Spring cleaning is a great way to shake off the dust of winter and welcome in the sunlight and fresh spring air. Even though the first official day of spring is typically in March, it’s never too late to jump into spring cleaning!
Here are nine ways to get started spring cleaning in your home.
1. Make a cleaning schedule to get started
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to take a whole weekend. Make a list of what you want to accomplish and then decide which tasks are a top priority. This list will keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
To make a schedule, ask yourself some simple questions:
- What room needs the most love?
- What areas do I never seem to get to during my regular cleaning routine?
- How long can I devote to spring cleaning?
Those three questions should help springboard (pun intended) you into figuring out what you need to tackle, what you want to accomplish, and how long it might take you. Once you know the areas you want to clean, break it down even further by listing each task you want to accomplish in each room in the order you wish to do them.
For example, Living Room: 1. Dust the fan, 2. Dust the furniture, 3. Vacuum
Listing out the jobs is also a great way to get your children involved. You can hand them their own list, and send them on their way. They won’t have to keep asking you what’s next.
2. Declutter
This step is essential! I hate stepping (or tripping) over items while trying to clean. Moving piles of junk from one side of the room to the other discourages me from finishing. So before you tackle cleaning and organizing a space, make a mess first!
Declutter the room before you do anything else. Make a donation pile, trash pile, and keep pile. When you’re done, send it on its way to the appropriate location.
A quick tip: If you decide to keep an item, find a place in your home for it immediately! Don’t stick it somewhere, promising to find a place for it later. Let’s all be honest here, you won’t.
3. Work top to bottom
Once you have decluttered your space and are ready to clean, start cleaning from top to bottom. I know that seems like common sense, but there have been many times I’ve caught myself sweeping the floors only to realize I haven’t cleaned all the crumbs off the countertops.
4. Don’t forget the fingerprints on the walls and windows
I sure hope I’m not the only one, but I typically only wash my walls and windows when a certain little person leaves a big nasty chocolate handprint. Don’t be like me. Wash your walls and windows to get rid of extra dust, grime, and sticky fingerprints.
5. Get the whole family involved
If you don’t put any other trick to good use from this post, take this one. Spring cleaning shouldn’t be a one-person job, especially when you have a family. Get everyone involved, including the younger ones.
Pinterest is full of child-friendly chore lists, but here are some ideas to think about for your kids:
Ages 3-4: Pick up toys and books, dust small furniture, wipe the furniture with a damp rag, put dirty laundry in the hamper, take items to the correct spot.
Ages 5-6: All of the above plus, wipe down baseboards, wipe windows, gather trash, dust blinds, help choose toys to give away.
Ages 7-9: All of the above plus, sweep, sort, and put away clothing, pull weeds, wipe counters, cabinets, and drawers, change their bedding.
Ages 10-11: All of the above plus, clean up outdoor furniture, water the garden, vacuum, wipe down appliances, wash cars.
Ages 12 and above: All of the above plus, mop, clean out the fridge, discard old pantry items, clean the bathrooms.
6. Tackle the kitchen and bathroom
These are the areas in my house that I clean the most often because they tend to get the dirtiest the fastest. Feel free to put a bit more elbow grease in when cleaning your shower, tub, toilet, and sink while spring cleaning. And don’t forget about organizing underneath the sink, in cabinets, drawers, and the pantry.
Feeling extra motivated? Get rid of old spices, condiments, and see about donating extra toiletries. Cabinet liners are also an excellent investment to help with easy clean-up when spills or leaks occur in cabinets, and even in your fridge.
7. Replace the air filter
Spring cleaning is an excellent time to change out the air filter in your home. Typically when the seasons change, that’s my reminder to replace the air filter. It’s such a quick easy task that it can be easily forgotten.
8. Create a maintenance plan and stick to it
Create a family plan on how to keep your home clean and organized this spring and summer. The warmer seasons are typically some of the busiest times for families with sports, vacations, and outdoor activities. The last thing you want to do is spend another weekend cleaning your home. So create a plan to stay on top of your cleaning schedule and have the kids pitch in.
9. Have fun!
Watch a tv show while sorting clothes; listen to music, a podcast, or audiobooks to help you zone out of the activities you hate doing. If the kids are reluctant to help or moving slower than a turtle, make cleaning into a game or race. Set up a reward for the family at the end of an activity or once everything is completed.
You don’t have to dread cleaning your home.
