Buzz

Between balancing a full-time job and (trying to) maintain a social life, it’s easy to let the upkeep of your home fall by the wayside. If you’re at all domestically-challenged – like this writer is – you don’t know where to start when it comes to cleaning and organization. But, as usual, the home masterminds at Apartment Therapy are here to save the day. In their new book, Complete + Happy Home, founder Maxwell Ryan and Executive Editor Janel Laban created a ‘Happy & Healthy Home Calendar’ that outlines a few cleaning projects to do each month – so we’re covered all year long. See below for a few key takeaways:

January: Flip your mattress, vacuum under the bed, and launder your pillows.

February: Give all the lights in your home a thorough cleaning, whether it be a dusting of the bulbs and lamp bases or a gentle brush of your lampshades.

March: Clean your walls (dust and then wipe with a damp sponge), and change the batteries in your smoke alarm.

April: Flip your closet – clean and store winter clothes, and donate the ones you haven’t worn at all that season

May: Clear out your kitchen by getting rid of mismatched utensils, dishes, and glasses. Plus, start working on sprucing up your outdoor space to get ready for the warm weather.

June: Get some of your heavy-duty cleaning out of the way by cleaning out, wiping down, and re-organizing the fridge. Then, take a few hours to scrub your bathroom and make it shine!

July: Give upholstered furniture a refresh by dusting, airing out, and vacuuming the couch. Also take advantage of those summer flea markets – a little vintage in the house goes a long way!

August: Spruce up your floors. Have all carpets professionally cleaned, and polish or wax your hardwood floors.

September: Refresh your bedroom with some new throw pillows or a blanket, or new bedside lighting.

October: Improve the air quality in your home by wiping down your ceiling fans and cleaning your air vents.