Melton For many of us, we may have been at home for some time now under COVID-19 restrictions, but as we celebrate the end of Winter as the days get longer and the nights get warmer, we thought we should share some of our top Spring Cleaning tips. Whether you rent or own, decluttering and doing a thorough clean can have many physical and psychological benefits.
Step 1: Make a Schedule
Making a plan of attack will keep you motivated and on schedule. Take note of the common areas and problem areas. What is included in your normal weekly clean and what do you usually skip over? Those can be the best places to start!
Spring Cleaning is no small task. Setting the expectation that this may take you a few days or even up to a week will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. Setting aside time in the day with a clear schedule to follow will let you do one thing at a time. Maybe it can be as simple as picking one room of the house per day to focus on, or maybe one task per day.
Step 2: De-clutter
Did you know that studies have shown that ‘clutter’ and a disorganised home adds to your stress levels? Home is the place you eat, sleep, relax and escape from the daily grind. You want your home to be a place where you can find peace. In addition, clutter comes with dust and the inhalation of that dust can also lead to physical and psychological issues.
Remember: When in Doubt – Throw it Out!
Holding onto that instruction guide for your microwave? When was the last time you needed it? As a general rule, if you have any possession that you have not used, admired or payed any attention to in the past six months, either throw it out or sell it! De-cluttering your home can include:
- Organising your closet. Storing winter clothes and selling or donating clothes you haven’t worn in a while
- Organise your crockery, cutlery, pots, pans and glasses. A good test is to look at your utensils draw!
- The dreaded junk draw. You know you have one. Time to throw out old papers, post-it notes and other things dwelling in the back of your draw or closet
- Organise your home office. With more and more people working from home in the current climate, an organised home office increases productivity as well as motivation.
You may be surprised how fresh you feel after you eliminate unnecessary stress from your life.
Step 3: Commence Phase: Deep Clean
It is always best to dust first! Removing the dust from surfaces and hard to reach places will ultimately end up on the floor. Now your vacuum is your best friend. Ideally it is best to have one with attachments for upholstery, hard to reach places and carpet / tiles.
Remember this is a special clean. Think outside the box. What lives on top of your kitchen cupboards? What is behind all of the food in your pantry? Time to get everything out in the open and start in the nooks and crannies. Think about:
- Between refrigerator coils
- Over ceiling fan blades
- Inside the washing machine
- Around your HV/AC vents
- Inside light fixtures
- On and around the windows
- Around door frames and crown moulding
- Inside light fixtures and track lighting
- Behind the toilet
Everyone has their cleaning products of choice, but you may need to look into other products for things that don’t form part of your normal clean. When was the last time you wiped down door handles, walls, fans etc. Making sure you are prepared with the right products will eliminate roadblocks.
Step 4: Make It Fun!
Last but not least, remember WHY you are doing a spring clean. Visualise the end result, a bright, organised, de-cluttered, sparkling palace. Coming home from work to a place you can be proud of!
If you are tackling this all by yourself, get setup with some upbeat music! If you live in a house, crank your speaker or if you can’t then grab your headphones! If you have friends or family that are giving you a hand – even better! Create a roster or split the schedule you already made so that everyone knows what their role is.
When complete, make sure you take the time to appreciate your efforts. Sit on the balcony or in your favourite armchair and take a load off. Light a candle or buy something to make your room smell as fresh and clean as it looks.
