10 BEST PLACES TO START SPRING CLEANING AND GET MOTIVATED TO CARRY ON
In this article I’m sharing some tips to make spring cleaning easier. Here are 10 best places to start spring cleaning and get motivated to carry on, even when you don’t feel like cleaning!
WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING A MILLION OTHER THINGS LIKE ME?
I absolutely love a clean, clear and tidy home. I feel better, I enjoy my home more and I’m better able to relax and be calmer even when my noisy, busy family are chaotic and crazy.
But, there are a million other things that I’d rather be doing with my time than cleaning. In fact, the only time I enjoy cleaning, or the actual process of cleaning, is when I’m doing what my family and I call “stress cleaning”.
When I’m feeling frustrated, worried or a bit out-of-sorts, I’ll often channel my negative energy into frenzied cleaning. I like to think it’s a productive outlet for difficult emotions and a physical way of letting go of mental unrest! I wonder, do you ever “stress clean”?!
Aside from those periods of manic hoovering, dusting and spraying (when my family know to steer well clear of me!), I really, really don’t enjoy cleaning. I have enough to do without endless spraying, mopping and washing.
But, it needs to be done so I try to find as many ways as possible to spend less time cleaning, stick to simple household routines, make housework quicker and even make spring cleaning less overwhelming and time-consuming.
MAKING TIME TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOME
Talking of spring cleaning, this is something which I used to dread. Having to do all those pesky deep-cleaning chores that I try to avoid on my usual daily and weekly cleaning routines.
However, there are some great benefits to spring cleaning and that’s why I think it’s important to find a way to weave them into your cleaning schedule.
It doesn’t have to be in March, April or May, it could be during a different season of the year if that suits you better, but perhaps it does help when the days are brighter and warmer, at least.
Some of the best spring cleaning benefits that motivate me to deep clean my own home are that it’s better for our physical and mental health, is more hygienic and it helps look after our home and the fittings and surfaces in it better over the long-term. This in turn saves money too.
With this in mind, what do you do if you think it’s time to spring clean your own home and feel those benefits for yourself? Where do you start and how do you stay motivated when you’d rather be doing a million other things like me!
10 BEST PLACES TO START SPRING CLEANING AND GET MOTIVATED TO CARRY ON
In this article I hope to give you some ideas to answer these questions. Here are 10 best places to start spring cleaning and get motivated to carry on too.
1. Declutter your flat surfaces
Begin by decluttering and cleaning surfaces such as kitchen countertops, tables, and shelves. Clearing off these surfaces can instantly make a room feel tidier and more organised as it gives the impression of more space and a clearer line of sight whenever you look around.
Flat surfaces are notorious clutter hotspots which means they’re magnets for attracting clutter. If we see a surface then we put things down on it, whether that’s consciously, or subconsciously.
The problem is that when there’s one bit of clutter on a table, for example, it’s easier for more clutter to be added to it. Clear surfaces show any bit of clutter up more clearly so we’re more inclined to put things away in their proper ‘homes’ rather than dumping them on the nearest available surface.
Start your spring cleaning by clearing your surfaces and you might be amazed at what difference this instantly makes to how your home both looks and feels.
2. Windows and window treatments
Clean windows inside and out to let in more natural light and improve the overall appearance of your home. Also, dust or wash window treatments like blinds, curtains, and drapes.
I’m not very good at keeping on top of this throughout the year, unless they’re visibly very grimy. The blinds in our bathroom and kitchen certainly seem to collect dust which sticks. The longer I leave in between cleans, the longer it takes to remove!
Take advantage of warmer weather or lighter, longer days when you don’t need to close curtains, or pull down blinds for privacy until later in the day. With the warmer weather this might also give you a chance to wash curtains so they can dry outside more quickly.
3. Closets and wardrobes
Declutter and organise your closets and wardrobes by sorting through clothing, shoes, and accessories. Donate or discard items you no longer wear and reorganise the remaining items for easier access.
I have plenty of articles on how to declutter clothes for each season, how to create a capsule wardrobe that works for you and how to get your wardrobe ready for Spring. I hope they give you some ideas to try.
A decluttered closet makes it so much easier to see what clothes you’ve got, decide which outfit to wear in the morning, and to take care of your clothes so they last longer.
