Get a Jumpstart on Spring Cleaning with these 5 Top Tips

We’re here to help you get a jumpstart on spring cleaning. Image: Anchor Builders

Believe it or not, winter is almost over. Warmer temperatures and sunny weather are both right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity for you to start afresh. If you’re ready to get an early start on your yearly clean-out, you’re in luck. We’ve gathered our five top tips to help you tackle your spring cleaning head on.

Declutter before you clean Image: 9 square studio

Declutter first

Before you even think about tackling a deep clean, get rid of some of the clutter that’s piled up over the long winter. Doing so helps you focus on what needs to be done for your spring cleaning.

If you’re unsure of where to start, try the “two-pile” method. Filter the items you intend to toss out into two separate piles: one pile for items still in good enough shape to donate, and another pile for worn-out items to throw away.

Show no mercy! If you’re debating whether or not to get rid of an item, ask yourself if you’ve used it in the last year. If so, it can stay. If not, it may have outlived its usefulness to you. Additionally, do your best to complete your decluttering in one day, including dropping off your donations. That way, you’re not tempted to continually put off the final step.

Create a one-stop-shop with all the tools you need to finish the job. Image: Amy Trowman Design

Get your tools in order

Most of us have a bad habit of leaving our cleaning supplies all over the house. While it may be a good idea to keep a few go-to products in place for day-to-day use, when it comes to spring cleaning, this method may cost you valuable time spent running all over the house looking for your tools.

For projects like this, we suggest making up an on-the-go cleaning kit. Take an inexpensive shower caddy and fill it with products like mult-purpose cleaners, sponges, and rags. This enables you to move easily from room to room, without stopping to worry about which products you have on hand.

Set goals to help you stay on track. Image: Resolution: 4 Architecture

Set clear goals

Tackling a job as big as spring cleaning your entire home can feel overwhelming. The easiest way to keep from getting bogged down is to set clear goals before you start. That way, even if you decide to only do a portion of the job at a time, you’ll have a plan in place to help you stay focused.

Specificity is the key to successful goal setting. Ideally, you’ll want to create a step-by-step plan to follow. Start by deciding which rooms you intend to clean. Then, give yourself an order in which to do so. Some professional cleaners suggest cleaning each room in a circle, while others suggest going top to bottom. Either way, the key is to easily be able to move from task to task without too much hesitation.

Don’t forget to clean rarely thought of places like your washer and dryer. Image: Meriwether Inc

Remember hard-to-reach areas

Spring cleaning is all about giving yourself a fresh start. It’s the perfect opportunity to go above and beyond your usual cleaning regimen, taking care of all the hard-to-reach, rarely thought-of areas that normally don’t receive much attention.

Some of these areas include:

• Between refrigerator coils
• Over ceiling fan blades
• Inside the washing machine
• Around your HV/AC vents
• Inside light fixtures
• On and around the windows
• Around door frames and crown molding
• Inside light fixtures and track lighting
• Behind the toilet

Making cleaning as fun as possible makes it seem like less of a chore. Image: STEFANI STEIN

Make it fun!

Last but not least, make this task as enjoyable for yourself as possible. Yes, spring cleaning is a chore, but there’s no reason why you can’t make it fun. If you’re tackling the task by yourself, consider playing some upbeat music to elevate your mood, or treat yourself to something rewarding when you’ve finished.

If you’re cleaning with your family, try getting them involved. Set the kids up with age-appropriate assignments, and turn it into a game to see who can finish their chore the fastest. With a few more hands in the mix, even a little help can go a long way towards whittling down your to-do list.

Following these tips makes spring cleaning so much easier. Image: Meridith Baer Home

Spring is almost here, and it’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning. If you’re ready to get a head start on this task, we’re here to help, with our five best tips to help you spring clean like a pro.

What do you think of these spring cleaning tips? Do you have any of your own to add? Share them with us in the comments below.

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