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8 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Easier and Less Overwhelming

8 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Easier and Less Overwhelming

8 WAYS TO MAKE SPRING CLEANING EASIER AND LESS OVERWHELMING

Spring cleaning is a great way to clear our homes of dust and grime. In this article I’m sharing 8 ways to make spring cleaning easier and less overwhelming, more effective and fun!

IS IT TIME TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOME?

Thanks to some pretty well-established habits and household routines, my home is easy to manage most of the time. I don’t have much excess stuff, I keep countertops and floors clear and we have a very simple cleaning rota that we all follow, kids included.

However, these routines don’t cover some of the deep-dive cleaning tasks that I know need to be done every now and then. They’re more of a maintenance clean for the day and week.

That’s why I like to take advantage of the spring cleaning hype around March, April and May, and give my home a seasonal deeper, more detailed clean.

But, it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming so in today’s article I wanted to share 8 ways to make spring cleaning easier and less overwhelming.

Note: Spring cleaning doesn’t just have to be in Spring! So, the tips I’m sharing apply to deep-cleaning during the rest of the year too, so if you’re reading this in Summer, Autumn or Winter, then they’ll still work for you!

THE BENEFITS OF SPRING CLEANING

Just before we look at those spring cleaning tips, I wanted to briefly mention why spring cleaning can be so good for our homes and ourselves. Spring cleaning has benefits way beyond just a tidy, clean home (as lovely as that looks and feels!).

Some of the spring cleaning benefits that we can all enjoy are reduced allergens and dusts which means better air quality and better health for you and your family.

Not only that but regular cleaning and disinfecting, particularly in places that get really dirty and unclean, can reduce the spread of germs, bacteria and viruses that can cause infection and illness. This again promotes improved health for you and your family.

A clear, more organised home helps us focus more, waste less time and be more productive. Decluttering boosts productivity and being clean and tidy, whether that’s in our home office, our desk, or just generally around the home, can help us be more efficient and get more of the right things done in less time.

Spring cleaning can also help extend the lifespan of appliances, furniture, household items and flooring, for example, around the home. Keeping them clean and regularly maintained can reduce premature wear and tear and keep them working well for you for longer, which can save you money as well!

Lastly, a cleaner, tidier home space can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost our mood and energy levels and be better for our mental well-being. After all, they say that a cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind.

I know I certainly feel more stressed when my home needs a clean and I’m happier and less distracted when my surroundings are clean and clutter-free. It’s also a nicer environment to welcome guests into our home and enjoy relaxing in!

8 WAYS TO MAKE SPRING CLEANING EASIER

Spring cleaning has some wonderful benefits for our physical and mental health, our home space and preparing for the new season.

So, let’s explore some ways to make spring cleaning easier in your home…

8 ways to make spring cleaning easier

1. Declutter first before you spring clean

Cleaning before you declutter can be frustrating and time-consuming. Make it easier to actually clean your home without cleaning your clutter or wasting time moving your clutter.

Go through each room and declutter from your home anything that you don’t need, want or appreciate in some way. You don’t need this clutter getting in your way whilst you’re focusing on cleaning.

2. Have a spring cleaning plan

We’re often more successful at something when we have a plan. In this case a spring cleaning plan will help you know what you want to achieve, how you’re going to do it and help you stay motivated to get it done! Cleaning can really be a chore, so let’s find ways to make spring cleaning easier!

Here are some ways you could come up with a spring cleaning plan of your own:

  • Create a checklist: Make a comprehensive checklist of all the tasks you want to accomplish during your spring cleaning. Break down the spring cleaning tasks room by room to make it more manageable and so you don’t miss anything.
  • Set realistic goals: Set realistic goals for your spring cleaning and focus on tasks that are most important or urgent. Focus on completing one room or area at a time rather than trying to tackle your entire home in one go. Feeling like you have to spring clean your entire home can feel way too much, so be realistic in what you can achieve with the time and energy you have available. It’s always better to underestimate what you can get done and be pleasantly surprised by your progress than overestimate what you can do and feel a failure. You don’t need that stress or pressure!
Ways to make spring cleaning easier

3. Work from top to bottom

This is a great way to focus the brain and just dig in and get started. You don’t have to think too much about what to do and where to begin.

Just start cleaning at the highest point in each room (e.g., ceilings, light fixtures) and work your way down to the floors. This way, any dust or debris that falls will be cleaned up as you work your way down. This method will save you time and effort in the long run.

4. Use your time efficiently

Time is tight for many of us and when we do have some spare time, cleaning and housework are probably not our favourite activities to be spending our precious moments.

