10 easy ways to refresh your home

If you're like the rest of us, you've probably been spending a lot of time at home lately. Over time, your space can start to look like the extra wear and tear it's taking.

It's probably time to refresh your home. Having a comfortable and inviting space to live and work in is truly priceless, and many of these techniques are simple and quick. Your stress level will certainly thank you for the extra effort.

Keep in mind that these refresh techniques will have to be done every so often. Nothing is permanent, and frequent refresh sessions will keep you and your family healthy and happy for the long run.

Here are 10 easy ways to refresh your home.

1. Open your windows. Fresh air is a quick and cost-free way to freshen up your home. When living spaces are devoid of sufficient oxygen, they become stuffy and claustrophobic. Opening your windows will increase oxygen flow. If you are concerned about temperature, time your window opening to the warmest (if it's a cold season) or the coolest (if it's a hot season) part of the day. Even 10 minutes of open windows will help.

2. Add houseplants. Houseplants are another great source of oxygen. Additionally, they absorb toxic chemicals from your living space. Electronics, appliances, and furniture all give off chemicals, especially toxic VOCs. Make sure your plants have access to sunshine, and don't overwater them. Ideally, you should have at least one houseplant per room.

3. Declutter. Unless you actively declutter your home every so often, you will be living among mountains of stuff. Things make their way into your life through shopping, birthdays, and donations. Getting rid of items you don't need is a great way to refresh your home and reclaim some space. Besides, you can always sell your unwanted goods and make a little cash.

4. Clean your floors. Especially if you have kids and pets, floors can get dirty quickly. Giving your floors a good sweep and mop or vacuum will provide your home with a sparkly fresh appearance. Every so often, move furniture and large appliances to clean floors under there too. The dust, dander, and hair that builds on floors can be hard on your breathing and on the optimal functioning of your appliances.

5. Touch up your walls. Spackle any extra holes in your walls and add a bit of touch up paint. Scrub away any marks or dirty areas. You don't have to repaint your entire home to get a fresh new look for your walls. Little touch ups can go a long way, and there are low-VOC paints that won't contribute a lot of harmful fumes to your home.

6. Replace light bulbs. Swap out broken or burned out bulbs with fresh ones. Ensure you choose a type of bulb that offers lighting compatible with your use and preference. Bedrooms, for example, can do without super bright, full spectrum lights. A soothing yellow might work better in that situation. Also, make sure the brightness is consistent for all the bulbs in one chandelier. This symmetry will be much more pleasing.

7. Clean out your fridge. Toss old or expired food from your fridge. Give the drawers and shelves a nice scrub with soap and water. Reorganize where you put certain items to best match your family's functionality. Having a clean and organized fridge goes a long way toward promoting healthy eating habits.

8. Add flowers. If you have access to fresh flowers you can cut from your garden, make a nice bouquet and bring it inside. Store bought flowers are beautiful, but they can harbor toxic pesticides, so it's better to go fresh or skip the flowers. Potted flowers are great as well, but make sure they have enough sunshine to stay healthy.

9. Add essential oils. A carefully selected essential oil can do so much to refresh your home. Scents like orange or lavender work quite well for this. The oils can be diffused in a variety of ways, including through a humidifier, a special diffuser machine, or simply on a dish. If fragrance isn't your thing, you could try beeswax candles, which naturally pure the air in your home.

10. Tidy up. Having too many items out at once can be overwhelming. If these are items you want to keep, simply tidy and put them away. Kids usually need help with tidying, so try to teach them where things go and encourage them to tidy their own room. Investing in a few organization systems can really help with this task. For example, a shoe rack, organizing bins, or under the bed boxes can go a long way toward tidying quickly.

We spend so much of our lives in our homes, it should be a happy experience. These little things can refresh your home in a big way.

What other things do you do to refresh your home?