Spring cleaning is very important especially in countries that go through a cold winter. During the winter, your house is often closed up and insulated. A lot of dust settles and the air becomes stagnant.
Spring cleaning is meant to improve the air quality in your home so that your respiratory health will not suffer.
Many homemakers consider spring cleaning as that one major house cleaning task each year where you turn everything inside and out and clean everything from top to bottom. It is also a great time to do some major decluttering!
So how do you spring clean your home? This may feel like an overwhelming task. So let’s make things simple.
Read on!
How to prepare for spring cleaning
Do some preparations before you spring clean your home. This will make spring cleaning a lot easier!
1. Make a list.
Get organized. Make a list of all the things that need to be done in every area of the house.
For instance, for spring cleaning the kitchen, list down organize junk drawer, organize the pantry, clean out the fridge, etc.
Try to list down as many details as you can such as which things need to be stored and where should they be stored. Listing out everything that needs to be done will help you see which tasks should be prioritized and what supplies will be needed for every task.
Also make a list of the cleaning supplies that you will need.
2. Do a meeting with your household.
Now that you have a clear and organized list of what needs to be done, do a family meeting. Everyone must get involved – especially when you plan to do a major decluttering all over the house too.
Let them know your plans for spring cleaning, then assign them tasks.
Make a schedule and establish a cleaning deadline. It helps to take time off when you do your spring cleaning so that you are focused and concentrated on the task at hand.
Plan a reward too – like eating out for dinner or going on a quick out-of-town trip over the weekend. This will help motivate the entire family to cooperate and participate.
3. Purchase the necessary supplies.
Now that you have an organized list of the tasks that you need to do, you have an idea of what supplies and how much of each you will need.
Purchase your cleaning supplies now. Finding out that you run out of supplies can put a stop to the momentum when you’re already spring cleaning your home.
Make sure you get protective tools like nitrile gloves and face masks. As much as possible, use multi-purpose cleaners so that you do not have to spend so much on cleaning supplies. And get more than enough trash bags!
4. Declutter.
Before you spring clean your home, have the entire family work on decluttering first. This will make cleaning a lot easier!
Let each family member start in his/her own room. Then work in teams for the common rooms.
Throw away expired products and everything that is broken and are no longer serving their purpose. Get rid of anything that has not been used for the past year.
Do this a few days before your actual spring cleaning day. Many of us need more than a day to declutter since it often involves decisions about possessions that are tied to emotions. So… that cab feel hard.
But again, once you have decluttered, there will be fewer items to move around, and cleaning up will be so much easier!
On spring clean day
1. Start with dusting.
The first step when cleaning anything is getting rid of the dust. Check hard-to-reach surfaces such as ceiling fans, the top of the fridge, and light fixtures.
Prioritize places that you do not typically clean during normal cleaning days. I bet you there would be a couple of dust bunnies lying there!
Do not worry about all the dust falling all over the floor. You can sweep or vacuum them up later on. Make sure you wear a face mask while you are dusting so that you do not inhale the dust.
2. Clean out furniture and appliances.
After doing a thorough dusting, it is time to clean out furniture and appliances. Take out items on your cabinets and clean the inside. Wipe off the coils and wires of your appliances. Remember, dust and grime can affect the performance of your appliances.
3. Clean your walls.
Most of us neglect our walls. They accumulate grime and dust too even if they have vertical surfaces. They deserve some thorough wiping from time to time.
Wipe your walls with a sponge mop and then dry them up with a soft and clean cloth.
4. Wash carpets and upholstery.
This is a very important step especially when you have pets in the house. Fabrics do not show grime right away but over time, it sets and stains. In fact, you may be surprised how dirty they really are!
Cleaning upholstery can be time-consuming and if you do not know how to do it, you may hire professionals for the job. They have the most powerful upholstery cleaning tools that can make your couches and carpets look as if they are brand new.
5. Vacuum and mop.
The last thing you should do during spring cleaning is to vacuum and mop. Just like dusting, make sure you cover the areas that are usually hard to reach.
6. Clean outdoors too.
Spring is the best time to pressure wash your deck and outdoor furniture. Also use this time to hose out your garbage and recycling bins. If you have a garage or tool shed, declutter, clean and organize it as well.
After the spring clean
1. Place two doormats.
Now that your home is clean, you would like to keep the dirt from coming into your house. You can do this by placing two doormats on all entrances of the house. One outside the door and another one inside.
2. Create an organization system.
Maintain the cleanliness in each room by implementing an organization system.
There are many ways to organize each room. You can buy storage containers or just DIY! Let everyone in the house know how everything should be organized so that it’s also clear how they can help.
3. Make decluttering a habit.
When you declutter regularly, there will be less items to clean in the house. People usually declutter their homes at least twice a year. But it depends on your household. If you need to declutter more often than that, do so!
4. Establish a regular cleaning schedule.
Again, spring cleaning may feel overwhelming, especially when it’s your first time to do this. There is a lot to do!
Now to make your next spring cleaning session lighter, establish a regular cleaning schedule. Create daily, weekly and monthly cleaning tasks that you and your family can follow.
It can be as simple as this.
See more cleaning checklists in this post – 10 Bullet Journal Household Trackers to Organize Your Home
This will be super helpful when you spring clean again because there will be less things to clean. You can then have the extra time doing other things that need to be done.
Do not rush the process.
Spring is the best time to clean away all your winter woes and prepare your house for a whole new year of possibilities. It is the chance to reset your home! You can even use the opportunity to do some rearranging!
Cleaning your house from top to bottom may seem like an overwhelming task – even for small homes. But with the right organizational skills, decluttering, and a helpful family, you will find that it is a possible job.
Remember, do not rush the process! If your spring cleaning will take more than a day, it is okay! Most households need one or two days to spring clean. Some would even take a whole week!
So clean at your own pace. The important thing is that everything in the house would end up clean, tidy, and organized!
There’s a hundred more spring cleaning tips that you can do to get every nook and cranny of your house spotless – tackling them one by one will take forever. But this list is a good start! We hope these steps and tips will be able to help you clean your home thoroughly and effortlessly.
Nothing beats coming home to a clean and organized home!
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