There’s something about spring that propels even the most slovenly of housekeepers into a cleaning frenzy. Perhaps it’s the crisp air or the perfectly blue skies that makes us want to replicate the freshness of the outdoors in our own homes. If you feel the urge to start sprucing things up, but don’t know where to start, here are a few spring cleaning tips sure to have your house sparkling in no time:
Spring cleaning is a process that requires planning and organization. We’re not talking about the kind of speed cleaning you do before your in-laws stop by; we’re talking deep cleaning. It’s not going to happen overnight, but with the right approach – slow and steady, that is—it will happen.
The first step is to rid yourself of the unnecessary clutter in your home. And I don’t just mean on the floor. This job calls for an inside-out approach. That’s right—take whatever is inside (your drawers, your cabinets, your kids’ toy boxes, and any other container in sight), and dump it out. This probably won’t feel like cleaning at first, and you’re likely to have what appears to be a bigger mess on your hands than what you started with. But, stay with me here—remember this is a process.
Start with one container at a time, empty everything out, and start sorting. Separate the items into three piles—what you want to toss, what you want to keep, and what you want to donate (or sell at a garage sale).Then, bag up everything you plan to toss, and get it out of the house. Find a storage place for items you plan to sale, and deliver any charity items. Replace the items you are keeping in a neat and organized fashion. Repeat this process for each cabinet, drawer, or container in your house. Once you have the clutter out of the house, you can start the real cleaning process.
As you prepare to give your home the kind of serious deep cleaning it’s been begging for all winter, it’s helpful to compartmentalize the process. Try to tackle it all at once, and you will likely find yourself too overwhelmed to even pick up a broom. What you need is a plan of action. Count the rooms in your home, and devote a day to each of those rooms. At the end of the day, reward yourself with a hot cup of tea or glass of wine, and celebrate your victory over dust and grime.
The concept of deep cleaning can mean different things for different rooms in your home. Let’s take a look at the top three: the kitchen, the bathroom, and the living room.
The Kitchen- Aside from the bathroom, the kitchen is the best breeding ground for disgusting germs and harmful bacteria. Here are the most important deep cleaning tips for your kitchen:
The Living Room- You’re likely to need a break in between cleaning the two dirtiest rooms of the house—the kitchen and bathroom—so take a breather, and let’s work on the living room.
The Bathroom- There’s a reason we saved this room for last. The most dreaded of all spring cleaning chores, deep cleaning the bathroom is not a job for the faint of heart. Put on some gloves and maybe even a face mask, and let’s get going:
If just reading this article has left you tired and unmotivated, take a deep breathe and visualize your house in all its sparkling glory. Enjoy the thought for a moment, and then get up and make it happen!
Spring cleaning is of special interest to Camilo Kawas, who is the owner of a Austin Professional Cleaning Services which offers 24 hour on-call service. Call us today to receive a FREE CLEANING QUOTE.