Not long ago we were in the midst of winter. The days were shorter, the temperature cooler, and the weather not quite as good.  With winter behind us, and our clocks set forward, it’s time to enjoy the sun and longer daylight hours, and maybe do a little spring cleaning…well, maybe…

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be so bad this year. Just focus on these spring cleaning basics and you will soon have everything whipped into shape and be halfway to summer before you know it.

Get Organized

Start by planning out your attack. Make a list of what needs to be cleaned. You can divide the list into rooms and organize it by priority and difficulty. With a good spring cleaning list you will be able to keep your cleaning efforts organized and consistent and you will feel good as you cross things off the list and see your progress.

This is also a good time to evaluate your current organizational system, figure out what is working, and make any needed corrections, so that your system works even better.

You Don’t Have to Tackle it all at Once

You know the old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”?…well, your spring cleaning doesn’t need to be done in a day either. One way to make consistent progress on your spring cleaning without losing steam is to set aside 20-30 minutes each day to work on cleaning and organizing. By committing to smaller chunks of time, it may take a little longer to finish your list, but you will make a little progress each day and won’t risk getting burned out right away.

Thin Out

Now is the perfect time to look over your belongings and try to thin out. Deciding what should stay and what should go can be tough, so try using a system where you group things into 3 groups: “stays”, “goes”, and “not sure”.  As you clean each room, look at items that are causing clutter and put them into one of these three groups. When you are done cleaning you can decide what to do with the items based on which group they are in. For those items that are in the “goes” pile, you can then decide whether to throw it away, donate it, or put it in a storage unit.

 

Invest in the Right Tools

You don’t mow your lawn with scissors do you? Well, you should make sure you have the right tools for cleaning and organizing your home as well. Make sure to stock up on cleaning supplies before you start your spring cleaning project. You will probably have areas in your home that would benefit from organizers as well: closet organizers, shelving, files, etc. can all help you tame the clutter and get more organized.

Storing Seasonal Clothes

This is a good time to pack up and store seasonal items that you aren’t going to need for a while. Whether it’s your kid’s hockey uniform, skis, or winter clothes, you should take this opportunity to put away these items in an organized way. That way they will be ready for you next winter.

Deep Cleaning

Spring cleaning is when most people do their deep cleaning. That means its time to move closer than your ordinary surface cleaning, and really clean the winter dirt and grime away. Make sure to do the deep cleaning tasks that will really make your home sparkle:

  • Dusting: Make sure to dust in the hard to reach and often overlooked places like the ceiling fan blades or behind the TV.
  • Focus on the floors, walls and windows: This is a great time to do a thorough job of sweeping and mopping the hard surfaces of your home and steam cleaning your carpets. Don’t forget to wash down the walls and clean the windows inside and out as well. Cleaning up the floors, walls, and windows will make a huge difference in how clean your home looks and feels.
  • Clean the places that haven’t gotten hit in a while: Your garage is a great place to start, since things have probably been piling up there all winter. Patios and other outdoor areas have probably also been neglected during the colder months, so now is a good time to get in there and organize.
  • Check your appliances: Spring time is as good a time as any to inspect your appliances for wear and tear and do any preventative maintenance that may be required.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Hiring Someone to Clean for You

Let’s face it, spring cleaning can be a ton of work. So, if the idea of spending a lot of time cleaning and getting organized doesn’t sound too appealing (and you have the money to spare), you can always hire someone to help you out…a one-time cleaning or the help of a professional to get you organized could be just what you needed this spring.

Stay Organized

One crucial step that will pay huge dividends down the road is to commit to staying organized and spending a little bit of time each day cleaning. One reason that spring cleaning is so necessary is that we all let some routine cleaning and organizational tasks go as we get busy throughout the year. Just think how much easier spring cleaning would be, however, if you changed your habits ever so slightly and devoted a little more time to consistently cleaning.