So, one way to make spring cleaning easier and less overwhelming is to use your time efficiently and get as much cleaning done as you can in the time you have available.

Here are some tips you could try:

Use time-saving cleaning techniques such as the two-bucket method for mopping, the “four-corners” method for dusting, and the “top-to-bottom, left-to-right” method for cleaning surfaces. These techniques will help you save time cleaning and possibly clean better too!

  • The two-bucket method for mopping is a cleaning technique that involves using two separate buckets of water, one for clean water and one for dirty water, to ensure that you’re removing dirt and grime from your floors without spreading it around.
  • The “top-to-bottom, left-to-right” method for cleaning surfaces involves starting at the highest point of a surface or area and working your way downward, from left to right, until the entire surface is cleaned.
  • The four-corners method for dusting is a simple system for thoroughly dusting surfaces in a room. It involves starting at one corner of the room and systematically working your way around, dusting each surface as you go.

5. Gather all your cleaning supplies before you start

Preparing before you start is a great way of making best use of your time and preventing you from having to stop, start, switch tasks and get distracted along the way.

I prep my kitchen before making dinner, prep my To Do list before the day gets going, prep my desk before I start working and prep my cleaning stuff before I start cleaning.

To make spring cleaning easier and more productive, gather all the cleaning supplies and equipment you’ll need before you start and you’ll spend less time cleaning. This includes cleaning products, cloths and scrubbing brushes, vacuum cleaner, mop, bucket and anything else you’ll think you’ll need.

Ways to make spring cleaning easier

6. Get others to help

If you’re not the only person living in your home then you’re not the only one that contributes to the clutter, mess and grime. So, why not enlist help from family members, kids or even roommates to spread the work? You could put in place a rota, divide tasks between you all and share out some of the work.

You might enjoy these tips on how to encourage kids to help with chores at home, or this article on how to get kids and teenagers to declutter and clean their rooms.

If you wanted, you could also consider hiring professional cleaners for more intensive cleaning tasks that you don’t have the time, equipment or physical ability to complete. You might not need to do everything yourself!

7. Make spring cleaning fun

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore. There are a few ways that you can make cleaning more fun and build enjoyment, motivation and teamwork into your spring cleaning.

  • You could set a timer and challenge yourself to see how much cleaning you can do in a certain window of time.
  • Put on your favourite music, podcast, radio station or TV program and listen to it playing in the  background.
  • Get the whole family involved, give everyone a task and see who can get their task done the quickest (without compromising on how well it was done though!).
  • Take regular breaks and enjoy a drink and snack. Sing, dance around the home, throw open the windows to let in the sunshine and fresh air.

8. Celebrate your wins

Reward yourself for completing your spring cleaning tasks. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath, a favourite meal, or some quality time outdoors once you’ve finished cleaning.

Celebrating your accomplishments will help you stay motivated and make spring cleaning feel more rewarding.

Spring cleaning might not be your favourite pastime so it’s even more important to value your efforts and celebrate your wins!

8 ways to make spring cleaning easier

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

I hope these tips help make spring cleaning easier in your home.

Remember that your home is your personal sanctuary away from the busy world. Keeping it tidy, clutter-free and clean is a great way to set your home space up in a way that supports you to enjoy your home. I try to keep this goal in mind when I don’t feel like cleaning but know that it needs to be done!

Do you enjoy spring cleaning? Do you have any other tips that make spring cleaning easier and less overwhelming. I’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment below!

MORE RESOURCES ON SPRING CLEANING AND DECLUTTERING

Here are some more articles on spring cleaning and decluttering which you might find helpful:

Spring Decluttering and 12 Things to Declutter This Spring (+ Free Checklist) – Spring is a great time to declutter your home and life. In this article I explain the benefits of spring decluttering and offer a list of 12 things to declutter this spring for a simpler, easier life. There’s a free checklist you can get too to follow and tick off!

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!

16 Spring Wardrobe Tips to Get Your Closet Ready for Spring – In this article we look at some simple ways to get your closet ready for spring. 16 simple spring wardrobe tips that work for you and your life!

The Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning – Spring is a season of new growth, freshness and transition. In this guest post from Mia Barnes from Body+Mind magazine, we reset the button on your home, life and self-care and explore the mental health benefits of spring cleaning.

ADHD Cleaning Tips: Gentle, Practical Ways to Help Keep a Clean and Tidy Home With ADHD – Many of us love to have a clean and tidy home but struggle how to make this happen. It can be even more difficult if you have the extra challenges of ADHD. In this article you’ll find some ADHD cleaning tips and gentle, practical ways to help you towards keeping a clean and tidy home with ADHD.

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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!