Spring Cleaning Ideas to ‘Spring’ Into Action

Spring is in the air, but unfortunately so too is that dreaded dust. Worse still is when it comes to rest on surfaces and settles in all those conspicuous and not-so-conspicuous nooks and crannies. There’s undoubtedly myriad places you’ve been meaning to clean—the blinds, the pantry, the closets, the fireplace, behind the sofa. The list seems endless, and knowing where to start can be a challenge, if not downright daunting. 

Making your home sparkle isn’t likely to happen effortlessly, unless you are fortunate enough to outsource these tasks to a good-quality cleaning service. Doing it yourself will require some discipline and an organized approach. You will want to determine a pace that works well for both your physical stamina and your schedule. Be realistic with your timeline of tasks to avoid overwhelming yourself and ending up stopping short of your goal of a clean, well-organized home. Some may decide to spend two solid days on tasks, while others may divide them into smaller chunks of say 60 minutes each day. There is no right or wrong pace, so choose whatever works best for you.

Once you’ve determined your pace, the best place to start is with organization. A well-organized home is the foundation to ensuring your spring clean is successful, and will be easier to maintain going forward since you’ll have better access to the surfaces that need cleaning. It also means that you should have a place for everything—not only reducing unsightly clutter but also saving you precious time when you need to locate an item.

Organization will involve the logical and proper storage of items you determine are important to keep, as well as potentially “letting go” of things no longer serving a purpose. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t used something within the past year, it probably isn’t something you need to hold onto. This is, however, a highly personal decision, so go with whatever your intuition tells you. For some, it may be extremely difficult to let go of possessions; if this sounds like you, you may choose to do a trial separation and simply put some items in a labeled box into storage. If after a period of six months to a year later, you find you don’t miss or need these items, you may decide it is time to let them go to a charitable cause, a friend or relative, or your local recycle or refuse site.

Starting with an organized home, you’ll be in good shape to commence your spring cleaning chores. This is your opportunity to tackle all of those jobs that ordinarily get neglected during routine cleanings. You may want to create a checklist of the chores you want to accomplish. A good suggestion is to work through your home one room at a time, as this will give you a sense of accomplishment with each room you complete; and perhaps may give you a psychological boost as you go, thus fueling momentum. While carrying out your spring clean, you may find it helpful to open windows and doors to let in fresh air, exchanging it for any stale air. According to feng shui practices, this exchange of old for new air is believed to have a potentially positive influence on the energy circulating in your home, plus it’s one of the best natural ways to rid your home of any lingering germs. It is also important to remember that your spring clean can be as effective as it is safe—that is, you don’t need harsh chemicals to get the job done. Try using nontoxic, eco-friendly cleaning products for a squeaky-clean home, planet and conscience. Also worth using are microfiber cloths and mops, which only require plain water—worthy for their effectiveness and economic advantage.  

With an organized home as your foundation, and armed with an action plan to work room by room and at your predetermined pace, you will be ready to get those tasks accomplished. Best of luck with your spring cleaning, and here’s to your healthy and hopefully soon-to-be sparkling-clean home!

Angela Thornton is the president of PurMaid LLC, a valley-wide eco-friendly cleaning service. To connect with her, call 877-624-3326, email [email protected] or visit PurMaid.com.