‘Spring Forward’ into Spring Cleaning $avings

March 15th, 2010

After changing our clocks for daylight savings time, we can “Spring Forward” into spring cleaning! Many people get in the mood to start cleaning when the weather warms up, the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping. And at Buxr, we always have savings in mind!

It’s the time of year when most households are purging items that are no longer considered useful, or deciding which items need to be freshened up to extend their useful life. That puts household supplies like paper towels, cleaning solutions, and storage containers in great demand. Before you go running out to spend money on these items, you can get creative to find recycled substitutes.

Your checklist of chores may vary, but generally might include the following:

1. Storing or discarding seasonal items

The first step in spring cleaning is to pick up all the loose items that make any cleaning project more difficult. You can reduce clutter by recycling your cardboard boxes and plastic containers to sort the items into categories — those that can be sold at garage sales or online, swapped for other items you can use, or donated to charity. A recent Buxr blog reviewed several good “swap-portunities“. Reuse boxes to make storage containers for items going into long term storage. Round up every conceivable plastic storage tub or container in your house and reuse or re-label them until you find a sale or coupon for new storage containers. Seasonal sales on items for closet reorganizing will come in handy. Create an organizer for your paper coupons from something you already have lying around the house, like a box of envelopes, recipe or index card box, or binder system.

2. General light cleaning

Always try hosing things off before using chemical cleaning solutions, often this is all it takes to rinse off a layer of dust. The Nitty-Gritty Guide to Cleaning Household Surfaces offers 18 quick cleaning tips. Buy your cleaning supplies on sale, save money by buying refills, and definitely use in-store coupons whenever you can.

Instead of using paper towels, you could save a tree by using sponges and rags made from recycled old socks and t-shirts. These are perfect to use for cleaning and polishing rags, and old toothbrushes do an excellent job of cleaning in small places.

Inexpensive items that are good for cleaning jobs include: 

• Vinegar – disinfects any surface, cleans glass, and works as a laundry booster. You can combine it with baking soda to clean the shower or garbage cans using a toilet brush, or soak clogged salt & pepper shakers and shower heads.
• Baking soda – can be used alone as a gentle scouring powder. It absorbs odors in the refrigerator and freezer, and also works as a laundry booster. Combine it with vinegar to clean toilets and unclog drains. Here are 10 more uses for baking soda around the house.
• Peroxide – sterilizes any surface. It’s good to use for stains and glass, as well as ear wax remover, jewelry cleaner, facial toner, and mouthwash. Check this link to find recipes for homemade cleaning products.

3. Deep cleaning

Save with sales on vacuum cleaners; factory-refurbished models are a great value and good as new. Rent machines to shampoo carpets at the local supermarket. If you don’t want to do the work yourself, local carpet cleaning companies and maid services offer discounts; or you can share the cost of those services with neighbors by engaging the contractors together.

4. Bedding linens and window treatments

Check for seasonal sales on linens, or deals for new blinds and shades or storm windows. Any replacement roofing, doors or windows that save energy are eligible for a tax credit of 30% of the cost (up to $1500) through December, 2010. By May, mattresses will go on sale at 50% off.

5. Outdoor areas, painting and landscaping

Look for coupons on paint or tools and garden supplies or landscaping plants for your outdoor do-it-yourself projects. Check and clear gutters; check roof and chimney; wash siding, garden containers, deck, and patio; prepare flower beds and gardens. If you’d rather hire someone else to do the work, enter you zip code at 1800Contractor to find screened and customer-rated home improvement contractors in your immediate area. Another service that will help you find qualified help quickly is ServiceMagic. Briefly describe your project, submit your phone number, and expect contractors contacting you within minutes.

6. Garage cleanup

Check local home improvement centers or online to find deals on shelving and organize the clutter that piles up in the garage, if you plan to keep those items. Set aside some time for those small tasks that never get done during the winter. Free how-to videos and other instructional material are available from Home Depot  and Lowes to demonstrate easy do-it-yourself projects. These include everything from pruning shrubs to building a retaining wall.

7. Reduce electronic clutter

Turn old electronics into extra cash while you save the environment. Contact Gazelle or You Renew to sell your outdated cell phones and other electronics, or properly dispose them.

Reward yourself

If you think of this cleaning process as an unpleasant but necessary chore, you can enjoy it more and make the time fly by taking advantage of the opportunity to load up your mp3 player with the music, audiobooks, or podcasts you never found time to listen to.

And while you’re cleaning out pockets, purses, drawers, jars, and other containers, you’ll likely find enough coins to cash in at a nearby Coinstar machine! Did you know that a 12-oz. container can hold over $20 in coin?  Normally there’s a charge for counting and converting your coins to cash, but there are other options to avoid this fee. You can choose instead to donate to charity (like Unicef’s relief work in Haiti, for example) or convert your change to a gift card or e-certificate instantly, at no cost to you. Popular gift card options include iTunes, Starbucks, Amazon, Borders, JCPenney, Lowes, CVS, Old Navy, and other local retailers. Take a look at the Coinstar website to find locations near you and see what options they offer. You just might have enough loose change to buy yourself a reward for a good job of spring cleaning! Spin the wheel here to see some of the choices.

Entry Filed under: Shopping