Spring is in the air! We all get the itch to tidy up this season, but do you think of these tasks as part of your spring cleaning?

Garbage and recycling bins

Take your bins outside, close to where your garden hose is. Pour some disinfecting cleaning solution into the bottom, and use and solid stream of water to lift any crusted parts. Leave it for five to 10 minutes before scrubbing them down with a bristle brush. Rinse well, and turn them upside down to dry.

Change your HVAC filter

With spring comes allergy season. The biggest spring allergy trigger is pollen. Changing your HVAC filter will help improve your indoor air quality and reduce the effects of spring allergies with less sneezing, itchy and watery eyes. New filters reduce the wear and tear on your furnace and greatly improve the quality of air you are breathing inside your home.

Bed refresh

Spring is the perfect time to wash up and store away your winter bedding. Heavy quilts, thick blankets, comforters and flannel sheets need to be stored away to make way for lighter sheets and cotton blankets. Wash mattress and pillow protectors in hot water to remove dust mites. Before you put the mattress protector back on your bed, vacuum your mattress thoroughly to eliminate dust and dust mites and rotate your mattress.

Wardrobe refresh

As we start to feel the weather changing and temperatures rising, we all long to put away our boots, heavy coats and sweaters and replace with lighter apparel. Spring is the perfect time to empty all your clothes closets and give the closet a good cleaning. While all the clothes are out of the closet, take a moment to sort your winter apparel. Create piles of items you want to keep, items you wish to donate or sell and those that simply need to be thrown out. The clothes you want to keep should be laundered or taken to the dry cleaner before sorting it until the winter season.

While you have your closets empty, and they have received a good cleaning and vacuuming, look for any pests that can ruin clothes like clothes moths and carpet beetles. A natural way to keep carpet moths away is to fill a sachet with lavender, bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, and thyme. Peppermint oil is a natural way to repel carpet beetles.

Dryer vent

How many times have you heard of a fire starting in a clothes dryer? Some think all you need to do is empty your clothes dryer lint trap after each load. While that works from day-to-day and throughout the year, it is also necessary to clean the dryer duct and outdoor vent.

Lint can build up with frequency of use, and moisture can cause lint to get blocked. It’s also important to make sure your outdoor vent is free and clear of anything blocking it so it can vent freely. If you are still using a flexible dryer hose that looks like aluminum foil, replace it with a metal vent pipe which will help to prevent house fires caused by dryer lint.

Curtains and blinds

We often don’t thing about cleaning our curtains and blinds, but they attract dust. Spring is a good time to take down curtains and get them dry cleaned, or throw them in the washer. Just be mindful of the fabric and how best to clean them. Blinds also need to be wiped to remove dust and grime that collects on them. While you are at it, consider taking all your window screens outside, hosing them down and giving the window sills a wipe too.

Natural cleaning products

Using natural “green” cleaning products is just as easy as using harsh chemicals, but better for indoor air quality and is safer. There are lots of “green” cleaning products on the market, but you likely have some natural products already on hand. Using vinegar and water is a great glass cleaner and leaves your glass streak-free. White vinegar, when mixed with baking soda, is great for cleaning toilets. For an all-purpose cleaner, mix white vinegar, water, lemon rind and add in a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme.

Welcome spring, and roll up your sleeves with these helpful spring cleaning tasks!