Nine Things To Clean During Quarantine

Everyone is talking about COVID-19, so why not hop on the train myself?

With all the madness going on these days with this virus, you would think the world is ending. But eventually the quarantine will end and things will get back to normal (or relatively close to it). So why not clean during quarantine?

While taking a moment to breathe and just relax is totally fine — and rightfully earned, I’m sure — you’re likely to get antsy and start looking for projects to do at home to stay busy. And now that spring is officially here (yay!) a little spring cleaning may be the solution for idle hands.

Here are a few suggestions on areas and items in your home that may benefit from a deep clean during quarantine.

#1 Ceiling Fans & Light Fixtures

Not gonna lie, I’m terrible about cleaning my ceiling fans regularly. With the nicer weather slowing creeping in, I’ll be turning off the heat and leaving the ceiling fans on 24/7. And clean fan blades mean no dust flying around the room.

Cleaning tip: Use a pillow case to dust the fan blades — slide the pillow case over the blade before pulling it back to wipe off any dust. This will capture the dust inside the pillow case and keep it from spreading through the air.

#2 Windows

Nothing says spring like leaving the windows open and letting the fresh air in, right? But before you open those windows, you probably want to clean the windowsills of dust and any bugs that may have accumulated between the window and the screen.

Cleaning tip: Take the vacuum hose around the seals of the window and between the window and screen to suck up any hard to clean spots before wiping it down.

#3 Door Frames

It’s probably not something you would immediately think of cleaning, I know. But do me a favor and look at the top of any door frame in your house. How much dust has built up there? Probably a lot.

Cleaning tip: Wipe the dust with a dry rag first, then use a wet rag to clean the layer that is left.

#4 Fridge & Freezer

When was the last time you actually went through everything in your fridge and checked expiration dates? I bet some of the less frequented condiments in your fridge are out of date. Better yet, what about the bag of frozen veggies in your freezer?

Cleaning tip: Clean from top to bottom to avoid dirtying spots you’ve already finished. And don’t forget to pull out the bottom drawers to get to the bottom of the fridge where most of the crumbs and spills gather.

#5 Baseboards

If COVID-19 has you germ-conscious, think about how much dirt is collected along the edge of your floors. If there’s one thing you should definitely clean during quarantine, it’s your baseboards.

Cleaning tip: Vacuum along the baseboards before cleaning with Lysol or Clorox; this will pick up any loose dirt or hair and make it easier to wipe down.

#6 Kitchen Cabinets

I’m talking about the inside, not just wiping down the outside (though both would be a good idea). Take this opportunity to reorganize and get rid of any excess dishes or Tupperware lids that don’t have a matching container.

Cleaning tip: Unless you have an entire day to spend on this, don’t try to tackle your cabinets in one day. Do sections at a time and break it up over the course of a week if you need to.

#7 Medicine Cabinet

How often do you throw out expired Tylenol or cough medicine? My guess is not often enough. Go through the cabinets in your bathroom and get rid of any expired medicine and any beauty products that you haven’t used in the past 6 months.

Cleaning tip: If you are throwing out any prescription medicines, check local pharmacies to see if they offer a drop box or know of one in the area for disposing old medications.

#8 Closets

One space to clean during quarantine is your closet. Switch over your winter wardrobe for spring. Make a pile of any winter clothes you didn’t wear this year, and anything that no longer fits. Sell or donate them. After all, why keep something you haven’t worn in over a year or won’t wear again?

Cleaning tip: Use this time to organize the other closets in the house too. Maybe you have old sheets or towels that can be donated to the local animal shelter?

#9 Appliances

Whether they are big (oven, stove top, dishwasher) or small (toaster, Keurig, can opener), you should be deep cleaning your appliances frequently. But remembering to do it is a whole other issue when you’re busy!

Cleaning tip: Tackle the small appliances on Day One, and focus on one large appliance each day after that.

What are you doing to keep yourself busy during quarantine? Tell me in the comments!