It seems so difficult after months of snow, sleet and rain to wrap your head around the thought of spring when it’s been so long since you’ve seen any sign of grass. Around this time of year. we get glimpses of spring – the birds are chirping, the ice is melting and then old man winter rears his ugly head and we are smacked back in the middle of a deep freeze again. Inevitably, though, it will happen, and after such a long winter how do you know where to start?
Many hands make light work: As with getting organized in the home, spring cleaning can be a family affair. Give family member the heads up so they know what’s happening and aren’t too disappointed when there are no weekend activities planned. Create a fun environment. Make a cleaning sound track with a compilation of everyone’s favourite tunes, crank up the music and get cleaning. Create an incentive. After a long day’s work, reward the family with their favourite meal. Although it may take longer to work as a family to spring clean , remember you are teaching your kids a skill. Have patience and make it fun!
Break it down: Winter was a long season and it may not be possible to get it all done in one day, so break it down into bite-sized pieces. Professional Organizer Maria Garcia suggests tackling cleaning for one hour and one task each day. Your schedule may look something like this:
Monday: De-cluttering
Tuesday: Dusting
Wednesday: Vacuuming
Thursday: Scrubbing
Friday: Organizing and Rearranging
Saturday: Laundering
Sunday: Decorating.
At Spiral Into Control I take the room by room approach. I like the satisfaction of a finished job in each room before I move onto the next. Krista from Family Budget Sheet offers these great Spring Cleaning tips as add-ons to your normal cleaning tasks, for a deep spring clean.
Right Tools for the job: The scouts’ motto “Be prepared” cannot be taken too lightly when tackling spring cleaning. Nothing derails a job well done than not having the required tools. The cleaning experts Molly Maid compiled a list of supplies and equipment that will ensure your spring cleaning experience is a success.
The right approach: The cleaning-industry experts recommend working top to bottom and inside to outside to avoid getting things dirty again. They also offer a few other tips and tidbits:
- Vacuum before dusting to avoid dust being stirred up again.
- Save time and energy. Minimize trips around the house by temporarily depositing items in one spot.
- In each room, collect items that don’t belong. At the end of the day, return the items in the basket to its rightful location.
- Multi-task. You can have a load of laundry going while washing the floors.
Cleaning without de-cluttering…just crazy: Dust accumulates on “things”. Think about the time you would save on dusting if you had less items to deal with. As you are going through the cleaning process, as you pick something off the floor to vacuum, or lifting off a shelf to dust, ask yourself:
• Is this useful, beautiful and do I love it?
• Do I have multiples of this item?
• Is this item in good condition?
• Have I used this item in the last six months?
When in doubt throw it out!
Cleaning will be a lot easier when the clutter is gone.
Change of season: Now that birds are singing and the sun is shining this is a great time to store away any winter seasonal items. This will allow space for the spring items and prevent clutter building from trying to house both seasons. Ziploc Space Bags are an excellent option for Vacuum-seal bulky winter clothes and blankets for easy storage.
Get Organized: Spring is the perfect time to get organized as well. Alongside of de-cluttering and cleaning, make sure the things that are staying have the right home. Ask yourself, are there any items that can be grouped together? If these were put in a basket or a container and labelled would we be able to find them easier next time?
The good news is that cleaning is no longer a dirty word and many people have hopped on board to make cleaning a snap for those in need. Great sites like Flylady.com and various boards on Pintrest and Buzzfeed.com offer great solutions for cleaning.
Open up the drapes and windows, shake off the dust and welcome spring into your home!
