With spring upon us, many of us use this time to start cleaning out our homes and offices. “Spring cleaning” is a phrase for a reason, as this is the time when many people choose to do their big cleaning jobs for the year, or hire a house cleaning service to do it for them. If spring cleaning has never really been your thing, here are a few reasons to take on the project this year and get rid of that winter grime.
- A Fresh Start – You’ve been cooped up inside all winter, and now the warm weather is steadily approaching. While the turn of the calendar happens in January, there is a stronger sense of new beginnings in the spring. Flowers are blooming, trees are coming back to life, and steady rains freshen the air. To match this natural cleaning outside, you can clean up your inside. Give yourself a fresh start by getting your home or office clean and organized.
- Get Organized – Performing a good spring cleaning allows you to become better organized. As you go through your junk, you’ll be able to decide which things you’d like to keep, and which things you want to throw away. You can organize all of your belongings, and clean out all of that clutter that has been accumulating over the years. An organized home or office makes life easier, and is also easier to clean with all of the junk out of the way.
- Spend More Time Outside – By taking care of your spring cleaning early, and getting everything organized, you’ll have more time to spend outside when the weather warms up further. Don’t spend every weekend cleaning for a few hours, or digging through clutter to find what you’re looking for. Take one weekend now, and spend the whole time getting your home or office in order. Once it’s done, you’ll free up more time down the road to do the things you enjoy.
Now that you’ve seen the benefits of a good spring cleaning, here are a couple of tips to get you started.
- Make A List – First, you should make a list of all the things you want to do. Which rooms to you want to clean? What areas need the most work? Make a detailed list, and try to place the most important items at the top. Then, as you’re cleaning, you can cross off each item and see how much you have left.
- Get Rid Of The Junk – Next, pick which room you want to start with first, and then start clearing out the junk. Cleaning a room is much easier if there are less things in it, and getting rid of junk is a key component to any spring cleaning. As you go through everything in your home, pack separate piles for things you want to keep, things you want to sell, and things you want to throw away.
For the things you want to throw away, you have a few options. You could throw everything in your car and take it to the local dump, or see if your town has a bulk pick-up day. If you’re not sure where to take your junk, try doing an online search for “junk yards near me”. You’d be surprised at the things these places will except, from beaten up furniture and old TVs, to damaged cars and appliances.
- Start Scrubbing – With the junk out of the way, you can move onto your cleaning. Dust all of the furniture, scrub everything down, and vacuum away all of the dirt. Make sure you get those hard to reach places, and move the furniture out so you can clean behind it.
- Organize When You’re Done – After cleaning, now is the perfect time to start some new organizational habits. Pick up some storage containers, or start sorting your existing belongings into a more organized system. During your cleaning you likely took everything out, so now is a good time to put it all back in a better way.
- Make It Fun – Lastly, doing all of these chores will become a drag if you don’t make it fun. Try putting some music on, or rewarding yourself once you finish a room. Another idea is to have something you want to buy, and use only money you get from the junk you’re going to sell. This will convince you to get rid of more things, and keep a nice prize in mind as you work.
It’s Easier Once You Get Going
Imagining all of the things you need to get done for spring cleaning can be daunting. Try not to dwell on all you need to do, and instead take it one thing at a time. As you get going, your momentum will carry you through, and you’ll be done before you know it.
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