Seven Ways to Do Spring Cleaning When You’re Feeling Lazy
The goal of Lifehacker’s Ultimate Guide to Spring Cleaning is to bring you all the best spring cleaning ideas, but I won’t lie: some of them are quite labor intensive . But even if you don’t have time for a big task or you’re just feeling a little lazy this year, there are still ways to give your home a spring cleaning to get it in order for the coming months.
Clean your microwave the easy way
Your microwave should be cleaned every two weeks, but if that’s too often for you (honestly, it’s normal), you’re probably seeing some serious dirt in there. However, cleaning it is actually very easy and you can make a big difference in the mess with just a little effort.
Here’s my big guide to cleaning a microwave, but the basic gist is to cut a lemon into quarters and place two slices in a microwave-safe bowl or mug full of water, then microwave them on high for at least three minutes until you start to see steam forming in the window. When it gets nice and steamy, don’t open the door. Instead, let it sit for five minutes. When you open the door, there will be a damp surface inside the microwave that can be cleaned with a sponge. The citrus steam will loosen any stuck-on dirt so you can hopefully wipe it off right away. Remove the record player and submerge it in the sink, then clean the underside of the machine of any crumbs or debris. Likewise, what was once a disgusting microwave became a sparkling-clean appliance where all you did was heat up a lemon.
Take the easy route with the oven.
While you’re at it, you can do something similar to your oven: Heat it to 150 degrees, turn it off, then place a pan of water on the bottom rack and a container of oven-safe ammonia on the top. Close the door and leave the two overnight. In the morning, open the door for at least 15 minutes to ventilate the oven, then add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the ammonia, dip into a rag and sponge and wipe off any softened grease and dirt.
Make your bathtub and dishwasher work
One of my favorite lazy cleaning techniques is to treat the bathtub not only as a place to wash your body, but also as a place to clean a variety of things around the house. I’m not one to throw a lot of dinner parties, but I’ve heard good things from people who have thrown a lot of dirty dishes into the bathtub for a good soak. I’ve used mine to clean things like oven racks and broomsticks , as well as synthetic rugs. Refrigerator shelves, filter cleaners, plant pots—think of all those large, bulky items that are difficult to wipe down. Taking a bath with mild dish soap and soaking your dishes in the bath will save a lot of time and effort.
The same goes for your dishwasher. It’s easy to overlook its potential for cleaning non-dishwashing items, but most small plastic or metal items , such as stove knobs, dustpans, and toothbrush holders, can be used for dishwashing, leaving you more time to clean other things with your hands.
Set it and forget it in the bathroom
One night before bed, you can tackle two major bathroom tasks and let the cleaning products do the real work while you sleep. First of all, I ‘ve been obsessed with these toilet cleaners for a few days now. These are dissolvable papers coated with cleaning agent, so you simply throw them in the toilet and let them disappear. Place one in there before bed and, if necessary, scrub it thoroughly with a toilet brush before flushing.
Second, descale and remove dirt from your shower head overnight by tying a sandwich bag full of vinegar around it. This is one of those old tried and true tricks that really works. In the morning, when you remove the bag, scrub the shower head with an old toothbrush to make sure all the clogs are out of the holes, then run the shower for a minute or two.
Clean your ceiling fan without creating a mess
You need to clean your ceiling fan to keep it from throwing dust all over the room, but that usually means you ‘ll have to spread the dust all over the room by brushing it off and then vacuuming it. It’s a lot of work, but this trick isn’t: Take an old pillowcase and slide it over each blade, one at a time. Pull the pillowcase back toward you so that the top of the pillowcase is pulled over the top of the blade. All the dust will come off with it and fall into the body. You can simply throw it away and then throw the pillowcase in the wash.
Clean your washing machine without getting inside it
You do need to clean your washing machine from time to time, but you don’t have to stick your whole body in that little drum to move around with the sponge. I’ve tried a few different methods , usually using just vinegar, and they all took no effort on my part. I either pour a cup of vinegar directly into the drum or into the detergent compartment and run the machine on hot with no clothes inside. Vinegar really helps get rid of the smell of the device and, in turn, the smell of the clothes you wash in it. And you don’t have to do anything other than pour some in there and let the car run.
Clean under large appliances in seconds
One task I always associate with spring cleaning is the annual removal of large appliances like the refrigerator and oven. (Have I ever done this? Not really, but I associate it with spring cleaning because I know I have to.) You can make it less of a chore with a very simple trick: Cut a hole in a sponge, stick a long-handled tool like a spatula or broom handle into the hole, and push it as deep as possible under each appliance. Rub back and forth as best you can. I have a more detailed tutorial here , but it’s actually as simple as it sounds. This doesn’t relieve you from having to completely remove these appliances, but if you do it regularly, it will be much less annoying.