Spring cleaning....

Everyone loves springtime, but not many people love the thought of spring cleaning. It’s nice to welcome a warmer season with a tidy home, however, and it doesn’t have to be as dreadful a task as you’re imagining.

Spring cleaning can go a lot quicker if you take a strategic approach to it. Using mops, sponges and steam cleaners are an inevitable part of the process, but by eliminating all the unnecessary items you have laying around first, you can cut down on the amount of effort needed to clean. 

If you’re still wondering where to start, follow this checklist.

Get motivated. Yes, this is a step of its own. Being motivated to clean isn’t something that comes naturally to most people, but it’s absolutely necessary for spring cleaning, which tends to be more intense than other cleaning projects. To start, try searching for new scented candles for your home. Just imagining a vanilla- or lavender-scented house after cleaning is a great way to help yourself get started. You should also consider recruiting help, namely the other members of the household, or writing down a to-do list to help you visualise your tasks.

Clearing clutter. There’s no use in cleaning things that you don’t intend to keep anyway, so the next step should be to clear out all your clutter. Pack up clothing that doesn’t fit, books you’ve already read and anything else that can be donated. Then start a pile for items that can be recycled, such as newspapers, empty glass containers and used cans. 

Finally, designate a space for rubbish that isn’t recyclable.

Organising what’s left. A trip to a container store may be in order to complete this task. Creating a space for all of your belongings can help you stay organised in between cleanings and possibly make future cleaning sessions unnecessary. Search for drawer inserts for the kitchen and the home office, as well as clear plastic bins for the pantry and the kids’ rooms (this is a great way to store toys). Get a charging dock for cell phones so that you don’t have to use tangle-prone wall chargers. You may even want to invest in a digital scanner if you don’t have one already so that you can digitise documents and shred the paper versions. 

The key is to designate a space for everything so that you never have to search for it.

Deep cleaning. Now it’s time to get down to the dirty details. Save deep cleaning for last because this is the step that will require the most energy. It’s also easier to do with everything else out of the way. Now’s the time to steam clean the upholstery, polish the hardwood floors and wax the furniture. You may also want to wipe the walls using a soft cloth and a mixture of warm water and a gentle soap. And if you haven’t spring cleaned in a while, shampooing the carpets will leave them feeling plush and smelling fresher than before.

And then you’re done!
Even if you pace yourself, you can still finish in less time than you imagined.