nesting

Cleaning house: It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.

But you don’t have to go it alone. Split the chores evenly with your sweetie; you’ll feel a shared sense of satisfaction and you can balance out your elbow grease with a fun night out!

Before you tackle the grime, take stock of your cleaning supplies. You’ll need an all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, mildew-fighting spray, floor cleaner, rubber gloves, rags and sponges. Try your best to buy eco-friendly products.

Here are 8 essential cleaning chores to add to your checklist:

1. Clean Your Windows: Don’t let fingerprints and hard water spots block the sunlight from brightening up your home! Clean your windows — inside and out — with paper towels and glass cleaner.

2. Wash Window Coverings: Whether you’re washing and dusting your mini blinds or hauling your drapes to the dry cleaners, you’ll want to give your window coverings a fresh start.

3. Get Better In Bed: Switch your flannel sheets for a cotton or linen set and exchange your duvet for a lightweight quilt. Take your duvet cover to the dry cleaners before storing it during spring and summer. This is also a good opportunity to flip your mattress and give it a vacuum.

4. Clean Out the Fridge: Eww! What’s that funky smell in the fridge?! Cleaning the fridge is a big job that can be an assault on your olfactory senses, but it’s satisfying to purge rotting produce and old jars of condiments. Giving each shelf and crisper drawer a wipe-down and reorganizing your fridge will give you a feeling of accomplishment — and peace of mind!

5. Degrease the Oven: After months of baking homemade pizzas and meaty stews in your oven, it’s likely some grease and wayward hunks of pepperoni fell through the racks. Snap on the rubber gloves on and start battling the grime with a heavy duty oven cleaner.

6. Get Your Rugs & Pillows Cleaned: All of the dust that area rugs and throw pillows collect can be hell for folks who suffer from sinus pain and allergies. Have your rugs and pillows cleaned by a specialty dry cleaner.

7. Wash Your Baseboards: Unless you’re blessed with bi-weekly visits from a cleaning lady, your baseboards probably don’t get much attention. They gather dirt and dust just like everything else in the house, so give them some love with a hot, soapy rubdown.

8. Revamp Your Cupboards: There’s nothing like fresh shelving paper to give your cupboards new life — and a good clean! Pull all of the food and dishes from your cupboards, wash each shelf and then lay down your shelving paper (we’re partial to fun patterns, but you can also get neutral papers if that’s your fancy). Before you put your cupboards back together, assess whether you really need five bags of green lentils that are each one quarter full. You’ll want to have a jumbo garbage bag nearby.