20 Places (or Things) You Can Clean During Confinement

The desk

Since in many cases during confinement or quarantine we have to work from home, I am one of them, it is a good time to take a good look at the desk and turn it into a space where it is a pleasure to work or spend time when we are already sick of sofa.

The clearer it is, the easier it will be to clean it and the more comfortable you will work. And do not forget to clean the keyboard, it is one of the cleaning tricks to face the coranavirus, since it is constantly in contact with the hands.

The bookstore

When was the last time you thoroughly cleaned your bookstore or storeroom? Confinement or quarantine for the coronavirus can be a perfect occasion to clean books and, incidentally, discover one of those books that you have to read at least once in your life and that you had forgotten among others.

You can shake and dust them (not forgetting the tops and sides) with a dust-catching cloth or a handheld vacuum cleaner. And if they have a satin cover and spines, you can clean them with a slightly damp cloth without causing damage.

Windows and glass

Maybe you are one of those who, like me, spend a lot of time these days looking out the window to feel a little freedom. And maybe also, like me, you have realized that your glasses were a mess …

Three of the most effective home cleaning tricks are to use a sock or newspaper to clean the lint-free windows, to clean between the slats of the blinds with your hand or a putty knife in a sock, and to remove dirt from the recesses of the blinds. sliding doors and aluminum joinery with the help of cardboard from toilet paper rolls (is it to clean windows the reason why everyone has rushed to hoard rolls …?). More tricks to clean windows and make them last longer, here.

Curtains

It is also a good occasion to check how the curtains or blinds are, and take advantage of these days to wash them or give them a wiggle.

According to the experts, the curtains should be washed at least every six months, taking advantage of the main seasonal changes, for example, in autumn and spring, when we change the wardrobe. If it is not possible to wash them, you can vacuum them at least.

Doors and baseboards

Doors and baseboards are two elements that always tend to be at the end of the cleaning and ordering task lists , and when time is short, one of the first ones we stop doing.

Pay special attention and, if necessary, disinfect door knobs, handles or bolts as they are in contact with the hands and these days are sources of contagion.

Bathroom drawers

Another of the frequently forgotten corners when cleaning is the bathroom drawers.

These days, in addition to doing a thorough cleaning of the bathroom, you can take the opportunity to put yourself in Marie Kondo mode, empty them completely and clean them inside, throw away everything you don't need or are out of date, and store the rest in an orderly manner.

The medicine cabinet

Whether you have it in the bathroom drawers or elsewhere in the house, take advantage of these days to clean up the medicine cabinet and put it in order.

Set aside to throw away all expired or spoiled medications, and make a list of what's missing. In the case of coronavirus, it is essential to have a thermometer at home, paracetamol to lower fever and calm discomfort, and alcohol to disinfect.

The shelf

Another essential point in these moments of confinement or isolation due to the coronavirus is the pantry.

Take everything out, clean the cupboard or the place where you keep the food, throw out what is past and save the rest by categories and so that what has a closer expiration date is on the first line or closer to hand. Find out how to fill your pantry to deal with lockdown.

The fridge and freezer

Once you're on, you can also clean and tidy up the fridge and freezer in the best way to store your staples.

Find out how to clean and tidy the freezer and tricks to organize the fridge.

Kitchen cabinets

Another place you can focus on these days is the place where you keep the crockery, glassware, cutlery, kitchenware, pans …

As in other cases, take everything out, clean the interior and the closet doors, select what you want to keep and organize it by categories and frequency of use. What you use the most, has to be closer to hand and close to its area of use: the dishes between the sink or dishwasher area and the cooking area, the battery and pans next to the cooking area, and the tuppers near the fridge or pantry.

And if you get involved in cleaning the kitchen in general, keep in mind the most common cleaning mistakes in the kitchen.

The sheets and the house clothes

Changing the sheets regularly is not only a matter of aesthetics. Every night, while we sleep, they collect the germs, sweat and body fat that our bodies and our clothes give off, and they become a veritable nest of pathogens and viruses.

At the latest, they should be washed every two weeks, experts say, although it is best to do it weekly. Find out here how often you have to wash the cushion covers, the kitchen towels, the bathroom mat … and other items of household linen.

Daily clothes

Of course, it is an ideal occasion to review your daily clothes and make a change of wardrobe.

Put all your clothes on the bed, throw away or give away the ones you don't use or are spoiled, and if you don't have your own, you can use Marie Kondo's method of ordering the closet, which essentially consists of minimizing the clothes that you have, classify them by categories and colors, and fold the clothes with their technique to see them better and have them more at hand.

The mezzanines and other corners

Since you are organizing the closet or wardrobe, also take a look at the mezzanines and other corners where you keep things: under the bed, in folding furniture with storage, in the gallery, the balcony … The magic formula remains the same : remove, clean the space where you save it, select what you have and save it again by categories.

In the case of attics and other corners, label the bags or boxes where you keep things so that you can find things more quickly.

Socks and underwear

Another day you can concentrate on cleaning and ordering the socks and other underwear: bras, panties, bodysuits, T-shirts … You can do cleaning, discarding those that are torn or too old. And the ones that you want to keep, order them chromatically so that it is easier for you to combine them with the rest of the clothes.

To avoid losing socks when you wash them, put them in a zippered bag like those used for delicates, wash them without removing them from the bag and put them in pairs.

The shoes

Shoes and shoe racks or the place where you keep your footwear are another of the places that you can clean taking advantage of the confinement or quarantine for coronavirus.

Review all the footwear you have as well as its condition; clean and polish it if necessary; and save it taking into account what occasions and time of year you wear them, and if you use them a lot or a little to put them more or less by hand.

Jewelry and accessories

I never find time to order necklaces, pendants, earrings, scrunchies, scarves, belts and other accessories, and I have decided that these days I am going to put on it.

The secret to ease of use is to keep them in compartmentalized drawers or accessories, which allow you to have them at hand and separated by categories, colors, etc.

The makeup

Similarly, we can give you a good overview of makeup and cosmetic products.

As in the case of hygiene products, medicines and food, you have to check the expiration date of the products, since we often forget that they are also spoiled and can cause allergic reactions or skin problems.

And to get them in order, take a look at the best makeup organizers (that you didn't know you needed).

The computer and the mobile

Yes, yes, we can also clean the computer and mobile phone these days (I have it on my list): from accumulated emails to music or things on the virtual desktop, through the photos in the image gallery , which they often eat up all the storage space on your devices.

To unlock your devices you can use platforms such as google drive, dropbox or icloud. All offer a part of free storage for you to keep documents, photos, music … And if you want more space, you can choose one of their payment methods.

Pictures and decorative objects

I confess: I almost never clean paintings and decorative objects until one day, for example, I want to move them and I realize that they are disgusting. Well, these days I have decided to give you a review of paintings, mirrors, vases, figurines and other putos (those objects that you don't know where they came from or that they give you and you wonder: where I PUT them).

To clean the picture frames and mirrors, hang them up, otherwise you run the risk of staining the walls. And if you have silver objects, discover how to clean the silver with what you already have at home.

And the plants

Personally, I love indoor plants, but it is also true that I often do not pay enough attention to them, and these days of confinement I have decided to remedy it.

We can remove the leaves that are dry or patchy, put them in the shower and sprinkle them with water to clean and refresh them, and stir the earth a little with a stick or something long and narrow to aerate the earth a little. Discover here how to take care of indoor plants (and that they do not die).