Here we are! Part 3 of the Spring Cleaning Series: Spring Cleaning Your Home. Now that you’ve given your closet and mind a deep cleaning, it’s time to tackle your physical sanctuary, aka your home.
Our living space is often a physical representation of what’s going on with us internally. So by getting your home in order, you’ll not only be able to function better, you’ll FEEL better. So without further ado, here’s a practical guide to Spring Cleaning Your Home.
Avoid Overwhelm
This is a step-by-step process to spring cleaning your home. So while you can try to knock this out in a weekend, life doesn’t always allow for that. But with a process in place and a small window of time each day, you’ll be surprised at how fast you can give your entire home a good spring cleaning.
Your Checklist
- Create a list of all the rooms in your home – everything from the bathroom to the garage.
- The steps that follow should be applied to each individual room.
- Step up a time system that works for you. For example, spend twenty minutes to an hour on each room, or knock out a couple of rooms in a weekend. The important part is that it’s consistent.
- Get the whole family involved, or at the very least let them know what you’re doing. More on this as we go.
These steps exist to give you a process, so tweak them to fit your unique situation. Every home is different!
Spring Cleaning Your Home in 4 Steps
Step 1: Declutter
Get rid of everything you haven’t used in a year. Bring a friend in if you really need some support – this is harder for some than others.
For children: It can be challenging to give up their property, even if they no longer use it. In this case, it helps to explain that there’s another kid out there who would feel so lucky to have their toy or coat, a kid that might not otherwise be able to afford it. And for those adults who like to hold on to stuff, tell that to yourself too 🙂
Step 2: Reorganize
Every object should have a place. No exceptions. If your daily jacket usually ends up thrown over a chair, that’s its place. This might involve taking everything out of a drawer or cabinet to make sure it’s in the right space. holiday decorations, winter clothes, toys…
Make sure the whole family knows about any changes that you’ve made. If the shoes used to go by the door but now you want them in a laundry basket, let them know. Also share WHY this is a better option. It’s easier to get onboard with change when everyone understands there’s a good reason for it.
Step 2.5: Wipe Down
This is a mini-step. If you’re taking things out of a drawer or cabinet, chances are it has been a while since you’ve cleared out that space. Wipe down the drawers or cabinets as you go. Vacuum that area that hasn’t seen the light of day for over a year. Clean those dusty drawers. Make sure to wear a mask and open the windows – inhaling that stuff is no bueno!
Step 3: Clean
Now that everything is in place, it’s time to do a proper deep cleaning. Turn up some music, fire up that vacuum cleaner and go wild. This might be a step you do for several rooms at once. For example, let’s say you’ve decluttered and reorganized a couple of rooms on different days, it might make more sense to have a cleaning day and knock out all those rooms in one go.
If you’re anything like me, once you get into the cleaning zone, you end up doing a lot more than you thought you would. And dare I say… It’s even fun.
Step 4: Maintenance
Now that you’ve worked your booty off spring cleaning your home, it behooves you to maintain your newly clean space. Here are a few practical suggestions:
- Do a periodic check-in to make sure your kids take ownership of their rooms and the new places for their items. If they’re not keeping up with the organization, it might not be laziness. Something that sounded like a great idea may no longer make sense. Be flexible. Create another way to keep things tidy that works for everyone.
- This goes for the entire home – if any adjustments you made no longer make sense, change it! If you don’t, the result will turn into more disorder. Remember – every item has a place.
- Do light room touch-ups like cleaning, repositioning, or refolding things that might have gotten out of order during a hectic period. Creating a little schedule might sound overboard, but if you stick to it, you’ll actually save time in the end by maintaining it.
A final note: If you aim for perfection, you’ll always feel like a failure – it’s just not possible! Accept that life is sometimes messy. Don’t let the need to keep a clean home get in the way of living your life. A tidy home exists to support you, not to take away your joy. So do the best you can and make adjustments along the way!
Psst! Did you miss the first two pieces in the Spring Cleaning Series? Not to worry! Hope over to Spring Cleaning Series: Your Closet and Spring Cleaning Your Mind.
