Spring cleaning help

Some fab goodies to make the change of season bearable

Spring means saying goodbye to bulky down jackets, itchy tights and heavy curtains. It’s a time to reorganize your house and your wardrobe and finally clean the piles of junk and layers of dust you’ve been too sleepy, cold or drunk to attack this winter. We found some products that won’t do the work for you per se, but feel free to treat them as your assistants.
 

Because you look your best in black
Before putting away all your favorite black sweat­ers, wash them in Caldrea’s Dark Wash, which is specially formulated to help extend the color of denim jeans and other blue or black washable fabrics.
Caldrea French Lavender Dark Wash, $12
www.caldrea.com
 

Kitty won’t mind
Warm weather means you’ll be going out more often, so you’re not going to have time to clean the cat litter as frequently as you — and the air you breath — would like. Cheat by sprinkling Mrs. Meyers pet litter freshener right into the box. The sage chamomile scent will also make changing the litter (whenever you get around to it) a less gag-inducing experience.
Mrs. Meyer’s Pet Litter Freshener, $5
www.mrsmeyers.com
 

Unearth and iron your warm-weather clothes
This bold-patterned cover makes leaving the ironing board out acceptable.
Home Chic Home Floral Ironing Board Cover, $28
www.homestyleliving.com
 

What junk?
Hide paperclips, cotton swabs and loose change in these graphic tins by Ikea.
Ikea Tripp storage, $3 for a set of three
www.ikea.com
 

You are the dishwasher
Scraping the mel­ted cheese off the plate of last night’s nachos won’t seem so awful with these bright, scrubby sponges.
Scrubber, $4
www.plasticashop.com

Protect your throne
Method Home’s chic blue packaging of its toilet bowl cleaner makes the most degrading of all jobs, dare we say it, somewhat fabulous.
Lil’ bowl blu $6
www.methodhome.com