Spring Home Cleaning – It can be fun!
It’s that time of year again, the weather gets warmer, cherry blossoms begin to bloom, and spring is just around the corner! With Spring time comes Spring cleaning! I know just the sound of having to do tedious organizing can sound exhausting, and I’m sure there are 100 or more things you’d rather be doing- but let me try and sway you into seeing that it’s not all that bad. Infact, there are plenty of ways you can get your home spruced up and looking great without agonizing over the mere thought of tidying.
Here are just a few things you can do to organize and clean your home, and feel good about it.
- Declutter and Donate
Most people would agree that they may have one or two items sitting in their closet that they really don’t need anymore. Perhaps it’s those old school textbooks that you’ve had since graduating College all those years ago, or maybe that pile of clothing that has been sitting in the corner collecting dust for what seems like years. Wouldn’t it feel so good to finally just get rid of them? Generally, people don’t like the thought of throwing something good away, so why not donate it? Maybe you just don’t have the patience to go drop off those goods to your local thrift store, and that’s ok! There are quite a few charity organizations that will actually come to your residence and pick them up, such as ‘Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria’ or ‘ Salvation Army of BC’- and you can even have them thrown into something as simple as a trash bag! From toys, to shoes, to even furniture- not only are you getting the chance to declutter, but a chance to feel good about it too!
- Make a deal: Clutter-free edition
Now this one is technically for those families with kiddos, but that doesn’t mean you and your partner can’t partake in this fun little game! Let’s say you’ve recently purchased a new toy or item such as shoes that I’m sure you have plenty of around the house. For each new item recently purchased, they or yourselves have to find 1 or 2 similar items to part with. Now here’s the catch, those freshly departed items can now be sold via marketplace or ebay, and the proceeds go toward a family fund which is to be used for family day events such as the movies, museum or a fun night out! Not only is this a great way to declutter, but an excellent way to save some extra cash.
- Create a cleaning schedule
Everything is simpler when you have a plan, and you don’t always have to get everything done in a day or even weekend when it comes to cleaning. If you create a schedule, such as the one suggested here, you can break up your cleaning into small sections which can be completed on certain days. It could be that the bathrooms get a wipe down on Monday, dusting to be completed on Sunday, and anything else in between. Print out our cleaning schedule below, pop that bad boy on the fridge, and divy up the work! This way, your home stays clean weekly without having to do a major deep clean every so often.
- Store away those winter items
Picture this, you’ve opened up your entryway closet ready to get that rain jacket or spring hoodie out, and you find yourself sifting through the many different puffer jackets and winter coats you have stacked on hangers. Annoying right? Solution- grab your keys, drive over to Walmart and pick up a couple of cheap storage totes. This way, you can put away all those winter hats, boots and other clothing and make way for sneakers, rainboots and light jackets! Not only will your closet space look neat, but you won’t have the constant reminder of winter staring back at you (unless Winter is your favorite season of course). When that cold weather comes creeping up again, swap your Spring and Summer clothes for Fall and Winter ones!
Lets face it, we all rather be enjoying our down time or seeing family and friends than cleaning toilet bowls, putting away clothing or tidying your kitchen, but it’s one of the many great things about being a homeowner. Keeping everything fresh and clean not only looks good, it can help keep allergies at bay and is great for your mental health! Sometimes, all you need is a little push to help yourself start building good habits, and cleaning is certainly one of them.