Ahhh

We all have times in our relationships—with friends, family, and coworkers—whenwe struggle to be patient orwejust feel on edge. Doyou notice thatwhenyou’re in that frame of mind,you’re actually disturbingyour own peace? Fortunately,you can use this situation as an opportunity to relax. Imagine this person and noticewhat happens inyour body whenyoujust think about him or her. Doyou suddenly feel tight inyour shoulders?Tense inyour gut? Is it harder to breathe? Put a hand on the placewhereyou feel the most tension. Notice thewarmth ofyour hand there. Begin to breathe normally.Then imagineyour breath carrying kindness and softness to this tense place. Do this for a few moments. Notice how your body and mind are affected and howyour perspective on that relationship has shifted.

—MARGARET TOWNSEND, thelivingbreath.com

SPRING CLEANING BY THE CLOCK

Whetheryou have just10 minutes or all day,we’ll helpyou make the most of every second.This is going to be easier thanyou think.

ByNATALIE ERMANN RUSSELL Photographs byCHELSEA CAVANAUGH

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PRING CLEANING, the way wenormally think about it, seems daunting.We all want the sparkly results, but few of us can realistically clear our calendars for an entireweekend or more to tackle the tasks at hand. But here’s a thought: Maybe it’s time to reconsider thewaywe approach thisyearly project.There’s no rule that all those tough jobs—window cleaning, grout scrubbing, and the like— have to be done at once. In fact,we can chip away at them over the course of a few days (or even a fewweekends).

Ifyou’re not surewhere to begin, think about the areas ofyour home inwhich you spend the most time (kitchen, family room, bathroom). Start there, and make a clear plan. “It is so helpful to have your to-do listwritten down,” says Melissa Maker, author of Clean My Space. “Otherwise it’s easy to ignore or forget. Ifyou have it on paper—evenvirtual paper—it’ll helpyou stay on task.”

Read on foryour guide to gradual spring cleaning, no matter how much— or how little—timeyou have.

GOT1O MINUTES?

DUST

Use a dusting wand on all surfaces. If you have a few minutes to spare, break out the furniture polish for extra shine.

DOORS AND SWITCH PLATES

They’re normally overlooked, but fingerprints and smudges on doors and light switches are downright maddening once you notice them. The good news is they’re quickly removed with a damp microfiber cloth.

CEILING FANS

Place a pillowcase over a fan blade and pull it toward you to collect the dust. The debris will stay contained inside the pillowcase rather than drifting onto the floor. Then wipe the blades with a microfiber cloth dipped in warm, soapy water. (If you try washing the blades before dusting, the surface will become muddy and harder to clean.)

BASEBOARDS Wipewith a microfiber cloth dampened with a solution of a few drops of dishwashingliquidand warm water.

GOT 3O MINUTES?

KITCHEN

1.Degreasethe backsplash,cabinet frontsandhandles, and anywhere else suffering from greasy buildup with Avon’s Original Skin So Soft Bath Oil. (Paradoxically, oil is one of the best oil removers.) Apply it to a microfiber cloth and buff until clean.

2.Clearoffcounters. Remove small appliances like toasters, shake out crumbs, and wipe down knobs and handles. If you have granite or marble countertops, try this all-natural cleaner: Combine 3 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, 1 cups water, and 1 teaspoon Castile or dish soap. (Avoid vinegar, which could etch the surface.) Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and wipe with a microfiber cloth to make your countertops sparkle. VENTS It can actually be fasterto wash vent covers than tovacuum them. Remove the covers and scrub them with soap andwarm water in a utility sink or a bathtub. Let them dry before putting them back. Got a few more minutes? While the covers are off, use the hose attachmenton your vacuum cleaner to remove dust bunnies from inside thevent. Ifyou don’t, that dustwill continue to be blown out into the room.

DECK

A hosewith a spray nozzle attachmentwill help remove the top layer of debris from patios, decks, and furniture thatwas left outside over the winter.

MATTRESSES

Ratherthandoing onebedatatime, it’s more efficient to clean all your mattresses at once. First, remove the bedding and sprinkle baking soda across the surface of the mattress. It should sit for 15 minutes, which gives you the perfect opportunity to sprinkle the other beds while you wait. After each mattress has been treated, return to the first bedroom and vacuum up the baking soda. Move to each subsequent room and do the same. Now revisit each room (in the same order) to rotate the mattress 180 degrees.

Whataboutflipping themattress? Many mattresses on the market now are labeled “no flip” or “one-sided” because pillow-top technology has rendered this arduous task obsolete. (To flip or not to flip? Check the label to be sure.)

BATHROOMS

In half an hour, you have enough time to deep-clean three bathrooms. Complete each step in each bathroom before moving on to the next step.

1.Dropthreedenturetablets intothetoiletbowl. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. The nonabrasive chemicals lift away stains and kill bacteria without damaging the porcelain.

2.Whileyouwait, collect bath mats and fabric shower curtains and pop them into the washing machine.

3.Dustventsandsurfaces. Start at the ceiling and work your way down.

4.Spraycleaneronallhard surfaces: counter, sink, toilet, shower, bathtub. Letting the cleaner sit while you spray the other bathrooms gives it time to disinfect the surfaces.

5.Gobacktothefirstbathroom and wipe everything down with a microfiber cloth (toilets can be wiped with paper towels or a cloth that goes straight into the wash). Scrub toilet bowls.

6.Washfloors. Start at the back of the room and work your way toward the door. Use your favorite spray cleaner and a damp microfiber cloth, or opt for a steam cleaner for a chemical-free shine.

