As the winter slowly fades away to warmer temperatures, you may find yourself anxious to throw open some windows and clear out your living space.
Spring is the perfect time of year to purge, scrub and clean up your home. After being cooped up for a couple of chilly months, it’s refreshing to welcome the warmer seasons with a nice clean house.
Here are tips and tricks to get you started on your spring cleaning:
Purge Your Clutter
The easiest way to get through all of the stuff in your house is to use the Keep, Sell, Giveaway and Toss method.
In each room in your house, make 4 piles out of all your belongings:
- Keep: You should only keep the things that fit neatly back into your space. Everything else can go into one of the other piles.
- Sell: Items in good condition that still have value.
- Giveaway: Donatable items that are slightly used or not worth selling.
- Toss: Broken, ripped, damaged, stained or unusable items should go straight to the garbage.
For the items you intend on selling, you can post them on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. Donated items can be dropped off at local thrift stores.
DIY Green Cleaners
You can save money and prevent you and your family from being exposed to harsh and harmful chemicals by making your own green cleaners.
It’s super easy and only requires 3 key ingredients: white vinegar, baking soda and castile soap. You can also add in essential oils.
Here are some easy cleaners you can make yourself:
- Disinfectant Spray: Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Add in 5-10 drops of Tea Tree oil for every 2 cups. Shake to mix.
- Multipurpose Cleaner: In a wide-mouth jar or spray bottle, combine 1 tablespoon of castile soap with ½ cup of vinegar and 1 ½ cup of water. Add 12 drops of Lemon essential oil. Shake or mix well.
You can use baking soda as an abrasive scrub for ovens, counters and bathtubs. Simply sprinkle the baking soda onto a surface and scrub with a damp cloth.
Room-By-Room Spring Cleaning Guide
To help you keep track of your spring cleaning endeavours, here’s a simple room-by-room guide you can follow:
Kitchen
- Throw out expired foods.
- Clean the inside of cabinets and drawers.
- Clean the inside of the fridge, oven and microwave.
Bedroom
- Vacuum and flip mattress.
- Clean under the bed.
- Wash pillows.
- Clean window coverings (curtains, blinds, drapes, etc.).
Bathroom
- Throw out expired products and medication (take old prescription medications to your local pharmacy to dispose of them).
- Scrub the tub and toilet.
- Clean showerhead.
- Unclog the drains.
Living Room
- Vacuum and clean upholstered furniture.
- Shampoo the rugs.
- Polish wood floors and furniture.
- Clean window coverings.
The Benefits of Spring Cleaning
It is scientifically proven that clutter causes anxiety and stress. Having stuff all over the place is overwhelming and mentally exhausting.
A good spring clean and declutter will help to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
It also helps to eliminate dust and allergens that have built up over the wintertime, either from not being able to open windows or your home heating system.
Once you get your home clean and organized, you’ll find it much easier to keep it that way.
Make sure to get your family involved by assigning chores and laying out everyone’s responsibility in keeping your home clean and happy.
Do you have any spring cleaning tips and tricks to add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
