There is something about this time of year that just makes me want to tear my house apart and fix it all up. I know it’s called spring-cleaning for a reason. I have no desire to spruce everything up once the temperature drops, but opening my windows for those first few days of nice weather just puts me in the mood to dust, discard, and organize everything. Sometimes that seems like an impossible task. If you are looking to get more organized but have no idea where to start I’ve got a few tips to get you going with your Spring Cleaning.
Photo Credit: Suzy Morris
- Take a page out of Santa’s book…make a list, check it twice!
Write down each room in your home and the tasks you want to tackle in each one. When you can see what you want to do and have a solid goal in mind it’s much easier to get going. And breaking each room down into individual tasks such as clean out dresser, clean out closet, or take clothes to Goodwill rather than just saying “organize kids bedroom” will help it seem a little less daunting. You can check one thing off at a time instead of taking on the entire space at once.
- Become best friends with Rubbermaid!
Often times the biggest issue we have in our homes is clutter. Rubbermaid makes containers of all sizes for any organizational project you can imagine. Moving winter sweaters to under-bed storage containers can clear up room in the closet for all those great spring and summer clothes. Smaller containers can help for under the bathroom cabinets. I know my husband hated searching for the spare toilet paper under my counter because it often got lost with hair ties, body lotions, and enough nail polish to start my own salon. Now I have two separate three-drawer containers under the sink to keep everything from attacking him when he opens the doors.
- Make it a family affair.
I know spring-cleaning doesn’t sound like a ton of fun for a Saturday when kids want to go play outside. But finding age appropriate tasks for the kids will make it a quicker process than if you try to do it all on your own. Also, cleaning out their rooms and playthings can open up a conversation about donating to people who don’t have as much as they do. I can recall as a kid doing the toy cleanout before Christmas. We would go through all the toys our parents knew we weren’t playing with as often as we said we did. We’d be given two toys to choose from and one was donated, one got to stay.
- This is the time to get down and dirty…
Make sure you tackle the stove (even a self-cleaning one could use a little elbow grease), wash down all the baseboards, and get the windows all sparkly. And yeah, clean out drains while you’re at it. I am a very independent lady, but even I want a little help cleaning out shower drains that collect hair throughout the year. Citrus fruit down the garbage disposal will help keep it smelling fresh. Replace sponges. Dust every vent in the house. All those tasks that might not fall into your normal weekly routine, this is the time to cross them off the list.
I know it might seem a bit daunting to do a top to bottom overhaul of the house. But just think about how great it feels to collapse on the couch knowing that the dust bunnies are no longer lurking under it. At least for me I feel far more peaceful when my living space is organized. For someone who finds very little peaceful time between work, writing, school, and travel to visit my husband, I’ll take any help I can get!
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