Pretty Kitchen Storage and Spring Cleaning Products

March always signals the start of spring cleaning for me.  I don’t go too crazy with it {just a little bit at a time!} but it’s definitely nice to freshen things up.  To help get you started, I’ve put together some simple spring cleaning tips for you, along with links to my spring cleaning checklists, favorite spring cleaning products  and a simple way to brighten up your kitchen!

I try to use either DIY cleaners or non-toxic household products as much as possible for all of my home cleaning.  I was so happy when I found an awesome on-line company a few months ago that carried all of my favorite brands {as well as some new ones that I’ve been excited to try} . Grove Collaborative stocks the best all-natural household and beauty products at below retail pricing to help you create a healthy, beautiful environment in your home.  They even have a happiness guarantee and will refund your money with any product that you’re not satisfied with – no questions asked.

I had lots of fun coming up with some cute ways to display the dish and hand soap.  The bottles are such pretty colors and add a nice pop of color to our kitchen. The Mrs. Meyers soaps come in two limited edition spring scents, peony and lilac. Thanks to the blend of essential oils and plant-derived ingredients, they don’t smell artificial — just light and fresh.  I think I’m leaning a little more towards the peony scent, but they are both fabulous!

To keep all of your kitchen cleaning products handy while still looking pretty, group them together on a tray, cutting board, or cake stand.  You probably have something that would work already in your home, so “shop” around your house and see what you can come up with.  Add a little faux greenery or some beautiful spring flowers and your kitchen will feel fresh and fabulous!

To help get you started on your spring cleaning, I’ve put together a few spring cleaning tips for you as well as some of my favorite Grove products that I’ve purchased.  If you have to spring clean, you might as well do it with products that you love!

Prep:

• Unless you love cleaning, don’t try to tackle everything in one day!  I like to do one room at a time, working from top to bottom. You can find my room by room spring cleaning checklists linked below. 
• Open the windows for some fresh air {even if just a crack!} or add some essential oils and water to a spray bottle for a nice light scent.
• Round up all your cleaning supplies into a bucket or caddy {there’s a cute one that you can find on Grove!}. Then you can just grab and go when you have a minute to clean.  This will save you a ton of time and helps you to stay focused at the task at hand. If you’re like me, as soon as you leave the room to grab something, you’ll get distracted by a million other things!

Kitchen:

• If you have a garbage disposal, give it some love and freshen it up!  Grab some essential oils from Grove {I like the citrus scents the best}, and make these simple DIY garbage disposal bombs.
• Take some time to move the large appliances out a bit so you can clean under and behind them.  It’s amazing what actually accumulates there!
• While you’re busy tidying up, toss your old sponges. Replace them with the Grove Collaborative walnut scrubber sponges, which are made from crushed walnuts.  I’m not usually a sponge person, but these ones are awesome!  Mine have lasted much longer than my regular sponges, don’t get super grungy {even though they’re white!}, and are tough on messes. To keep them fresh, just toss them in the dishwasher once a week on the top rack.  I especially love them for wiping down our kitchen cabinets.
• Freshen up the kitchen with some new dish cloths and towels.  I love the Grove towels – they’re thick, soft, and really absorbant.
• Get your spring cleaning kitchen checklist HERE and tons of kitchen cleaning tips and tricks HERE.

Bedroom:

• Like in the kitchen, try to move bigger furniture items around so you can do a thorough cleaning under and behind your larger pieces.
• Give your mattress a good clean and let it air out.  Add some essential oils to some baking powder and sprinkle it all over the mattress.  Allow it to sit for 30 minutes {or longer} and then thoroughly vacuum with a brush attachment.  You can find more tips on how to clean your mattress here.
• Get your spring cleaning bedroom checklist HERE as well as ideas for organizing and cleaning the master bedroom and kids’ bedrooms.

Bathroom:

• A change of seasons calls for a change of scents. Put out a pretty new hand soap (I love Mrs. Meyer’s peony or lemon verbena) and a fresh towel. As a bonus, this Mrs. Meyer’s soap adds a pretty pop of spring color to your countertop.
• There’s nothing worse than cleaning the drain (ick!), so pour a pot of boiling water down the drain and let it do the hard work instead.
• After all that cleaning, there’s nothing better than a relaxing shower — but mineral deposits can slow your water pressure to a trickle. Soak a few paper towels with vinegar and wrap them around the shower head {or you can use a plastic bag tied with an elastic}, covering all the spray nozzles. Leave the paper towels overnight, then remove them and run the water to rinse.
• I LOVE the spearmint Method Anti-Bacterial spray and toilet cleaner for the bathroom.  It gives it a light, fresh scent that doesn’t smell chemically at all and it works amazing {even on our hard water stains}.  While I often just clean the bathroom with a water/vinegar mixture and a microfiber cloth, sometimes you just need a little more power! {especially in a house full of boys!}
• Get your bathroom spring cleaning checklist HERE and bathroom cleaning tips HERE.

Happy Spring Cleaning! xo