When the mood hits, spring cleaning can be an immensely satisfying undertaking. Throwing the windows open on a bright, sunny day and giving your house a thorough scrubbing can be just the ticket to lift your mood and refresh your home.
Most of us know the usual tasks to complete: Windows should be washed (on a cloudy day, to avoid streaks), baseboards should be cleaned and ceiling fans should be dusted. But sometimes those chores just don’t trigger enough dopamine to make spring cleaning satisfying. If you’re having a hard time working up the motivation to do some of the more laborious chores, here are some extra incentives that go beyond “it’ll look nicer.”
Deep Clean Your Carpets
Cleaning your carpets — as in, doing more than just a good vacuum — takes forever to do correctly, and it can be a pain to avoid walking on freshly cleaned areas long enough for them to dry. However, this is definitely a task that should be done at least once a year, especially if you have pets.
If you have a new carpet that came with a warranty, you may need to have it cleaned professionally every 12 to 18 months. You can also rent a deep cleaner or buy a professional-style model designed for home use. (If you don’t own a carpet cleaner already, a little-known perk is that you’ll get a perverse sense of satisfaction emptying the horrifically dirty water basin after use.)
Not only will you be able to step back and admire those neat lines left in a freshly washed rug, but you’ll improve the lifespan of your carpet as well. You’ll also have won a battle in the endless war against dust mites, reduced the amount of allergens that get stirred up each time you enter the room, and hopefully addressed the possibility that you become “nose blind” to your home’s odors. 
Deep Clean Your Couches
If you have an upholstered couch, you should do a deep cleaning of that as well. Couches — used every day and often the centerpieces of the home — are notorious for gathering dust mites, pet dander, pollen and other nasty stuff that you’d rather not think about every time you sit down. (Double the gross factor again if you have pets that you allow on furniture.)
Although it can be an enormous effort, launder any removable covers, vacuum the detritus (and spare change!) from under the cushions, and then give the upholstery a good thorough cleaning. (Martha Stewart, the Queen of Clean, has an easy reference on how to best clean different kinds of couches.) Many people swear that steam cleaning is the easiest and most efficient way to clean your couch, but there are commercial products and ingredients found around the home that will work well, too.
Deep cleaning will keep your couch looking (and smelling) better for longer, along with reducing allergens in your home. After a deep clean, you will be able to sit back and relax confidently knowing you’ve eliminated the germs and dirt, at least for the time being.
Clean Vertical Surfaces
Vertical surfaces like walls and curtains can get really dusty and dirty, which just seems counterintuitive. Nonetheless, if you’re doing a really thorough job of spring cleaning, you should give some attention to these sneaky grime collectors.
Even if you no longer have kids leaving greasy handprints everywhere, you might be surprised by what a difference cleaning your walls can make. (It’s cheaper and easier than repainting, for sure.) You can use a rag and some elbow grease, but a mop can work wonders and reach high areas. It might also be kinder on your back.
At the very least, pay special attention to those areas that get touched all the time, such as light switches and doorknobs. Even if you wash your hands fastidiously, germs, oil and grime build up on those surfaces over time. (According to an article from Penn Medicine, it is estimated that while toilet seats might have around 50 bacteria per square inch, light switches and doorknobs can have over 200 bacteria per square inch on their surfaces. The reason for the discrepancy? We tend to clean toilets more frequently.)
Top image: atlasstudio, via Canva.com
