That time of year is coming up when the colder days become fewer and the sun begins to actually warm you up. You’re ready to enjoy nature again, things start to feel new, and you have the itch to clean your home. Now is the right time to learn how to prepare for spring cleaning.
You are craving new beginnings and a fresh start in your life. This starts with how you feel in your own living space. Although, spring cleaning produces a love-hate relationship. While some people really look forward to it, others dread it knowing just how badly their home needs to be cleaned out.
Whether you are looking forward to it or not, there is nothing more important than learning how to prepare for spring cleaning. If you have a plan ahead of time, it will be easier to execute come time to clean. Get ready for a new way to tackle spring cleaning this year.
How to Prepare for Spring Cleaning
The following six steps are ideas to help you prepare for spring cleaning. Use these suggestions to have a better flow to your cleaning process for years to come.
Make a Plan
The first thing to do when you prepare for spring cleaning is to make a plan. This means taking into consideration all parts of your home. Decide what areas you want to tackle first and plan a day or two in your calendar. In addition, you can ask friends and family to help. When spring cleaning day actually comes, you will know exactly how to get started instead of wasting time bouncing back and forth between things.
Write out the plan on physical paper or a whiteboard so that you can see each step in your process. This will help keep things organized on the day of and it will give you an idea of how much time you are spending on certain areas.
Make a Checklist
In addition to having a plan, you also need to have a checklist to follow. This could look like writing out exactly what you are doing in each room of the house. It’s not enough to say “Clean the kids’ rooms”. You should be specific about what that actually entails.
A checklist will help keep the flow moving and make the process predictable. It will also help in ensuring that you don’t overlook anything. Make a copy of the checklist for everyone who is helping you with your spring cleaning so that they can know exactly what you need them to do.
Prepare Your Tools
The tools are going to be especially important to have for cleaning. Make sure you have garbage bags, labels, pens/markers, cleaning supplies, and so on. Getting all of this beforehand will help not having to run to the store during the cleaning day.
Use garbage bags to collect trash throughout your home. That junk drawer in your kitchen that is overflowing needs to get cleaned out. Also, check under beds for trash items. Check your furniture cushions as well. Things get tucked in the most random places.
Declutter
Decluttering will be the best part of the spring cleaning process. If you can start on this as you prepare for spring cleaning, it will help your spring cleaning day go much quicker. Start letting go of things now and placing them in bags for donations.
You can also consider having a garage sale soon after your spring cleaning day to sell off things you no longer need. You might as well make some money off of the items from your home.
Get in the Mood
Having fun with your spring cleaning can make all the difference. If you go into it with a dull attitude, you are likely not going to enjoy any part of the day. Cleaning can be a drag, but if you put yourself in the mood first, it won’t be so bad.
Start your spring cleaning day with your favorite breakfast and coffee or tea. Hydrate yourself with some water. Put on your favorite music, podcast, or audiobook to get you going. When your mind has something else to focus on that brings you happiness, it will make your cleaning day go much faster.
Hire a Professional
In the end, if spring cleaning just isn’t for you no matter how much planning ahead of time you do, then consider hiring a professional organizer instead to help you. I am a professional organizer who helps people get their homes in order and creates systems to keep their homes in order. Let me help you take off the burden of figuring it all out by yourself. It all starts with a simple complimentary call together.
Life is always going to have seasons of change whether that is right now during spring cleaning or later down the road. The key here is to not let those seasons disrupt a good organizational strategy. Keep up with your home with simple steps each day and take control of the mess that comes with life.
Prepare for Spring Cleaning This Year
No matter how many years you have under your belt of spring cleaning, now is the time to set yourself up for success. Change it up this year and plan ahead. When you know what you are up against, it takes away the dread and anxiety that comes with having to clean out your home.
The most important thing to remember is that spring cleaning isn’t something that is mandatory. If you are wanting to bring order back into your home, then this is the perfect opportunity to do so. However, you don’t have to do it in a specific way that everyone else uses.
Make up your own plan, strategies, and methods for spring cleaning. When you make it something that you enjoy doing, it will be easier to look forward to doing it again next year and the year after. Spring cleaning can become a family tradition. Don’t let the act of cleaning take away from the good that will come of it.