Simplify Your Spring Cleaning in 10 Minutes a Day

Spring cleaning: It’s a big annual ritual that we actually kind of love, but it doesn’t have to become an overwhelming task that eats up an entire weekend. With little more than an all-purpose cleaner, a good spray mop, and 10 minutes a day, you can keep a mostly clean house year-round so that when the big weekend does come around…it won’t be so big.

Making the bed is one of the most powerful things you can do first thing in the morning. First of all, it’s pretty easy. More importantly, it gives you a sense of accomplishment within the first few minutes of your day. And it helps to know that no matter how the rest of your Monday goes, you’ll have a well-ordered bed waiting for you when you come home. If you only do that today, call it a win.

Most of us don’t mop as often as we’d like, but a good spray mop that’s always ready to use can help change that. A spring clean deserves a thorough mop—behind the sofa, under the bed, and all the other hard-to-reach places that normally get left behind. If you’ve got hardwood floors, find a spray mop and formula that is designed to keep them in good shape. The Bona Premium Spray Mop is just that. It’s got an extra large mop head that makes cleaning go 40 percent faster, and the refillable cartridges of residue-free Bona Cleaner make mopping more of an everyday thing—not just a spring fling.

Despite using it every day, and taking the trash out every other day, we tend to ignore the trash can itself…which can quickly become the root cause of kitchen smells. Whether yours is a fancy robotic contraption or a humble under-the-counter wastebasket, it deserves a deep clean. Spray your trash can with a disinfectant and scrub it down with a toilet brush or other nylon brush. Don’t forget the top, and let it dry thoroughly before putting in a new inner liner.

Many of us have coffee tables that double as magazine graveyards; now’s the time to clean them up! Your coffee table is the centerpiece of your living room, so keeping it looking good will make a big difference day to day. Consider replacing old issues of The New Yorker with a scented candle or decorative sculpture. It might just help you with your backlog guilt, too.

It seems like an everyday thing but really wiping down the kitchen countertops takes more than just a minute. Take everything off the counter, including the coffee maker, the fruit bowl, the dish drying rack…all of it. Then wipe it down with antibacterial cloths. It’s a little surprising (or terrifying?) how many crumbs can be hiding under the coffee maker or behind the sink.

For more spring cleaning help, head to Bona!