Are you ready for spring cleaning?

Spring is finally here! Most of us are excited about the prospect of warmer weather and longer days. However, along with springtime comes spring cleaning. This isn’t many people’s favourite part of the season, but it is necessary. To help make your experience a bit easier this year, here are some key spots you should remember to clean out. 

Garage and shed 

If you don’t have a garage or shed on your property, you can skip right over this one. If you do, however, odds are good these places could use a thorough cleaning-out. Not only are these prime spots for storage and clutter, they are also partially outside. This makes them more susceptible to water damage, critters and insects, and general messes. Many people use their garage or shed to store large items like furniture, yard tools, and bicycles. While it can feel like a pain to clear these objects out of the way, it will almost certainly be worth it. You are bound to find a fair amount of dirt, cobwebs, and debris to clear away. Spring cleaning isn’t always the most enjoyable, but it is an essential part of owning a home!

Kitchen pantry 

We’re willing to bet you have a few items in your pantry and cupboards that you no longer need, or have completely forgotten about. Most of us are guilty of leaving half-eaten snacks on our shelves that have long since gone stale, or foods we will simply never eat at all. It feels wasteful to throw these away, so we tend to shove them in the back of our cupboards “just in case.” Spring cleaning time is the perfect opportunity to finally get rid of anything you won’t use. If you have anything in your pantry that is more than a few months old and hasn’t been touched in a long time, it’s time to throw it out. It’s much better to start from scratch with a clean pantry! This way, you can try to be more mindful of what you buy, hopefully reducing food and money waste.

Fridge and freezer 

Similar to your kitchen cupboards, we bet you have some food items in your fridge and freezer you should be tossing. Since these spots are usually full of food, we don’t regularly give them a super thorough cleaning. However, it’s important to keep these areas clean! Take this time to remove everything from your fridge and freezer. Do you have expired products or freezer-burned foods sitting around? Also, are the shelves of your fridge and freezer looking a little sticky or dirty? Throw out anything you won’t eat, and give these appliances a deep clean before restocking them. This will make your fridge and freezer look fresher and better organized, and will probably help you find what you’re looking for more easily.

Basement 

If you have a basement, it’s a prime target for spring cleaning. This is likely especially true if your basement is unfinished, as it is probably used as a huge storage spot. Many of us store things like old photo albums, kids’ arts crafts and toys, and old furniture down in our basements. It’s a great place to keep things you don’t use every day, but still want to hang onto. However, there are likely some items you really don’t need anymore, or things you have forgotten about entirely. This is a good time to sort out what you truly want to keep, and what you can donate or throw out. There’s nothing wrong with storing things that bring back nostalgic memories! You just don’t want to mix this up with items that are truly nothing but clutter.

Desks, drawers, and closets 

As humans, we often take advantage of every little space where we can squeeze in some more storage items. Our desks, drawers, and closets are especially prone to this treatment. Mail, photos, ticket stubs, receipts, and a whole host of other items make their way into these areas. It’s easy to stick things in these spots thinking we will come back to them later, but out of sight often means out of mind. Over time, we grow quite a collection of random objects! If this sounds like you, it’s time to face the clutter. You will probably find you can throw away most things in these spots. You can also take this time to sort through the clothing in your closet, to see if you can donate any pieces you no longer use. Cleaning out these spots feels like a grueling process, but the results are worth it!

Spring cleaning is not always fun, and it can be a slow process. However, it’s an important part of being a homeowner and maintaining your property! Plus, your reward for this springtime purge is knowing summer is right around the corner. If you have any mortgage needs or are thinking about entering the spring or summer market, be sure to reach out to a mortgage broker to get started.

If you have any questions about your mortgage, get in touch!