Spring is coming! Flowers will bloom, the sun will shine, the temperature will be perfect, heaps of fresh breeze all day is imminent, and the house needs cleaning *crowd boos*. Although hey, spring cleaning is not always as dreadful as we think it is. All we need is a little time in advance to prepare. Here are 8 ways to prepare for spring cleaning.
1. Personal Preparation
This is probably the hardest one, and it will take a few weeks of mental preparation. It helps if you imagine yourself going through the transition of getting a home that is clean and fresh, perfect to start of springtime. Mark dates on your calendar and try to commit to them. The rest of the steps below will help you prepare yourself better.
2. Lists for the Pros
Make lists of the things you want to do. These lists should help you decide what needs cleaning, what will be moved around, what supplies to get, and the priority order of your spring cleaning madness. Take a walk around your home and then decide what gets on the lists. Remember to be realistic the items you list down.
3. Appointments and Reservations
First appointment to set will be with thyself as mentioned in point 1. Be firm about when you plan to start your spring cleaning and clear out your schedule. Next, make the necessary reservations with other parties involved; your carpet cleaners, other professional cleaners, and family or friends who are going to help you with the cleaning. Make them a delicious dinner as thank you.
4. Getting Supplies
It doesn’t matter what items are on the list, everybody loves shopping. Let’s call this our favorite part of the process. This will require a list that will take some time and attention because you are bound to miss a couple of things, and you don’t want to make multiple runs to the store and ruin the mood. Here’s a list from Merry Maids to help you get started. Don’t forget to get grease and other items that might need replacement like your lightbulbs, air fresheners, etc.
5. Playlist for Playtime
“Music makes the world go round” - Hamilton Brothers. Music also helps turn a boring spring cleaning session into a solo dance competition where you always win the grand prize of a fresh and clean home. Or you can opt to go into zen cleaning mode where you put on classical music and use cleaning as a therapy. Doesn’t matter what you choose, just make sure you have your playlist ready!
6. Decluttering will “Spark Joy”
To get a better picture of what you are going to be dealing with during spring cleaning, you need to first get rid of the unnecessary stuff. An awesome way to learn how to declutter is through Marie Kondo’s KonMari methodology. If you have never heard of it, take some time to check it out on the KonMari website. Pace yourself when you start decluttering because it can get overwhelming. Take a couple of weeks to slowly move to each spot in your home and declutter. Be sure to also throw out old food from the fridge and kitchen, and to box up and giveaway unused clothes or items. It will make a world of difference when you start your spring cleaning.
7. Manage Your Expectations
This is one of the key preparations. It’s good to have a vision and goal of what post-cleaning looks like, but it’s also very important to manage your expectations. A sparkling home with perfectly aligned furniture, dust-free, no fingerprints on the mirrors and glass items, spotless kitchen; these are what dreams are made of for homeowners. However, with a house full of people and children, it may not be realistic. Personally I’d rather have a home that’s alive than a sparkly one. The important thing is that by the end, the house is clean, safe, and comfortable, and you still have your sanity.
8. Game Time
Draw up a Simple Plan. It doesn’t have to be Perfect. *ba dum tss* . It just needs to show the priority order of your cleaning process. Always clean from the top down, so you can start with the fans, lights, and ceiling, moving on to the walls, and then the furniture, and to the carpets, and finally the sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping. By following this order, you are more likely to cover all areas and have a better view of what the house would look like as you finish stage by stage.
Good luck!