Guest Blogger #431, Entry #1047, March 28, 2012
With April just around the corner, it’s time to put away the heavy decorations of winter and switch them out for lighter, airier spring adornments for your home. It’s so much more fun decorating a clean house, so here are ten spring cleaning tips to get you started.
Is your home clean enough for spring?
Image via: Parkdale Ave
1. Formulate a plan and set goals
Cleaning the entire house can be a daunting task, and going in blindly may cause you to become exhausted after only a few hours. Come up with a plan for each room and list down what you’ll need and how much time you’ll be taking overall. Organizing your thoughts first will help you organize your home, in turn.
2. Check your supplies
There’s nothing more annoying than being in the middle of a task only to find that you’re missing an essential component, whether it’s glass cleaner or a new broom. Before doing anything, make sure you’ve got everything you need. If you do find yourself in a situation where you really need a particular cleaning aide and come up empty-handed, look through the internet for alternatives that are already available, like white vinegar or baking soda.
3. Involve your children
An extra set of hands will lessen the burden on you, and also teach them the value of responsibility and cleanliness. Delegate small jobs that can easily be done according to your children’s ages and put them to work.
4. Do not try to take on everything at once
Focus on a single area at a time, and don’t leave that room until you’re sure everything is done in it. It’s more efficient, and saves you valuable time.
5. Declutter, then clean
– Get rid of the garbage and clutter before you start cleaning in-depth. There’s nothing more annoying than being all ready to dust only to find that you need to move a million things from the surface that you want to work on.
Do you have all the cleaning supplies you need?
Image via: Helena.Pinterest
6. Organize, organize, organize
A great way of saving yourself the time and frustration of sifting through piles of “keep” and “do not keep” after your cleaning is by using plastic bins or boxes and depositing the items accordingly. Recyclables, donations, or things that you can put up for sale can be organized in this manner.
7. Open the windows
Let the air and sunlight in! After being shut in for months, the most refreshing thing in the world is to have a nice spring breeze inside.
8. Clean from top to bottom
Start from the upper floors and work your way down. Climbing up stairs expends more energy than climbing down them, so let gravity make your job easier. Begin with light fixtures, sweeping off cobwebs, work your way down the walls, then tackle the floors. Your body will thank you later.
Keep your cleaning supplies all in one organized space
Image via: Bhg
9. Try a new look
For spring, switch out your dark, heavy home accessories for light florals and pastels, and take that spring feeling from the outdoors into your home.
10. A daily cleaning schedule, and stick to it
– You don’t want to have done all that cleaning only to have all that grime and dirt accumulate again until the next spring. Deep-clean once, and then set small, daily tasks that will keep your house in order, reducing the need for hardcore cleaning next year.
George is an advertising consultant who occasionally writes for PlasticPlace.net, a wholesaler of eco-friendly trash bags and garbage bags.
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Awesome post! Good tip on decluttering before you get to the actual cleaning. Clutter can make a job seem more tough than it is, but decluttering won’t take a long time to do.
Spring is approaching real fast! This is the time of the year wherein everyone is geared towards spring cleaning their homes. These tips you have shared to make this task easier are very helpful. Thanks for sharing.