Hello, Spring! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and winter is long gone. This is the perfect time to wash away the winter blues and refresh your home. Many people (over 76% of Americans) participate in spring cleaning every year, but with summer vacations right around the corner, who wants to spend a ton of money to deep clean their home? Not to worry. Rug Doctor is built on the idea of DIY cleaning with professional quality results. Check out our tips below for an effective spring cleaning without breaking the bank.

Use What You Have On Hand

Before rushing out to the store to purchase cleaners, rags, brushes, and other cleaning supplies, take inventory of what you have on hand. You most likely have enough cleaners and everyday materials around your home to get started without purchasing anything extra. Here are a few examples of how you can use what you have on hand to spring clean:

Dish Sponge: When is the last time you replaced your dish sponge? It is recommended that you replace your dish sponge at least once a month. Before tossing those babies, save them for spring cleaning. Place them in the dishwasher to get them clean and then use them on toilet bowls, base boards, walls – the list goes on and on. Scrubbing floors? Place a couple sponges underneath your knees to keep your knees from getting sore. Now that you know, start saving your sponges for next year!

Toothbrushes: Similarly, it is recommended you replace your toothbrushes every 3-4 months. Toothbrushes are great for cleaning all the nooks and crannies that larger brushes miss. They can get into tight, hard-to-reach places and the bristles breakup dirt and grime really well. If you have a toothbrush ready to be replaced, don’t throw it away just yet. First, put it to work on your grout, showerhead, kitchen sink or window tracks.

Everything Under the Kitchen Sink: Many of us buy cleaning products out of habit at every grocery trip and cleaning supplies get pushed further and further back underneath the kitchen sink. Before you start cleaning, pull everything under the kitchen sink out. First, check expiration dates. It is likely that few will be expired because most cleaning supplies last about 2 years – but it is always good to check. If you do have expired product, be sure to research safe disposal. Once you get all the expired stuff gone, separate the remaining cleaners into cleaning categories. Put your window/glass cleaners together, and then your furniture cleaners, and then carpet cleaners – you get the idea. After you have finished sorting, you have an easy to follow cleaning checklist. You can start anywhere, but for example, start with the glass cleaners. Clean all the mirrors, windows and anything else you can with this group. When you are finished, place the remaining glass cleaners back under the kitchen sink and start cleaning with the next group. Easy peazy!

Rent A Carpet Cleaner To Deep Clean Your Entire Home – Not Just Carpets

Since we recommend deep cleaning your carpets annually, it makes perfect sense to make it part of your yearly spring cleaning regimen. Renting a deep carpet cleaner is the easiest and most economical way to deep clean your carpets. In fact, you can save over $200 versus hiring a professional service. But your savings don’t have to stop there. Majority of Rug Doctor renters rent a Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner for 24 hours, yet we have found that most only use the deep cleaner for about 4 hours of cleaning. Your rental can do SO MUCH MORE! If you have it for 24 hours, put it to work. We designed our deep carpet cleaners with your homes in mind! We took into consideration all of your soft surfaces. Go ahead and add the upholstery tool to your rental and deep clean your entire home. Pet beds, mattresses, couches, chairs, stairs, even vehicle interior can be deep cleaned with the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner and upholstery tool. Knock all your soft surfaces out with one rental. Check out our rental locator to find the nearest rental location. And don’t forget your coupon!

Make Some Money With Your Old, Unwanted Stuff

Do you know what collects dust? Clutter. Spring cleaning is the best way to get rid of all that clutter and get organized. Instead of throwing it out, turn into cash in the bank! Go through each room of your household and identify items you have not touched or used in the last year. Assess each item individually. Can you live without it? If the answer is yes, then sell it. You can sell your unwanted goods with a traditional garage sale, or sell it online via Ebay, Facebook, Craigslist, Poshmark, Etsy – there are so many online avenues. Research each site to find the one that best works for you. Put a sell-by date on your calendar to keep you from storing unsold items. For example, if you don’t sell the item in 60 days, then you donate it to your local charity. Be sure to get a receipt for donations because they may be tax deductible.

Spring cleaning takes time and planning, but hopefully our tips have helped you a bit with getting started and saving (or earning) a little cash in the process. Need more help? Print our Spring Cleaning Checklist for a detail list of areas to clean. Rug Doctor wishes you a warm and joyful spring. Happy cleaning!