Having a sparkling clean home feels awesome. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the cleaning process. Of course, there are some people who actually enjoy cleaning, either because it provides a sense of control and accomplishment, or because it serves as a form of therapy and self-care. However, for the majority of people cleaning is just another necessary task that they have to cross off their to-do list. In fact, most dread the very thought of having to clean their house.
And with a new spring season in full swing also comes the pressure of keeping with tradition and giving your house a much-deserved deep clean to wash away all the debris and debris accumulated during winter months. We’re sure you’d much rather enjoy the nice weather outside than slave away dusting, wiping and washing every corner of your house from dusk till dawn until it becomes the very picture of cleanliness.
But here’s the thing: there are smarter ways to give your house the refresh it requires without breaking your back working four hours in end. So, here are a few clever housekeeping tips that will make your spring cleaning project feel like a spring breeze by helping you save time and effort.
Get in a cleaning mood
We know that cleaning is not exactly something to get excited about, but if you want to get the job done fast and efficiently, you need to work on your mindset and get in the right mood. Otherwise, everything will feel like a drag and you may be tempted to procrastinate or give up halfway through. And if you wait for the cleaning urge to kick in, you might wait forever.
The smartest thing you can do is pick a date that works best for you and make no other plans that might interrupt your cleaning endeavors, so you’ll have the whole day to tackle these tasks. Preparing a playlist with some catchy songs can also help you stay motivated throughout the day and make the experience a lot more enjoyable. Lastly, think about how nice your house will look and how great you’re going to feel once you’re done.
Make a checklist
Spring cleaning can feel downright overwhelming if you don’t have a plan in place. As tempting as it may be to simply grab your vacuum or whatever other cleaning tool or product you have on hand and start cleaning randomly around the house, you should approach things methodically and make a cleaning checklist first. This implies listing all the tasks that you want to tackle, the order in which you want to handle them and the products that you’ll be needing.
This will not only keep you organized and focused, ensuring you don’t waste time or leave anything out, but it’s also going to give you a feeling of immense satisfaction as you begin to complete tasks and cross them off the checklist one after another.
Purchase the right cleaning supplies
It goes without saying that the right cleaning supplies can make a world of a difference in your spring cleaning efforts, as they’ll be doing the heavy lifting for you and make your job a lot easier. But what are the right products to begin with? Well, first of all, you have to realize that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all wonder product that can help you clean your entire house, despite those clever marketing strategies trying to convince you otherwise.
Instead, there’s a wide range of cleaning tools and products for all sorts of purposes and with various degrees of efficiency. So, you have to do a bit of research and choose the ones that best suit your needs. Keep in mind that you need to read the label before you use them. You don’t want to use harsh chemicals on a sensitive surface and ruin it by mistake. Also, different materials and surfaces have different cleaning requirements. For example, an easy clean sofa can be cleaned using only water and soap, while other types of fabrics might require more intensive care.
Clear the clutter
You know what else can make your spring cleaning project run a bit smoother? Getting the clutter out of the way. It would be a real nightmare to dust or vacuum a house that’s cluttered with all sorts of unnecessary items lying all over the place. So, before you get down to cleaning, you have to do a thorough inspection of every room in the house and collect all of the clutter, be it old clothes, magazines, décor items, or objects that don’t belong there.
Once you’ve gathered all these objects, there’s one more thing you need to do: decide what goes and what stays. Chances are that a big part of the items that have been cluttering your house is completely useless and you can throw them right away. Others may be repurposed or reused, as you see fit.
Clean top to bottom
Different people have different cleaning preferences and styles, so there’s no need to look for cleaning recipes. However, there are a few basic rules that can make cleaning a lot more efficient. And one of these rules says you should always clean from top to bottom and from left to right, starting from the far corner of the room towards the door.
This is a simple but effective strategy that will ensure you’ll only have to clean each surface once. That’s why it’s always best to start from the ceiling and work your way down, leaving the floor last instead of doing it the other way around or having no specific order.
Get everyone involved
Last but not least, you can make spring cleaning a team project and get everyone in your household involved. After all, why should just one person do all the hard work when there are more people living under the same roof? You can assign tasks, so that everyone knows exactly what to do, and your house will be spotless in no time. Besides, spring cleaning can also be used as a bonding time, allowing you to do things collectively as a family and have a bit of fun while you’re working together.
So, now that you know the secrets to smart cleaning, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get your house ready for spring.
