Spring is finally here and that means it’s time to start cleaning out the winter clutter. Spring cleaning is a great chance to do a little maintenance around the house while you prepare for the warmer seasons. It can be a daunting task to undertake but there are ways to get everything done in one go and be ready for summer. Here are some tips for effective spring cleaning.
Make a list of what you’ll need.
When you start cleaning, you don’t want to give yourself any reasons to stop, because if you stop, it’ll take a lot of will power to get yourself going again. So before you start, make sure you have all the supplies you need. Make an inventory of cleaning supplies, see if you need any more storage bins and check if you have all the necessary tools for the job. If you’re in the middle of cleaning and find you’re missing something, you can tell yourself you’ll take care of it tomorrow, but you’re likely to be still staring at the same problem come summer.
Have a plan of attack.
Having a plan makes everything easier and it remains true when speaking of cleaning. You don’t want to start in one room and then have to keep crossing through that room the whole day, ruining all the work you’ve put into it. Think about the smartest way to take on the work. Start at the top and work your way down, avoiding overlapping into rooms and don’t save the big things for last. Going in with a strategy will make for a much easier time.
Split up.
If you’re tackling the spring cleaning as a team, consider how you and your partner can best divide the work to speed up the process. You might think that both of you tackling the same room at one will speed things along, but you’re more likely to be getting in each other’s way. Instead, use the divide and conquer method. One of you start inside, the other outside. One of you start in the basement, the other in the attic. You can meet for the bigger tasks but working individually will get things done faster.
Make note of what needs repairs.
As you go along, exploring areas that you might not have paid much attention to during the colder months, you’ll probably start to notice some things that are in need of repair. You may want to address those in the moment, but if you do choose to tackle it at a later date, be sure to make a note of it so you don’t forget.
Don’t jump around.
Cleaning is a pretty monotonous activity and it can often be pretty repetitive. Doing activities like that can really let your attention wander and you can soon find yourself jumping from task to task without much of a plan and without completing one task. Try to stay focused on one area until it’s done, then move on to something new. If you jump around too often, you’re likely to have a whole bunch of half finished tasks to come back to.
Multi-task where possible.
While you shouldn’t jump around to other tasks before completing ones you’re working one, if you can do more than one task at a time, then that will certainly speed things along. If laundry or dishes need to be cleaned, gather those up first and then while they are in the machine, clean other areas of the house.
Get a cleaning playlist.
Yes, no matter how effective you are at optimizing your cleaning time, it will still be boring and you’ll be wanting to do just about anything else. However, you can make it a little more enjoyable with some audio accompaniment. Create a good playlist of music, or download an audiobook or podcast. I can’t promise it will make the experience fun, but it will definitely help make the time pass faster.