshelves more than a simple wipe-down. You’ll need to remove all of the books and wipe the tops and spines with a magnetic cloth (or a Swiffer sheet!); then wipe the shelves down with a damp microfiber cloth. While you’re at it, organize your collection: Get rid of any books you don’t think are worthy. Secondhand stores or local and literacy charities (like Books for Soldiers and Books for Africa) are usually happy to take your hand-me-downs. Melissa Heckscher Clean the Front of Kitchen Cabinets The knobs and doors of your kitchen cabinets are touched so frequently that they’re probably covered in grime by the end of a week, let alone a year. Time to scrub the deep-rooted dirt away! Better Homes & Gardens has a great how-to video on getting the ins and outs of your cabinets squeaky clean, including using a paste of baking soda and water to scrub stains away. — Melissa HeckscherFeature photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash RELATED STORIES:23 Life-Saving House Cleaning HacksThis Video of Kristen Bell’s Closet Cleaning Hack Is Pure Genius13 Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your House Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this how toanimal rescueanimal shelterdiyessential oilfire hazardflu seasonfurry companionshumane societysalvation armysimple instructionsbaking sodacleaningorganize Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? 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