Yes, it’s that time of year when you feel excited to clean, clean, clean and declutter your home. I’m experiencing that right now—and I know it won’t last. There’s something very satisfying about going through your stuff, reorganizing your spaces, and cleaning everything to within an inch of its life! On the other hand, it can be a daunting proposition, so I thought I’d offer some tips and tricks to make getting the job done a little easier and more enjoyable. The tips might be most valuable when spring, and your zest for cleaning, starts to fade.

Tips and Tricks

1. Make a plan and gather your cleaning gear. I’ve found that planning which rooms need deep cleaning and which need decluttering leads to a more organized start. Once you’ve made those determinations, assess your cleaning supplies, and make any needed additions. Nothing is more frustrating than going to clean something and not having the right “thing cleaner” to tackle the job. It’s also the perfect time to evaluate your storage items and stock up on missing items to help you get better organized.

2. Take it one room at a time. The task of cleaning and organizing your entire house can be overwhelming, so remember the old saying that there’s only one way to eat an elephant…one bite at a time! This is so true, so just focus on whatever room you are planning to start with. Make it manageable. Your motivation to keep going will grow as you tick another room off your list, which feels so darn good! Before you know it, you’ll have eaten an entire pachyderm or cleaned a house.

3. Sort, sort, sort. As you begin in each room, you’ll find it helpful to make three sorting piles: Keep, Donate, and Toss. I often find it’s easier to get rid of things if I know I’m donating them. If you haven’t worn, used, or looked at something in the last year, someone else would probably get more value from it than you are. Then you get the double feeling of organizing and giving.

4. Organize what you keep. Now that you know what you’re keeping, think about the best way to organize and store those items. Be sure to check out your local dollar and discount stores for affordable storage items to help with this process. Having extra items put away in containers and storage bags not only keeps them clean and dust-free but it also helps you locate those things easily when the time comes that you need them. I find the more organized my stuff is the more Zen my head space is.

5. Time to clean. Prep done. Cleaning time. Dust everything really well. Move your stuff and use the vacuum to say goodbye to dust bunnies that tend to live in closets and under all the furniture. If you have a hard floor, follow up with whatever wet floor cleaning system you prefer. If your weather allows, opening the windows while you’re cleaning gets rid of stale air and adds to your clean-mood boost.

Why Bother?

It’s easy to say we’re too darn busy to go through the hassles of a good spring cleaning and organizing session, but if you plan the work and work the plan it will feel great. Also, if you get rid of quite a few things, you may decide it wouldn’t be too bad to bring in a few new items to freshen your space. That’s the way my brain works anyway, much to my hubby’s dismay. A final point: a good deep cleaning is not only good for the soul, it’s also good for us physically. Living in a house with built up dust can impact our health.

I hope these tips help you to get motivated to start your spring cleaning and feel all the feels.

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?

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