What is it about the change to Daylight Savings Time that makes one want to clean up our homes? And when it comes to spring cleaning, it’s almost impossible not to throw in the word ‘organizing’ as well. Spring is a fantastic time to get out of that winter funk (you know, all the hibernating we’ve all been doing over the winter!) and freshen up our spaces.
Here are 4 of my favorite ways to make spring cleaning & organizing easy!
This is how we feel about spring cleaning but it doesn’t have to be this way!
Evaluate your spaces
This may seem like a funny thing to do, but by going through your entire home and taking stock of each room, you can start creating a ‘to do’ list for each room. When every room is reviewed, you can look at your list and see if there are similar areas to target. For example, if all of your walls and baseboards need washing (which most probably will), then you can plan time to do all rooms at once. This will also give you an indication of how much time you will need. Do you like to do an entire day of spring cleaning or would you prefer spreading it out over a couple of days or perhaps it’s an entire weekend? You won’t know until you evaluate everything first.
Purge
With winter behind us (which I am hoping it really is behind us), it’s time to evaluate what you wore and used and what you didn’t. A simple rule of thumb: if you didn’t use it or wear it the past season, you most likely are not going to use it/wear it the following. If that is the case, it’s time to donate, recycle, sell – whatever it takes to get those items out. Your new-found space(s) can now be easily cleaned without the excess stuff you once had.
Gather your Supplies
Most people really don’t like to spring clean, as it tends to be a bigger job than the regular cleaning that gets done weekly. There is nothing worse than finally setting time aside to get to some spring-cleaning done and low and behold, you don’t have what you need. If you have to run to the store, by the time you get back you have wasted the time you have already set aside. Ensure that you have what you need ahead of time. When the time comes to start cleaning, you’ll be ready to roll!
Freshen Up
There are many ways to freshen up a space. Some as as simple as getting new pillows for the sofa or buying some fresh cut flowers. In a bedroom, if you have curtains, wash or get dry-clean them. In your kitchen, wipe all the cabinets and cupboards (inside and out) – and include the handles! In your entire home, crack open a window (if it’s not snowing!) and get some fresh air moving through your home. Have your windows washed on the inside and out. After our crazy long winter, it’s time to let the sun shine in! You may also want to add in a scent. My personal favorite neutral scents are citrus scents. Nothing like the smell of citrus to have my brain telling me things are clean and fresh!
Although spring cleaning and organizing can seem like a daunting task, when you take stock of what needs to get done and break those tasks up into manageable tasks, it’s easier than you expect. Enlist the help of your family (it’s their home too!) and enjoy your fresh, clean spaces!
About Sheri:
Sheri started Get It Together as a way to further enhance people’s lives by adding simplicity and calm to their lives. Sheri works with clients before a move (Professional Staging and Organizing their home before it is listed), during a move (planning and organizing all the logistics of a relocation), and after a move (helping clients to settle in, enhancing their home and organization based on their own living habits), as well as Professional Staging and Professional Organizing for individuals and families who have no intention of moving but wish to fall in love with their home all over again.
