Some trends never change. Among them is spring cleaning and it’s right about that time so we turned to Jill Koch, an expert in all things organizing and cleaning, to get her top tips for tidying up our closet, laundry area and clothing.
Brighten up dingy clothes with Borax.
“Spring clothing looking more dull than vibrant? Before you toss them, try giving them a wash with 1/4-1/2 cup of Borax (depending on how large the load is) along with your detergent. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral and works great as a laundry booster and for brightening dull clothing.”
Use lemon juice and sun bleaching for your whites.
“If the Borax doesn’t work to brighten your whites you can try Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing or try lemon juice and sun bleaching for a natural method. For this method mix equal parts lemon juice and water in a spray bottle and use as a pre-treatment, spraying all over the item or hitting the discolored areas. Do this prior to washing so it has some time to set in then wash as normal.
Then to dry, place in direct sunlight and this will help brighten them further using what’s called sun bleaching. Just be careful with this on delicate fabrics. The acidity of the lemon juice can cause damage to certain fabric types. Test a small area first if concerned.”
Clean your washing machine.
“The washing machine gets dirty too, especially if you use fabric softener or scent boosters as they can create buildup, along with the dirt and grime that comes off of our clothing. It’s good to clean your machine one to two times a year and it’s so easy to do. If you have a top loader, take off the agitator cap and use a long water bottle brush to clean down in there then pour hot water in it to rinse. You should also be able to remove the trays that detergent and fabric softener go into. If you can, wash those in soapy water. If not, wipe out as best you can as mold can accumulate in there. Sprinkle some baking soda in the drum (you can also make a paste with baking soda and water and scrub it around the drum). Finally take 1-2 cups of vinegar and divide it among the compartments for detergent and fabric softener then run a cycle on hot.
And that’s it. That will get it good and clean and while there shouldn’t be any left over, if there is it won’t hurt your next load of laundry. Both baking soda and vinegar can be used to wash clothing and vinegar is a natural fabric softener.”
Clean your dryer.
“Just like the washing machine, this gets dirty too. You can wipe down the drum with a little vinegar water, but if anything be sure to clean the lint trap and dryer vent. If you use dryer sheets they can create buildup on the lint trap which can mess with air flow. The dryer vent also needs to be cleaned to prevent lint buildup which can cause fires and keep the machine performing it’s best.
For the lint trap, all you have to do is take it to the sink and run water over it. If water runs through it, that’s a good sign. Give it a rinse, dry and put back. If water pools on top, that means there is buildup. Luckily, it can be scrubbed away with some dish soap and a gentle scrub brush. Don’t clean this too forcefully. Work the brush and soap around and it should lift the buildup and water should now run through it. Rinse, dry and replace.
For the dryer vent, if it needs a thorough cleaning, ideally you might want to call a professional. They do however, make dryer vent cleaning brushes on Amazon to do it yourself. They come with sections to make it as long or short as you need and you can attach it to a drill if you don’t want to do it by hand. Disconnect the vent hose from the dryer and locate the exit point outside of the house. Unscrew the plate on the outside of the house to reveal the opening and stick the attachment inside either open end. The drill will help it spin and bust through built up lint. Snake the attachment through so it can push the lint out the other end, then vacuum the lint and reattach the hose.”
Clean closet shelves.
“Spring cleaning is a great time to take everything out of your closet, declutter and donate what you no longer need and wipe down the shelving. So much dust accumulates on shelves especially where shoes sit. For this, simply take a spray bottle and add in equal parts water and vinegar. Spray the shelves and wipe clean. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer so this can help with any odors from clothing too.”
Clean your shoes.
“Spring cleaning is a great time to shine those shoes since a dirty shoe can make it look more worn and ready for the trash than it may actually be. For the rubber trim around sneakers I love to use a Magic Eraser to get rid of marks or scuffs. A tennis ball could work too. For fabric or canvas shoes spot clean with some detergent and water or toss in the laundry if able. For stains on fabric or canvas shoes make a mixture of a bottle of peroxide with a teaspoon of blue Dawn dish soap added in. Spray that on the stain and let sit, It should lift the stain on its own. Or sit in the sun to dry. *Note: this can lighten colorful fabrics so always test a small area first. For suede or leather shoes use a cleaner designed for that material and a soft cloth.”