4. Kitchen appliances
Another of my best places to start spring cleaning is by heading into the kitchen. This room gets a lot of use and it can get dirty pretty quickly. I try to clean and wipe it down most days, but it’s important to give it a thorough clean too.
You could clean and sanitise kitchen appliances, including the refrigerator, oven, microwave, and dishwasher. Pay special attention to areas like the refrigerator coils and oven racks which often get forgotten about or put off for another day until you’ve got more time.
5. Bathroom fixtures and grout
The bathroom is another room that works hard for us and most days I get by with a quick wipe down of the basins and pouring some toilet cleaner down the pan.
But, spring cleaning is the time to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Scrub bathroom fixtures, such as sinks, taps, and showerheads, to remove grime and mineral deposits. Clean and reseal grout in the shower and bathtub to prevent mould and mildew growth.
You might also like to clear some clutter whilst you’re at it so you could check out the tips in this article on how to declutter your bathroom (there’s a free checklist you can get too!).
6. Skirting boards/baseboards and mouldings
Dust or wipe down skirting boards/baseboards, mouldings, and trim throughout your home. These areas often collect dust and dirt and are easily missed in our regular quick cleaning routines.
You could even move furniture out of the way so you can get underneath and behind these normally hidden and out-of-sight areas which can really benefit from a thorough cleaning.
7. Bedding and linens
Wash bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, and comforters, to refresh your sleeping space. I also wash the mattress and pillow protectors and turn the mattress too. I move the bed out of the way and dust and hoover behind the headboard and bedside tables.
Launder curtains, towels, and other linens as well to remove dust and allergens.
Perhaps whilst you’re at it, you could even clean the inside of your linen cupboard by emptying everything out and wiping down the inside shelves. I also usually do a little declutter too to make sure that all the bedlinen still fits the beds we have.
Your bedroom is an important space in your home where you can relax and unwind and try to get good sleep. Here are some tips on how to declutter your bedroom and why it’s important.
8. Floors and carpets
Vacuum and mop floors throughout your home, paying attention to corners, edges, and underneath furniture. Consider steam cleaning carpets to remove deep-seated dirt and stains.
I recently had my youngest daughter’s bedroom carpet cleaned. It’s a really impractical pale, off-white colour which was there when we moved in. I considered hiring a carpet cleaner so I could do it myself but in the end opted to outsource it to a professional carpet cleaning company. They did a great job, it looks brand new and was cleaned to a much better standard than I could ever achieve.
I guess it’s a reminder for us all that we don’t have to do EVERYTHING ourselves. If you can delegate or outsource, then do it!
9. Outdoor spaces
Don’t forget to tackle outdoor spaces like patios, decks, and porches. Sweep away debris, clean outdoor furniture, and wash exterior windows and doors to enhance curb appeal and make your home look good on the outside as well as the inside.
I love my garden and really look forward to Spring when the little shoots and flowers start peeking out. I like to think of my garden as an extension of my home, just without the roof and walls.
Even if you have just a window ledge, balcony or front steps, have a think about what you could do to clear, clean and tidy your outside spaces.
10. Utility areas
Clean and organise utility areas such as the laundry room, garage, and storage closets. Remove clutter, sweep or vacuum floors, and wipe down surfaces to create a functional and tidy space.
These are often big spaces and/or dumping grounds for various clutter that collects but that we don’t want in the main parts of our home. If I didn’t keep an eye on these spaces in our home, then my hoarder husband would try to fill the garage with all sorts of things!
Spring clean your storage spaces and really consider what you need to keep and what you could get rid of. Spring decluttering is a great companion to spring cleaning.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. I think these are 10 great places to start your spring cleaning to give you a solid foundation.
I hope once you’ve ticked them off your spring cleaning list that you’ll be motivated enough to carry on and do any other detailed cleaning tasks that your home needs.
Remember that spring cleaning doesn’t need to take a long time, or be overwhelming or boring.
It is, however, a great way to keep your home in the best condition possible and ensure it supports your physical and mental health too!
I’d love to hear from you if you have any other tips to share. What places do you think are worth spring cleaning? Leave a comment below!
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I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!