Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

9 Simple Ways to Speed Up Your Spring Cleaning Routine

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

Spring cleaning is in the air.

From taking care of routine home maintenance tasks to cleaning out closets, spring is an ideal time to get your home back in tip-top shape.

Struggling to find the time to tackle your spring cleaning chores? Save time – and your sanity – with these timesaving tips.

Clean from Top to Bottom

As you brush off your favorite knick-knacks and family photos sitting on the shelf, bits of dust and dirt will get kicked into the air and eventually fall to the floor. Focus your cleaning efforts on dusting first, and then follow up with vacuuming and mopping. That way, all the dust that fell on the floor while you were cleaning will get picked up at the end.

Time Yourself

How long does it really take to clean the house? Here’s an easy way to find out! Before you begin cleaning a room, set a timer and let it run until you’re finished. In addition to helping you stay focused and complete your housework tasks, timing yourself also helps you better manage your cleaning routine in the future.

The Magic of Microfiber Cloths

Say farewell to those old feather dusters and hello to magical microfiber cloths! Unlike feather dusters and rags, microfiber cloths are designed, so dust and dirt actually stick to them – so you’re not just pushing the dust around. For best results, lightly mist the area with water or an all-purpose cleaner, and then use the microfiber cloth to wipe away the dust.

Use Your Dishwasher to Clean More Than Dishes

Dinnerware isn’t the only thing you can clean in the dishwasher. Toss other frequently used household items – contact lens cases, hair and makeup brushes, pet dishes, plastic toys, refrigerator shelves, soap dishes, knobs and pulls – into your dishwasher to keep them clean year-round.

Give Your Blinds a Bath

Don’t lose your sanity scrubbing dirt-covered blinds one slat at a time. Instead, give your blinds a bath. Take down your blinds, lay them flat in your bathtub, and soak them in a simple solution of equal parts water and vinegar for about an hour. Then, rinse them off with water and hang back up to dry.

Use Pillowcases to Dust Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans in need of a good dusting? Use an old pillowcase to wipe off fan blades without dropping dust everywhere. Cover fan blades with the open end of the pillowcase and pull toward you. All the dust will collect inside the pillowcase, not on the floor. When you’re done, just toss the pillowcase in the wash, and voila!

Let Your Microwave Do the Dirty Work

Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a bowl, and place the bowl in the microwave. Zap for five minutes, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes while the vapors work their magic. Using the mixture and a clean towel, wipe down the microwave to get rid of any remaining crumbs and pieces of food. Just like that, your microwave will be clean. And don’t worry… the not-so-pleasant vinegar smell will go away after it dries.

Zap Your Kitchen Sponge

Do you clean with a sponge? Sponges can be breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Disinfect your kitchen sponge every other day by zapping it in the microwave for two minutes. You can also toss it in the dishwasher for a full wash and dry cycle.

Make a Checklist

Keep track of your spring cleaning tasks by making a checklist. Not sure where to begin? Download our free checklist, which shows routine spring home maintenance tasks and provides extra spaces so you can customize it to fit your own cleaning needs.