5 Summer Ways for a Fresher House

Although the weather’s nice and the sun is shining, summer often presents some unique messes. From grass stains to dollops of melted ice cream, summer can be challenging – unless you know the tricks of the trade.

Use these five tips to keep your house clean and organized throughout the hot season.

1. Bathroom

·         Remind everyone to keep a window open or the fan on during every shower to prevent humidity (which is the perfect environment for mold)

·         Go through what’s in the shower rack and under the sink. Toss out any empty bottles and take inventory of things you need (sunscreen for instance)

·         Wipe down any surfaces that accumulate moisture right after you use them in order to prevent hard-water stains and mildew\

2. Patio/Deck Furniture

• Cleaning the patio is simple! You only need 30 minutes and a little elbow grease, and you’ll be on your way.
• To clean your patio furniture, spray with water, scrub with a solution of water and Dawn Ultra Dish Soap, and then use a soft brush to work the cleaner into any dirt. Or try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for stubborn scuffs and dirt. Check cushions for laundering instructions.
• If you find any rust on metal furniture, sand it down and rinse it off. This might require multiple rounds depending on how much rust there is
  

3. Laundry Room

·         The key to prepping the laundry room for a summer full of washing, drying and folding grass-stained T-shirts and shorts is organization. Check out our full laundry room organization guide.

·         Clear the laundry room of empty bottles and boxes that may have accumulated, and be sure to pack away any cold-weather clothing

·         Since summer presents an entirely different set of stains you’d encounter in most other seasons (condiments, ice cream, grass, dirt) before you sort by whites and colors, sort clothes by those you need to pre-treat and those you don’t.

 4. Kitchen

• Hot temperatures cause a stinky reminder that this is a great time to give your garbage can a scrub down
• Get into the nitty gritty of everything else in the kitchen – like appliances. Toasters are easy, but appliances that see heavier use, like a microwave, may need a little more attention

Tip: Speed up the kitchen-cleaning process with our guide to getting it done in 30 minutes.

5. The Pantry

·         Throw away the expired or “why-did-I-buy-this?” kinds of foods

·         Organize all the usable items for easy access. Keep everyone from rummaging for something in the very back of the pantry and knocking everything over in the process!

Tip: Cleaning the pantry is more than organizing! Pantries are renowned for collecting mysterious crumbs and debris.