5 Spring Cleaning Tips to Get Your House in Order
April is the perfect time to start recognizing that the dark, cold, cloudy days of winter are nearing their end. Blooming flowers, green grass, leaf-filled trees, blue skies, and a warm golden sun invigorate us, waking our spirits from its winter slumber. This invigorating notion is what gives so many the sudden burst of energy and positivity that will propel us into the joys of spring and summer. This is exactly why now is the perfect time to focus that energy on a little bit of spring cleaning!
- Start with a List
Sure, you probably want to immediately grab a brush and mop and start scrubbing the floors and counters. Then you’ll move to the bathrooms, or onto sweeping the backyard, or wait, maybe you should start with loft? Do you vacuum first? Do you clean all the windows first? Don’t haphazardly head into your cleaning without a plan. Take a moment, sit down, and write out a list of all the cleaning you want to do, whether it’s mopping, clearing the garage, going through old clothes, or whatever else you might need. Having a list will keep you focused, motivated, and it will help you feel your own progress as you get the satisfying feeling of crossing each item off your list.
- Move on to a Purge
There’s absolutely no point to washing and folding laundry or organizing and labeling the boxes in the attic if you’re planning to throw half of it away anyways. Move from room to room, building your pile of purge items that simply need to go. Old clothes, dishes, towels, ancient holiday décor, old bedding sitting in storage, anything you don’t need anymore can go. Don’t be afraid to toss that which you simply don’t use or need. So much of the weight and burden in our lives comes with the unnecessary weight of our possessions. Lighten that load and find immense relief in the process. Take a satisfying trip to the donation center and say, “Farewell!”
- Organize, Organize, Organize
Boxes, crates, storage tubs, shoe boxes, duct tape, marker. Maximize your space and underwhelm your closets by finding a place for everything. Invest in storage devices that will help you sort through and place the possessions your keeping in one organized space. Label your boxes and tubs with duct tape and a marker, so you can find their contents when the moment arises. From dollar stores to fancier home décor stores, there are so many different stores to meet your budget and to find what you need to help stay organized. You won’t feel overwhelmed opening a chaotic closet and you won’t feel frustrated tearing through shelves looking for something you randomly placed without a second thought.
- Work from Top to Bottom
Gravity can get pretty annoying, pretty quickly. As you move about the house, cleaning room to room, remember that dust from the higher locations is inevitably going to gravitate to the ground. Start with ceiling fans or high shelves, anything located out of arms reach, and work your way down. Windows and walls, desktops and tabletops, window blinds: continue cleaning horizontally, so you’re not having to vacuum dust again and again from the floor. Save the floors for last and know that you let gravity work for you.
- Don’t Forget to Go Deep
It’s specifically called “spring cleaning” for a reason; this cleaning isn’t like your other cleanings. It’s not a simple vacuum and wipe down, or a process of cleaning simply what you see. Spring cleaning is about getting a fresh start for the new season, about eliminating as much dirt, dust, and grime from your living space so you can truly enjoy every inch of it as the sun starts to appear and the windows are opening to the world. Get in the crevices, clean out the cracks, de-grime the grout, clear out the drains, dust the highest shelf, and check behind those couches that haven’t been moved in years.
It’s not easy, but a good spring cleaning can be rewarding, worthwhile, and sets you off on the right foot as the season changes.
- Culture Greetings
