When you think about spring cleaning, you probably think about hauling everything out onto your lawn so that you can scrub the entirety of your house and reorganize. What many people forget to consider are the simple things you can add to your list to keep your home as energy efficient as possible. Read on to find out how spring cleaning can make your home more energy efficient this year.

  • Clean your air vents. Air ducts and vents accumulate dust and grime while they’re pumping out hot air during the winter months. When spring rolls around, remove the vents and wipe them clean with a mixture of warm water and soap. While they’re drying, examine your air filters to see if they need to be replaced. If you have a reusable filter, take it out into the yard and use a hose to remove build up, or buy a disposable filter from your local home improvement store. Clean air filters help improve the air quality of your home and help ensure that your home’s heating and cooling systems are running as efficiently as possible.
  • Remove dust from unexpected surfaces. While beautiful, our window treatments can collect layers of dust over the winter! According to Santa Barbara interior designer Judy Flattery, spring is the perfect time to switch out or refresh your current window treatments, which have been collecting dust since the end of last summer. To remove dust from wooden blinds or shades, wipe them down with a microfiber cloth and gentle wood cleanser. If you have aluminum blinds, you can take them outside when the weather is nice and use a gentle cleanser and non-abrasive cloth to scrub them clean. If your window treatments are fabric, take them down and give them a wash to remove any dust that has settled on the surface, or change them with a brighter spring print. Remove as much dust as possible to prevent build-up on ceiling fans and air vents.
  • Scrub in the in-betweens. When we clean, we tend to give certain areas of our homes more attention than others. Areas like counter and sink tops might receive a daily or weekly wipe down, but other surfaces, like the laundry room floor, get a once-over every now and again. Give these neglected areas of your home a deep clean this spring. Pay attention to commonly neglected areas like window frames and door tracks. Cleaning the dirt and debris from these areas will ensure a tight seal when they’re closed, helping to prevent the cool air from escaping your home during the hot summer months.
  • Wipe down light fixtures. Dusty light bulbs and light covers prevent light from getting through, making them less energy efficient. To prevent this problem, add wiping down light bulbs and coverings to your spring cleaning list. Take a look at the bulbs you’re using, too. Swap older light bulbs out for more energy efficient models – compact fluorescents and light-emitting diode bulbs can improve your home’s lighting efficiency.

Regardless of how much you do, spring cleaning will always have a positive impact on your home’s energy efficiency. Invite spring into your home with these cleaning tips!

This post brought to you by Westway Electric Supply, an electrical supplies, components and parts retailer.