This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.
While stuck at home, there’s always something you can find that needs a good cleaning. Whether it be your room, something you’ve been wanting to clean for a while, or something you haven’t thought about cleaning in a long time, I’ve compiled a list of some things that I have a goal of cleaning while stuck at home.
This is an extremely general first thing to clean but I thought it would be fitting to put it first. Everyone’s room is different and is also different levels of cleanliness. Personally, I’m a freshman, so I had to leave campus with all of my stuff and bring it home to all the stuff that I left. So, for me, my biggest goal is to unpack everything and figure out what stuff from home I want/need to keep while I also have all of my college stuff here. However, if you are just at one place or have already unpacked college stuff (props to you), a few little things you can do to clean your room is to pick things up, organize different areas, dust, and vacuum.
Closet
An area that I know needs a lot of work in my room is my closet. I have tons of old clothes and just old stuff on my shelves. My goal is to go through all my clothes and try to get rid of a lot of things I don’t use/wear anymore. However, a closet you clean doesn’t have to be located in your room either. If you have a closet that you know needs cleaning, now is the perfect time to dive into it, get rid of stuff you don’t need, and get that closet nice and organized.
Shoes
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I let my shoes get really dirty. I’ve had my white converse for 2+ years and have not cleaned them once, mainly because I just feel that I’ve never had the time or energy to clean them. But, since I’ve been stuck at home, that was one of the first things I cleaned. I took my converse and vans and transformed them into new looking shoes! Personally, I just wet the shoes in my kitchen sink and then used dawn dish soap and an old toothbrush to wash the canvas and actual shoe, and then I used a magic eraser to whiten the bottom rubber parts. To whiten my white converse, I scrubbed them with combination of laundry detergent and baking soda while using the toothbrush. It should be noted that they take FOREVER to dry, so if you’re going to clean your shoes, make sure you don’t have to wear them for a few days.
Car
If you have a car, now is the perfect time to get it clean and organized! Even if you can’t take it to a car wash or have access to an actual car vacuum, there’s still some great ways to clean your car and organize it. I would first start by throwing out any garbage that’s in your car. I know that I always let the garbage in my car build up and by taking the time to throw all of it away, you’ll feel much better. Next, you can use a hand vacuum and take out all of the mats of your car. Vacuum them as best you can to get them looking clean. After vacuuming, you can find a diy car seat cleaner on Pinterest or the internet to clean your seats and try to remove any stains that may be on your seats. I would also suggest taking a Clorox wipe and simply wiping down your steering wheel and everything you touch in your car. You can also organize your glove box, middle counsel, trunk, back seats, etc. Get your car nice and clean and organized so you can take it for a spin with friends once quarantine is over!
Desk/Junk Drawer
If you have an area in your room/house that you just know is messy, whether it be a desk drawer, junk drawer, shelf, etc., now is the time to stop putting it off and tackle it! The hardest part about cleaning places like these is to get in the right state of mind that you want to do it and that you can handle it! Once you get started, try to get rid of a lot of things you don’t use and try to establish some type of organization to prevent future clutter.
Bathroom Toiletries
Whether you have a whole bathroom to yourself or share it with others and just have a few drawers, organizing the items and toiletries in your bathroom is probably much needed. Tackle whatever space belongs to you and try to get rid of any products or items that you no longer use or need. From here, similar to the junk drawer, try to organize your items in a way that is efficient and useful to you.
I hope these ideas help everyone with their spring cleaning / quarantine time at home. I know that I’m going to try my best to get every item on this list checked off. By cleaning your space where you live and work, you are also clearing your mind. I hope everyone is staying home, safe, and healthy! Happy cleaning!
HI! My name is Millie and I love writing for Her Campus! I'm a senior at Illinois State University studying Public Relations and minoring in Graphic Design. My other interests include art, embroidery, thrifting, and photography. I love to be able to be creative in my interests and in my articles on Her Campus.
Follow me on Instagram! @milliedean5
