According to a recent study, more than 93% of British households will "spring clean" their homes over the coming months. This is hardly surprising, given that there are so many benefits associated with spring cleaning. For example, spring cleaning can:
Improve your home’s aesthetic value
Improve indoor air quality
Remove pollutants from the home
Improve your overall health and wellbeing
However, whether you’re on the messier side or pride yourself on maintaining a
clean home, it can be hard to know where to begin with spring cleaning. After all, this is often a significant undertaking, even if you live in a smaller property.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some useful tips that you can follow to make spring cleaning your home as stress-free as possible!
Add it to your schedule.
Depending on the size of your home, spring cleaning can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. This, of course, is also dependent on how thorough you are with your day-to-day cleaning. Either way, it's crucial that you set aside some time in your schedule so that you can fully dedicate your time to this task.
Remember, the more you put off your spring cleaning duties, the more work you’ll have to do when you eventually get around to doing it.
Start by decluttering.
If you spend a lot of time dreaming of a clutter-free home - now is the time to make this a reality. It is also the perfect way to kickstart your spring cleaning activities, as it means you have a blank slate to work with moving forward.
While there are many different decluttering methodologies, one of the most popular was coined by Marie Kondo, a professional organiser, and consultant. This is known as the KonMari Method. This methodology encourages you to look over your belongings and disregard anything that no longer sparks joy. It encourages you to remove items you no longer use from your home so that you have more space for things that you actually need.
Where possible, donate or resell these old items without throwing them away. This reduces the impact that both your spring cleaning and decluttering will have on the environment!
Install additional Shelves
Once you’ve parted ways with clutter, it's time to invest in additional Shelving Units. This will help you to keep clutter at bay moving forward, as you’ve got extra space to store belongings and trinkets without generating any additional mess or clutter. This is particularly beneficial for smaller properties or for those who may not have any additional floor space to utilise.
Clean each room in turn.
When it comes to spring cleaning, it's better to clean each room in turn. This breaks down the entire process into smaller, more manageable chunks, meaning you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed (and give up).
Before getting started, read up on some tips from professional cleaners so that you are better prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. Not only could this mean that you’re much more efficient when spring cleaning, but it could also save you valuable time and energy.
For example, it is often advised that you work from the top down. This means you should start by dusting higher surfaces and finish with tasks such as mopping the floors. Otherwise, you risk undoing some of the hard work you’ve already done.
Focus on neglected spaces.
When you are spring cleaning your home, it is important that you focus on the areas of your home that are neglected during your more routine cleaning days. For example, this includes skirting boards, ceilings, or spaces behind bulky or heavy furniture.
While this is time-consuming, it's a great way to stay on top of essential home maintenance tasks. After all, it could mean that you’re able to identify early signs of damage, such as water or moisture damage before they are given the chance to cause serious harm to your property (and your bank balance).
Take care of your garden, too.
When you think of spring cleaning, your mind likely turns toward your home’s interior. However, it's important that you also use this as an opportunity to spruce up your outdoor spaces, too. After all, now that the weather is getting nicer and the days longer, you’ll naturally want to spend more time outdoors - and having your garden in good order will make this possible.
Beyond this, a spot of gardening will help you to add value to your home. This is great news for those who are considering selling their home in the future, as “approximately 70% of home buyers would pay more for a property with an outdoor green space.”
Don’t worry - you don’t necessarily have to be an expert green thumb in order to take care of your garden or home’s exterior. Just focus on basic tasks, such as mowing the lawn, pruning any overgrown plants, and removing weeds. You’d be surprised at the difference these simple tasks can make. From there, you can begin to busy yourself with more “fun” activities, such as planting flowers, or even fruit and veg, and investing in new garden furniture.
Bring the outside in.
While this step isn’t technically part of the spring cleaning process, it is a great way to celebrate the spring season! For example, bringing fresh flowers and plants into your home not only allows you to enjoy the true beauty of spring but can also bring a much-needed (and sweet-smelling) pop of colour into your home!
Beyond this, it can also be good for your mental health. For example, a recent study found that “decorating with a fresh bouquet for even one week led participants to feel more compassion for others, experience less worry and anxiety, and develop fewer feelings of depression.”
Put together a cleaning rota.
Once you’ve worked your way through the task listed above, it's time to celebrate. After all, this means that you have completed your annual spring cleaning tasks, and it's time to relax and enjoy all of the benefits of your hard work.
However, it is important that you keep on top of this moving forward. After all, cleaning your home more consistently means that spring cleaning will become less of a challenge, as there’s simply less work to do when this season rolls around. It also means that your home will look great year-round!
One way in which you can ensure that you stay on top of this is by putting together a monthly cleaning rota that addresses the most essential home maintenance tasks and ensures that they are addressed in a timely manner. Remember, as little as fifteen minutes a day of cleaning can make a real difference to your home as a whole.
It's also important to note that you don’t have to carry out the majority of these tasks alone. In fact, duties should be shared between every member of the household. For example, age-appropriate tasks should be incorporated into your children’s day-to-day chores. Not only will this lighten your load quite considerably, but it will also teach your children to become more responsible.
Final Thoughts.
Spring cleaning may be the very last thing on your mind right now - especially now that the weather is getting nicer. However, as it is so important to your overall health and well-being, it's crucial that you do not put off your spring cleaning any longer.
Get started today and you’ll thank yourself tomorrow - especially when you wake up to a sparkling clean home!