GOT 1 HOUR?

WINDOWS

In an hour, you’ll likely have enough time to clean the windows on only one floor. If you’re really pressed for time, clean just the outside, where most of the dirt is.

1.Makeyourown cleaning solution for theinterior. Vinegar packs cleaning power, and rubbing alcohol causes the solution to dry quickly and streakfree: Mix together 1 cups water, 1 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, and 3 drops of your favorite essential oil. Using a funnel, pour into a spray bottle.

2.Peopletend to oversaturateasurfacewithcleaning solution. When you spray too much, you spend more time wiping off excess than actually cleaning. Instead, simply mist the windows, then wipe with a squeegee or a microfiber cloth folded into quarters. Quarter folding maximizes surface area, so when one side of the cloth is dirty and wet, you can flip it over to use the reverse side, then unfold and refold to use the other sides.

3.Youneedastrongercleaningsolution fortheexterior. Mix together 4 tablespoons Castile soap, 4 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, and gallon warm water. Using the sponge side of a double-sided squeegee, apply the solution (again, do not oversaturate). Roll up a towel and place it at the base of the window to catch excess drips as you wipe the window with the squeegee’s rubber edge. Work from left to right, top to bottom.

KITCHEN

In addition to degreasing surfaces and clearing off the counters (see page 100), tackle the inside of the fridge and freezer, the sink, and the countertop. Using a microfiber cloth moistened with hot water and a few drops of dish soap, wipe down refrigerator and freezer shelves and crisper drawers. The hotter the water, the less time you’ll spend scrubbing (wear gloves!). Deepclean the sink using a cleanser like Bar Keepers Friend and a wet scrub brush. If your counter needs to be resealed annually, now is a good time.

BLINDS & CURTAINS Going room by room, swipe blinds with adusting wand and vacuum drapes using the upholstery attachment.

PANTRY

Remove everything andwipe down the shelves.Toss any expired products, then restock the shelves, cleaning dust or drips from jars and containers as you do so.

Get in the cleaning frame of mind

• CREATE A LIST OF TASKS FOR

EVERY ROOM. No matter how much time you have, crossing items off a to-do list feels oh so good.

• STAY CALM. Nothing has to be finished in a single day. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself. If you follow your list, everything will eventually get done.

• INVOLVE THE FAMILY. Assigning age-appropriate chores will help your kids get better at cleaning up after themselves. But don’t make them work for a full day.

Set a time limit; 30 minutes to an hour is ideal.

• SCENTS MATTER. Choose cleaning products that have fragrances you associate with cleanliness— it’ll amp up your feeling of accomplishment.

GOT2 TO 3 HOURS?

WINDOWS Clean all thewindows in the entire house, on every floor, inside and outside. (See instructions on previous page.)

BEHIND THE FURNITURE

In two hours, you can knock out many of the tasks already listed, plus deep-clean behind furniture. Move everything out of its usual spot and suck up hidden dust bunnies with your vacuum. If there’s tile or wood flooring beneath the piece, swipe with a microfiber mop. Don’t forget to wipe down the baseboards back there too.

CARPETS

After vacuuming, shampoo the carpets for a deep-down clean. You can hire out the job (the ultimate time-saver) or use a carpet-cleaning machine, which can be rented at a big-box store for about $30.

WALLS

Most people consider dusting the surfaces of furniture but rarely the walls. To clean, run the dry head of a microfiber mop along the wall, starting at the ceiling and working your way down. You will be shocked at the amount of dust, fuzz, and pet hair you pull off. Much of the debris will fall to the floor, so do it before cleaning anything on a lower level.

OUR EXPERTS Linda Cobb, New York Times best-selling author of the Queen of Clean book series (queenofclean.com) Debra Johnson, cleaning expert at Merry Maids Melissa Maker, cleaning expert and author of Clean My Space Becky Rapinchuk, author of Simply Clean and founder of cleanmama.net

Still pressed for time?Try these cleaning hacks.

USE KITCHEN TONGS TO CLEAN BLINDS AND SHUTTERS. Cut a microfiber cloth in half and wrap each piece around one side of the tongs; secure with rubber bands. Grab each slat with the fabric-covered tongs and swipe to dust. For super-dirty blinds, first vacuum with the duster brush attachment. Then use the method described above, but dampen the cloths with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar.

REMOVE DUST AND CRUMBS WITH LINT ROLLERS. Sticky lint rollers are among the most versatile cleaning tools. They can quickly remove dust from lamp shades or any piece of furniture. They can also be used to pull up crumbs (or whatever else you find) under couch cushions and at the bottom of drawers.

REMOVE SCUFFS ON WALLS. Squeeze some nongel toothpaste onto a cloth, massage it over the scuff or stain, then rinse and dry. (Used gently, this works on wood too.) If you don’t have the right toothpaste, you can form a thick paste with baking soda and water. Apply it to the wall using the same method.

ERASE PERMANENT MARKER FROM A WOOD SURFACE. Rub firmly over the mark with a $1 bill. It’s not a guaranteed fix, but it’s pretty cool when it works. And you can still use the money afterward!

CLEAN BASEBOARDS. Instead of microfiber cloths, use baby wipes to clean baseboards. They’re nontoxic, making this a perfect task for children. Plus, the wipes lack heavy cleaners, meaning they’re gentle enough for painted woodwork.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE OIL. To remove grease from stovetops and vent hoods, cooking oil works wonders. Simply moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and wipe the grease until it’s gone. Buff with a soft cloth to remove all residue.