If you’re excited for spring cleaning, raise your hand! Okay, that might be a bit too much to expect but there is something nice about a fresh, clean house to greet the new season. Grab a pen and notebook; it’s time to make your plan for freshening up your home. We’ll do it together!
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Your Spring Cleaning Plan
Gone are the days of tearing up our homes from one end to the other every spring. When homes were heated with wood or more especially, coal, everything needed a good scrubbing after winter. But with central heating, good filters, vacuums and other modern housekeeping tools, much of the dirt and soot that homemakers of the past dealt with is not an issue for the modern family. And can we all stop a moment and give thanks for that?
Amen.
Still, that doesn’t mean that our homes wouldn’t benefit from some extra seasonal cleaning. Unless you are a better homemaker than I (which is totally possible), there are likely some tasks that need attention. I can’t tell you what needs to be done in YOUR home. Perhaps you clean your oven every week so that won’t be on your list like it is on mine. But you may have children and need to sort their outgrown clothes.
While those lengthy spring cleaning lists can help us see what we might be missing, I generally just find them depressing. There is NO WAY I’ll do all the things listed. Even if I had time and energy, that’s not really how I want to spend the first warm days of the year. So consider this your permission to design a spring cleaning plan that suits you and your household.
Let’s get started, shall we? Grab a piece of paper or small notebook and a pen or pencil. Start at your entrance and walk through every room in your home writing down what needs attention. Include closets, basement, attic, outdoor living spaces, garage, etc. For this initial list, write down everything. This is your “If I had household staff” master list. Consider it a wishlist of sorts.
Now we’re going to temper that enthusiasm with a big dose of realism. Get out your calendar. What do the next few weeks look like for you? Work schedule, meetings, appointments, travel, etc. How much time do you realistically have to devote to spring cleaning this year? There’s no point in making a list that would take a team of ten 30 hours to complete if you can only squeeze in maybe four hours of spring cleaning over the coming month.
So we are going to get out a red pen and cross off a whole bunch of things.
Where do we begin? Well, start with the things that Martha Stewart says you must do but aren’t important to you. I once had a friend who removed the floor vents in every room and scrubbed inside with a bleach solution periodically. If that floats your boat don’t let me discourage you but I feel certain I can live the rest of my life without ever doing this.
Focus on the tasks that have been bugging you for months. For me, the oven tops that list.
Also consider things that will extend the life of items or fall into the category of maintenance and safety. Changing air filters, putting in new smoke detector batteries, cleaning the dryer vent, removing mineral deposits from faucets…that sort of thing.
I also think it’s important to include at least a couple of things that are mostly cosmetic or just plain fun. Indulge in new curtains or throw pillows. Do you have plants that have seen better days? If you can’t bring them back to lush beauty consider replacing them. We work hard in our homes and deserve a few treats to make them more attractive. Especially after the hard work of spring cleaning.
Now that you have your list it’s time to schedule time to complete it. Look at your calendar again and add cleaning appointments. That’s right. Schedule spring cleaning as if it were an appointment with your doctor or a business meeting. Treat these appointments with the same respect and follow through.
Prepare ahead of time. Don’t waste your cleaning time searching for a needed cleaning solution only to realize you are out of floor cleaner or that your vacuum is clogged. Get all of your cleaning solutions, supplies and equipment sorted and ready to go. If you need to buy something, do it right away. Do you need air filters, batteries or lightbulbs?
I think we all deserve some new cleaning products when spring cleaning. I adore the Mrs. Meyers lilac-scented products whenever they are available. I also love the peony scent. New seasonal scents include fresh cut grass and daisy.
Shop the Mrs. Meyer’s Spring Seasonal Scents Collection and receive a Free Gift with your first purchase. Click here.
When it’s time to clean, stay focused and work steadily. Put on some music or a podcast. Consider donning an apron to protect your clothes. Set a timer and allow a few minutes to put away cleaning supplies at the end of your cleaning session.
Keep in mind that the world doesn’t stop during spring cleaning. Your family probably still expects dinner. I know, I know. Put something in the crockpot on heavy cleaning days or plan something very simple with minimal cleanup.
Easy Recipes For Spring Cleaning Week
Finally, consider finding some moral support. Do you have a friend who is also spring cleaning? Maybe you can check in with one another to brag about what you’ve accomplished or moan about what’s still on the list. Or consider joining my Facebook group, Life With Dee (formerly Make Over Your Life With Dee). We do spring cleaning challenges some years, as well as other challenges throughout the year. I’d love to have you join us.
Life With Dee
So tell me, are you going to do any spring cleaning this year? What’s on your list? Any favorite tips to share?
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Spring Cleaning ~ Tips and Motivation
10 Things to Do Instead of Spring Cleaning
I tackle things as they need doing all year round, rather than seasonally to be honest. Great tip on making a cleaning appointment for yourself though. That’s a good way to handle all kinds of things you want or need to do actually.
Year round cleaning is really better but every once in awhile I need to do some catching up – ha!
I don’t know about Spring cleaning but the copper pulls in the kitchen need to be polished and the cabinets and fridge need to be hit with a magic eraser. The baseboards in the bathrooms need a scrubbing and a big kitchen gadget drawer needs to be cleaned out. I prefer to keep my clothes in a chest rather than a chest of drawers and that is in disarray. So far, I’ve polished the silver and Hubby has cleaned the oven. I wonder if I can talk him into dusting and mopping.
I’m hoping to inspire my husband to clean the oven. He used to do it for me once a year before the holidays. I have asthma and oven cleaner fumes aren’t good for me. I know it *can* be done with baking soda and vinegar but it sure does take a lot more elbow grease.