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Spring is finally in the air, so it’s time to knock the cobwebs down in your garage and start getting things ready for summer. This is always a great time of year to do a deep clean of your house, car, or even your digital life. In anticipation of cleanin’ season, we polled the top minds here at Autoblog to see how they’re planning on kickstarting their spring cleaning endeavors.
Makita 12V Max CXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Vacuum Kit – $179.99
“I own and regularly use an older 12-volt cordless vacuum from Makita, and it’s a great tool for quick cleanups. This newer version looks even better. At 3.7 pounds with a battery, it’s easily portable, has a useful set of attachments, and will run for 33 minutes with one fully charged battery. Those batteries are compatible with a slew of tools from Makita, and longer-lasting batteries can be purchased for even longer run times.” — Jeremy Korzeniewski, consumer editor
Dyson V7 Motorhead Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner – $189.99 (36% off)
“This lightweight Dyson is good for cleaning up pet fur after Fido has spent time lounging in your back seat or spread across your third row. It’s cordless, offers 30 minutes of running time and can be configured for hand-held use. It does take up to 3.5 hours to charge, which is a tradeoff. There are more powerful Dysons, but this one is solid for the price and versatility.” — Greg Migliore, editor-in-chief
FLEXIMOUNTS 4×8 Overhead Garage Storage Rack – $179.99
“Tops on my list of ‘to-dos’ this spring is purging my house of junk, but for all the stuff I just can’t bring myself to get rid of, I need to find more storage room. I think I can start by making better use of my garage space. This ceiling storage rack has a 4.5-star rating with over 1,000 reviews. There are even installation videos linked to the page.” — Eddie Sabatini, production manager
Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner for Floors, Cars, Home Use and More – $149.78 (25% off)
“I bought a Dupray after our excellent Autoblog Details video series showed how effective steam cleaning can be for cars. There are many steamers on the market, but Dupray makes expensive commercial machines, and this home version was affordable and well-rated. It heats to 275 degrees, has a 50-minute runtime, a sleek and compact design, lots of tools, and a quality feel. I’ve had it just a few weeks but have nuked hardwood floors, vaporized hazy buildup from windows and sanitized granite countertops. It’s almost as much fun as a pressure washer. Steam power, baby.” — Greg Rasa, managing editor
California Car Duster – $11.97 (30% off)
“Storing cars for any amount of time over winter leads to dust accumulation if they’re not blanketed head-to-toe in a cover. One way I’ve mitigated this irritable dust is with the California Duster. This big — 26-inch wood handle and 15-inch cotton mop — duster is cheap, and it’s been effective for a long time. The secret is the baked-in wax on the mop. It picks up dust, and won’t damage the paint, so long as the car itself is clean. I don’t use it on anything other than my car, but it’ll work for most in-house dusting operations you have, too.” — Zac Palmer, road test editor
“I have a set [of dusters] similar to this that I use for dusting dashboards before shooting interiors. Simple, scuff-free, doesn’t get everything covered in grease and the like. Good buy, and cheap.” — Byron Hurd, associate editor
Swiffer Sweeper Pet, Heavy Duty Dry Sweeping Cloth – $11.97 (8% off)
“You might think that living alone with only a single pet would prevent your house from getting overly dusty, but in my experience, you’d be very wrong. My house and car both seem to have a near-permanent layer of dog fur and dust, and I’m always looking for quick and easy solutions to mitigate the build-up. Lately, I’ve taken to using these Swiffer cloths. They’re technically intended to be used with a traditional Swiffer Sweeper, but I usually find it easier to just grab one out of the box and use it to manually wipe down my dashboard, a countertop, or even a television screen. They pick up dust better than any other wipes I’ve found and for the price they’re pretty tough to beat.” – Erik Maier, multimedia producer