Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Febreze and Swiffer.  All opinions are my own.

We’ve been BUSY doing a bit of Spring Cleaning at our Apartment this past week.  Over the years I’ve learned a few things about cleaning (thanks Mom), and making sure we’re thorough, but according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), when it comes to spring cleaning, many people may actually be doing it wrong, stirring up the very allergens they are trying to remove from their homes.

With two cats in our household, it doesn’t take long for our floors to get a bit messy, and luckily The Swiffer Sweeper has come in handy time and time again.  It helps to lock in the dirt and dust with one sweep, and the best part? You just throw the cloth away afterwards.  So say GOOD-BYE to that Dust and Dirt and HELLO to a Clean House or Apartment!

To get you inspired for Spring Cleaning, and to GET Rid of those Allergens, we have a few tips for you thanks to Laura Dellutri, cleaning expert and author of “White Couch with Kids?” and “Speed Cleaning
101.”

1) Window Dressings:

Everyone remembers to clean their windows, but what about window blinds and drapes? Use a Swiffer Duster (Unscented) to quickly swipe away dust – which often contains loads of dust mite matter and other inanimate allergens – from in between the slats of blinds and the back
side of drapery. This will trap and lock dust and inanimate allergens for efficient removal, instead of blowing it back into the air as with other methods. Be sure to finish off the process with Febreze Fabric
Refresher Allergen Reducer (Unscented) on both sides of your curtains, where common inanimate allergens hide.

2) Clean from Top to Bottom:

This was something that was drilled into my head from my mom throughout my childhood, but still, to this day, it’s easily forgotten.

Laura Says: Sometimes cleaning with the wrong tools can stir up inanimate
allergens from pet dander and dust mite matter that accumulate in high places (think tops of doors, cabinets and windows), causing them to land in lower places instead being removed. That’s why I
recommend starting up top first, then cleaning big surfaces like floors last with a Swiffer Sweeper Dry (Unscented) – not only does it get a better clean by trapping and locking dust but it
also saves you time.

3) Hot, Hot, Hot.

Say it with me: Hot, Hot, Hot:

Stuffed animals and sheets can be full of dust mite matter and pet dander. Make sure to wash them in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In between washes, spray with Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer (Unscented).

4) Remember the Nook and Crannies:

I do this ALL the time.  The top of the fan? You know it.  The Window Blinds.  You know it.  Lampshades, that too.

Laura Says: Common inanimate allergens love nothing more than to hide
in nooks and crannies like tops of moldings and window sills, baseboards, under books, door jams and deep on your shelves. These places need some extra TLC so make sure you cross the
small spaces off your list.

5) Favor Your Fabrics:

You may be someone who regularly cleans their couches, decorative pillows, upholstered furniture and carpets with a quick vacuum, fluff of a pillow or dusting. One of my tricks is to spray these
hard-to-wash fabrics with Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer (Unscented) before using your upholstery vacuum, to ensure you are reducing the inanimate allergens that may be
hiding within. Extra bonus: it helps reduce inanimate allergens that can become airborne from fabrics as well.

6) Get Little Hands to Help:

Although Little Hands aren’t present in this household, I have a helping hand with my significant other.

Laura Says: Kids are eager to be mommy and daddy’s little helpers. Make spring cleaning a family affair with kid-friendly games like having them try and identify sneaky places dust may hide while you race to clean those areas.

7) Clean Smarter, Not Harder:

Cleaning isn’t my favorite thing to do in life, but why make it harder on myself if I do it right the first time around, or find ways to make it just a tad bit easier, right?

Laura Says: Technology has revolutionized household cleaning with lots of gadgets and tools that make cleaning easier, faster and more effective. For example, when it comes to removing inanimate
allergens from your wood floors, reach for a Swiffer Sweeper Dry (Unscented) to trap and lock the dirt and dust, rather than blowing it around. By simply tossing out the dirty cloth, you can say
goodbye to the inanimate allergens in your room/home.

8) De-Clutter One Room at a Time

Truthfully.  This is how I clean.  I try not to overdo too much at one time otherwise I become overwhelmed.  Throughout the week I pick one room to focus on each night then move onto something else the following night.  It works wonders.

Laura Says: Start by taking everything out of a room, to get ready for a good clean. To remove allergens from dust mite matter accumulating in a cluttered space (you’ll be amazed at just how much there is!), use a Swiffer Duster (Unscented) and Swiffer Sweeper Dry (Unscented) to trap and lock up to 70% of inanimate allergens from floor to ceiling. Before putting everything back, think about what you really need, what can be given away to charity or what you can store
elsewhere. Less clutter means less future dust build up.

9) Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away

If there was ONE piece of ADVICE I could put into my life, this is the one.  I tend to put things down and forget about them.  I like this little sentence above, “Don’t Put it Down, Put it Away.”  If I did this EVERY time, my house would be a lot cleaner.

Laura Says: To reduce up to 95% of inanimate allergens that can become airborne from hard to wash surfaces like carpets, spray Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer (Unscented) on rugs in
high-traffic areas of the home or in places where pets like to lay. Vacuum over the areas you spritzed to pick up and remove the inanimate allergens from your home.

10) Picture Perfect

Don’t let dust and dander blur your precious memories. Clean pictures, frames, souvenirs and paintings with a Swiffer Duster (Unscented). The soft cloth will gently remove dust and inanimate
allergens so you can get back to capturing all of your family’s favorite moments…smiling teenagers not guaranteed.

Now that we’ve given you some TIPS we want to KEEP the motivation going by offering a FUN giveaway to kickstart your Spring Cleaning:

What it includes: Swiffer/Febreze Allegen Prize Pack:

• 1 Swiffer Dry Sweeper, Unscented.
• 1 Swiffer Duster and 360 Duster, Unscented
• 1 Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer, Unscented

Enter in the RaffleCopter Below:

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

No purchase necessary, void where prohibited.  Must be 18 Years or Older and Reside in the US.  Giveaway ends at 12am EST on 4/15/2015.  All other rules can be found here.   Winner will be notified by email.