1. Start with the Clutter
Studies show that having less clutter in the home can improve a person’s mood.[1] So, if you want a good start for your spring cleaning project, you can begin by identifying items that you need to eliminate. These belongings can include damaged toys, outgrown clothes, expired food, unused makeup or outdated newspapers.
2. Donate What You Don’t Need
While you’re in the process of decluttering, take the opportunity to determine which items that other people can still put to good use. Have a box for donation and put in the things you haven’t used in the past year. It’s also worth noting that some charities also accept donations of furniture, homeware and even appliances.
A good place to start would be the British Heart Foundation. The organisation can help you find a local charity shop where you can drop off quality shoes, clothes and other items. What’s more, they can collect bulkier items like furniture pieces for free.
3. Prepare Your Cleaning Supplies
Before you get into the nitty-gritty of your project, have your cleaning supplies ready. It can be a big disruption when you run out of a necessary product in the middle of your spring cleaning spree. Imagine having to abandon what you’re doing to drive to the store and get what you need. So, here are some tips for preparing your spring cleaning supplies:
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Remove threads or debris from your vacuum cleaner’s roller bars, and don’t forget to change its filters and empty the bag or bin.
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Purchase a cleaner like Cif Anti-Bac & Shine Multi-Purpose Spray to make wiping down easier. For dealing with dirt, grime and mould, add Domestos Thick Bleach to your kit.
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Prepare protective gear, such as rubber gloves and masks, to avoid skin and respiratory irritation when dusting or removing mould from walls.
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Aside from gathering cleaning rags and towels, you should also get a squeegee. This nifty tool can be useful when you’re cleaning mirrors or removing soap scum from a glass shower door.
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You should also have a bucket with a handle ready to make carrying your supplies easy. Once you start cleaning various surfaces, you can use it to corral your cleaning items or fill it with soapy water or other cleaning solutions.
4. Break Cleaning Tasks into Smaller Chunks
Let’s be honest here—spring cleaning is not something you can accomplish in a few hours or a single day. It is a bigger project that spans several days. You may need to dedicate an entire week to cleaning your entire house. If you can’t carve out the time, you may have to block several weekends off for the project.
Without proper preparation, spring cleaning can be an immense task that can cause cognitive and physical overload. As such, you need to have an efficient way to manage the competing demands of the project.[2] And one way you can do so is by breaking tasks into smaller yet highly productive chunks.
At this point, you’ll need to have a spring cleaning checklist that includes a schedule of what you’ll do for the day. You can assign about 30 minutes for every task and schedule a break in between to avoid burnout. If you want to step up the game, you can even set up your phone timer to ensure that you’re on schedule.
5. Work from Top to Bottom
While you’re at the process of creating your checklist, you should also think about how you will handle your spring cleaning project. In general, a good method would be to start from the ceiling down. Taking this approach will force the debris to go down, preventing you from re-cleaning or re-dusting your space.
So, once you start the actual cleaning, take your vacuum’s extension hose and use it to remove dust and cobwebs from the fans and ceilings. Dust may fall on your items and furniture, but you can clean them off later. Doing so will save you time and effort.
Have Your Spring Cleaning Checklist Ready!
Remember, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a daunting marathon. With these tips, it can transform into an efficient sprint towards a clutter-free, fresh space. So, crank up your favourite playlist, gather your gear and get into the cleansing chaos with confidence.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to visit Cleanipedia to get more cleaning tips!
References:
1. Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. L. (2009). No place like home: home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167209352864
2. Neal, A. C., Ballard, T., & Vancouver, J. B. (2017). Dynamic Self-Regulation and Multiple-Goal pursuit. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 401–423. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113156
