I’m definitely a lover of all seasons, with each one being unique and truly special in what it offers I find it hard to pick a favourite but I do think Spring is by far the season I love seeing emerge the most.
Photo Credit - @kaleidoscope_uk
After a long, cold winter, bundled up inside, there’s no better feeling than when you wake up and see the sunlight streaming through your windows ( albeit still chilly outside), there’s clear blue skies and the sound of birds chirping as the world around you wakes up once more.
Spring to me boasts freshness! Finally being able to bust open the windows after being cooped up for months and letting the fresh air roll in through the house, bringing with it hints of grass from freshly cut lawns and the fragrance of blossoming flowers.
For many of us, this also symbolises a time to spring clean. A time to start fresh and prepare for the warmer days ahead. However, with this noble thought also comes the dread of how much there is to do and where to begin.
However, it doesn’t need to be over complicated.
How to get Started - What areas and timeframe
1) Make a list of all the areas in your house (Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2, Bathroom, Laundry, Kitchen etc.)
2) Decide on how much time you are willing to spend on this task. Will it be a room (or even a drawer) a day until it’s finished? Or do you want to get it over with in one weekend? Remember, a spring clean does take longer than your usual house clean, so try to put some extra time aside.
Once you know how many rooms and how much time you will spend on this, it will make it easier to decide on how you will allocate your time. For example, if you’ve decided to spend a weekend on this, then spending a whole day in your bedroom won’t be ideal - ration your time.
Tip - Try not to dabble in one area and move onto another before finishing it. By the time you get back to the first area, you would have lots momentum and you may be left feeling slightly defeated.
Questions to keep in mind before you start
Now before you go gung-ho on the ol spring clean there’s a few questions to keep in mind when you’re about to embark on this journey - Ask them regularly, they’re particularly important when removing clutter:
- Can this “item” be thrown or donated
- If you haven’t used this “item” within 12 months, is it likely that you will use it soon? If the answer is No - think about throwing/donating it
- Why am I choosing to keep this item? Is it for sentimental reasons or am I hoarding?
Then create 2 piles (use large boxes or bags) and label them Donate & Rubbish
Right, with these questions firmly in your head and your piles set, you are ready to go. Here are some tips for tackling the main areas in your house.
Quick side note - A given when spring cleaning is dusting, vacuuming and mopping each area and surface as you go, so I won’t go into detailing this for each room.
* Please note all opinions and recommendations are of my own. This post does contains affiliate links of where you can buy related product to help with organizing & cleaning. If you click a link and purchase something that has been recommended, it won't cost you any extra money, however it will help support the running of this website 😊
Bedroom -
- Clean all bedding. This includes your duvet, doona, comforter...whatever you may call it and hang it on the washing line to air.
- Declutter all drawers (this is where your questions should come into play - get those boxes ready and be ruthless)
- Use hooks to hang hair dryers and containers for clips and loose items
- Go through each piece of clothing you own. Have you worn it in the past 12 months?
- Organise your wardrobe, use hangers, shoe stands (remove old shoes), and clothe organisers. Shoe stands are particularly great for not only organising but for also protecting them from getting squashed at the bottom of your wardrobe. I like to keep my nice shoes in my wardrobe and my runners and more hard wearing shoes on a stand in the garage
- Store away seasonal Items. Only have on hand what you need for the next 3-6 months
Bathroom -
- Take everything out of your cupboards and wipe them clean
- Throw out old medicines or anything you haven’t used in the past 12 months
- Remove items you have collected over time that you know you'll never get around to using
- Organise cupboards, put items you rarely use towards the back.
- Use boxes to keep hold of loose items. For example - I separate my nail polish into bags according to their colour tone. That way I don’t need to riffle through a million different colors whilst knocking over everything in the cupboard. I simply grab the red bag and off I go.
- Clean out toothbrush containers
- Wipe behind the toilet and around the skirting of the shower
- Give the shower a deeeep clean, remove the drain catcher and clean
- Add some greenery or fresh picked flowers to brighten up the room
Laundry -
- Wipe all the machines down, inside and out
- Put the machines on a clean cycle. Clean out any dust in the filters
- Use baskets to organise washing
- Sweep and clean any loose particles of washing powder (those little things get everywhere!)
- Clean and tidy products cupboard. If you have multiple half empty containers of the same thing, merge them into one
- Throw out old rags or sponges
Kitchen -
- Give the oven a goooood clean. This usually is an overnight job so spray it before you go to bed
- Take everything out of the fridge and wipe it down. Remove condiments and other items you haven’t used recently or any out of date items
- Go through all your cupboards, one at a time. Take out the cutlery etc and wipe them down. Only put dinnerware back in that you actually use - donate the rest
- Wipe down the outsides of the cupboards, fridge, dishwasher etc. Give the sink a good clean
- Organise the pantry. Put food into groups, eg, pastas & rice, canned goods, herbs and spices, breakfast items etc
Living Room -
Photo - Alfie & Gem
- Tidy magazines or papers - Alfie & Gems baskets are great for collecting loose items - Click here to grab the basket in the picture above
- Clean under large pieces of furniture
- Re-organise loose wires etc from TV and consoles
- Remove pillow cases from couch cushions and wash (if possible)
- Remove seasonal clutter that has taken over (including those xmas decorations you haven’t put away)
- Vacuum curtains, tops of railings and couch squabs
- Lift up any rugs and give them a good dust down outside
Kids Bedroom -
- Use large storage baskets to tidy larger loose items
- Label boxes so the kids know where to put their toys back (eg, LEGO box, cars box etc)
- Label containers for pens, rubbers, paper etc
- Get rid of old and broken toys they no longer play with. Decide what you can donate and trash the rest.
- Have sections clearly set out - Eg, Book area, soft toys, board games etc
- Have hooks where they can hang their bags or jackets
As a primary school teacher I have found that kids are much better tidying up when there are designated areas for toys and you show them how to pack items away properly. Yes, it is a job within itself but it’s TOTALLy worth it! It takes time to build up these skills, so be patient, but I guarantee it saves so much time in the long run. You don’t want to be forever running around after them tidying up.
The last... but not least area I would recommend tackling would be the windows (inside and out). Let those glorious rays of sunshine stream in!
Now, if you’ve done all that and you’re feeling good about it and you want to continue, you could look at cleaning the car, garage & outdoor area too 😂I believe that would have to be a whole other blog!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
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