Spring is more than warmer weather, busier schedules, and mowing your lawn. It is also an ideal time to spring clean your entire home. You might even find that after a thorough spring cleaning that you have an abundance of items left-over that might need to be stored or disposed of.
It may feel a little overwhelming beginning this process, and you may be asking yourself where you should start?
So, to make it easier to start, we have written a list of tips to get you started.
Think of it as a detailed plan to help you get a jump in the decluttering process. Try to accomplish a few tasks a day, instead of tackling whole rooms at a time. That way, you can avoid feeling that spring cleaning is too big a task to start, and it will keep you motivated.
It should be noted that a lot of these tips could work for different seasons too, so if you don’t get to all the tasks during spring, you can continue to follow the list of tips year-round.
Remember, it is about taking tiny bites along the way, not finishing your plate.
Materials You Will Need to Get Started
Before you get started, you may want to have a few of these materials on hand to help you stay organized…
Packing boxes that you can label to keep you organized and on track. Boxes that can represent the items you wish to donate and can be labeled “donation”. Boxes that you can use to put items in that need repair but that you still want to keep and can be labeled “repair”.
After you place the repair items in the repairs box, you can then put those items away until you have the time to fix them. If you have limited space in your home, a storage facility like Garden of the Gods Storage can help keep your house spacious and clutter-free until you need those items.
With these items out of the way but not forgotten, you will not be sidetracked by repairing those items and can continue to spring clean. There should also be a box that you can title “storage”. The items in these boxes are put away and stored and then pulled back out when you need them.
You may also want to keep a list of projects you want to complete, because the little projects that pop up as you tidy up may distract you from the cleaning at hand. Finish the spring cleaning first. A list of projects to tackle will come in handy after the spring cleaning is completed.
Organize and Store Seasonal Items
Spring brings warmer weather, and with it the need to bring out seasonal clothing. But, before you can drag out your shorts and sandals, you will have to make room for them by storing your winter clothing.
Get one of your “storage” boxes out and begin to pack your winter sweaters and boots. Then you can swap them out for warm weather clothing. As you are packing, donate box of winter clothing and accessories to further the decluttering process.
Then, as you unpack the spring clothing, you can donate anything from those boxes as well. You can also clean up and take out your summer equipment that had been hibernating during winter. These items include grills, patio furniture, sports equipment, and lawnmowers.
Wash and Detail Your Car
When the weather turns warm is the best time to do tasks outside. Begin with washing your car. You can do this at home, or you can bring it into a car wash.
The benefit of a car wash is that you can use their high-powered vacuum to get the interior of your car. Take the time to wipe down the inside of your car as well. You can hand wash the exterior or have someone at the car wash do it for you.
Start the Decluttering Process Inside Your Home With Dusting
To stay motivated it is wise to complete small tasks all at once, rather than focus on one room at a time. Dusting the entire interior of your house is a great place to start your spring cleaning.
First, attack dust bunnies and cobwebs with a broom in your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room. After that, dust the surfaces in the home, such as coffee tables, bookshelves, knick-knacks, and books.
A good and thorough sweeping of the floors can follow. Additionally, it may be wise to launder drapes or take them into the dry cleaners if they have been collecting dust for a while.
Deep Clean and Organize Your Bathroom
First things first, you will need to wash your bathmats. While they are in the washing machine, deep clean your entire bathroom.
That means sanitizing and cleaning your toilet, bathtub, and bathroom floors. Once the bathroom is clean, you can move onto decluttering. Go through your medicine cabinet and toss any expired cosmetics and medicines.
Restock your first aid supplies and soap products. It may be a nice touch to swap out winter scented products for spring scented products. Once cleaned and decluttered, you can finally place the clean bathmats back into the bathroom.
Closets Are Next
Devote one day to cleaning and organizing your hall closets, linen closets, and storage closets. You can place your winter items in storage closets, like heavy jackets or winter boots. Take out all of your linens and clean the shelves.
Donate anything you do not need or want anymore and then put your linens back to stay organized. If you find boxes in the hall closet or storage closet take some time to go through them to decide what to keep and what to donate or throw away.
Deep Clean Your Fridge and Other Major Appliances
The kitchen can be the last step and the one room that may feel the most overwhelming.
Start by deep cleaning the fridge.
Remove the shelves, and racks so they can be sanitized. Throw away any expired food. Wipe down the entire inside of the fridge before you put the food back in.
Move on to cleaning your stove/oven and kitchen sink. Finally, check your pantry for expired items and get rid of them.
Final Thoughts on Spring Cleaning
Planning and knowing where to start is the best way to keep on top of “Seasonal Clutter”. Partnering with Garden of the Gods Storage is also a great way to limit clutter in your home while protecting your seasonal items in a secure facility.
We hope you enjoyed our Spring-cleaning tips and look forward to helping you clean for Spring!