Ready. Set. Plan.
Soon you'll be throwing open the windows and kicking up a little dust in the annual ritual known as "spring cleaning." Thinking about what I most want to accomplish ahead of time can make a world of difference and save precious time, or so I'm hoping! Here are a few ideas for keeping your sanity and maybe even having a little fun.
Make a Date
A favorite coffeehouse or a peaceful spot at home are perfect places for sitting down to plan your cleaning strategy and block out time on the calendar for the most important projects. If you have kids and think it's better for them to be out of the house when you clean, this is a good time to make arrangements with friends or family.
Give Me a Beat
Before getting started on cleaning day, embrace your inner Shakira or J-Lo and turn up your favorite music to keep motivated. Be open to your musical alter-ego, too. You may discover your cleaning music is completely different from what you listen to normally. In daily life, you may be all Gloria Estefan love ballads, but when cleaning, you may be Shakira's “She Wolf.”
Pick Low Hanging Fruit
Just as picking from the lowest branches is the easiest way to harvest fruit, starting with the easiest project that will make the biggest impact is the best way to give you the ganas to tackle more projects con gusto. Some possibilities for getting started include doing the laundry or clearing off the kitchen counters.
Do It Your Way!
Who knows you best? You do! Trust yourself and plan your spring cleaning for the way you live and clean. If you do better cleaning everything at once, then set aside your large block of time and go for it. By the same token, if you’re more effective in short bursts of intense effort, honor that too.
Teamwork
There are people out there who like to clean; you may be one of them. Your friends may like cleaning, too. So, why not have a cleaning party? Get your friends together and take turns cleaning each others' homes. Your amigas might even find it easier to clean your house than their own, and vice versa.
Acquire a Target
It's easy to start looking at everything as one big mess. Step back and take an honest look. Odds are, large parts of the house are relatively clean and tidy. The trick is to isolate the problem spots. For example, light switches and the walls near them often need attention. Targeting these areas and making a quick trip around the house with some all-purpose cleaner and a cloth in hand can make a big impact in a short time.
Have Supplies, Will Travel
Having everything needed nearby makes cleaning more efficient and helps avoid unnecessary trips back and forth to the cleaning closet. A handy carrier, cart or bucket will do the trick to keep everything you need right within arm’s reach. It saves both foot fatigue and reduces the chances of getting sidetracked.
Clutter Patrol
When decluttering a room, use three boxes: One for things to toss out, one for things to donate and one for things to move to other parts of the house. This system helps keep you on task and saves you from running away from your workspace all the time.
Top Down
Start high, finish low. You likely do this already, but during spring cleaning look especially for spots way up high that you may not normally pay attention to and that may be hiding dust. Then, get that duster up high so those hard to reach spots are cleaned before you start on your floors.
Baila!
Now, dance! Try not to skip this step. You've earned it! Dancing will give you energy for the rest of your day. So, celebrate your effort and dance like you're loca. (But you’ll know that you're not, now that you have a clean house!)
