Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning our home typically means doing a complete top to bottom clean including all the things we don't normally do.

Where does one start? How do I find the time? What about motivation? How many cleaning products to I need? Some of those are pricey, how can I keep costs down? I HATE cleaning! Why do it, it will be a mess soon enough!

Not knowing where to start is probably the biggest barrier to actually starting. I recommend setting a date and time that you WILL start and in the room you feel best prepared to conquer. For some of us that might be the room that needs it the most and for others it may be the room that needs it the least.

Or you may start with a specific task. Cleaning baseboards or dusting picture frames or sorting through the coat closet. I am reminded of a line from the movie The Patriot – "aim small, miss small"

Create a very specific target – and you have a much better chance of hitting it.

I am going to deep clean the entire house! I am going to organize the linen closet.

Which is more manageable? Which is less daunting? Which are you more likely to complete?

This chart may help you determine your start point. List the tasks that you want to achieve in the appropriate boxes. Then start with the Urgent box.

PRIORITIES
Urgent:	Important:
Can wait:	Unlikely:

So…………..Pick a start time , pick a start location and pick a task - then schedule it!

Decide how much time you are going to spend on any given day on your spring cleaning? Are you going to try and tackle it all or are you going to go room by room? Task by task?

Most of us will be trying to find the time to do this extra deep clean and therefore can't get lost in the process. A few may be in a position to start on a Saturday morning and work right through, my hat is off to those you who can do that! For the rest of us look at your schedule and literally pencil in time to clean. Try to accomplish three tasks each time you clean.

Scheduling appointments for the mundane, for fun and for stuff we keep saying we want to do but don't do, is a common recommendation from me. If we put an appointment on our calendar you are much more likely to make sure it happens.

How often will you ignore an appointment that is on your calendar? I hope not too often!!

Back to the cleaning….

Get everyone involved

Recruit family members……………all of them that reside in the home. There is no reason that Spring Cleaning should fall on one set of shoulders, ask the kids to clean their room, organize their dresser and closets, go through their toys and consider giving some to a charity. Sure you may have to review what they have done but they are capable of the first pass!

Same goes for your spouse or partner – I ask my husband to start with the garage since that contains mostly his stuff.

Another tip is to set an egg timer for 15 minutes and spend those 15 minutes in a chosen room. Better yet get everyone to spend 15 minutes in a different room. Bit by bit, step by step.

Add a little fun – put music on, have a little competition (who can have the tidiest room, who can have the neatest closet, etc.) order some pizzas! Do something to make it more enjoyable.

Keep track of your progress – make a list of the things that are DONE

We so often have a to- do list but how often do we keep track of the things we've done? It will give you a sense of accomplishment to see how much you have completed.

Consider additional reasons why spring cleaning is a good thing.

It is all well and good to have a wonderfully clean and organized home but that may not be enough motivation for you.

• A clean home can positively impact allergies,
  
• you may find things that need repair before they are a disaster,
  
• you may find plenty to donate to a charity and therefore create a tax deduction,
  
• your kitchen cupboard will be free of crumbs (which can attract ants and other insects) and out of date foods.
  
• A clean frig is less likely to house harmful bacteria.
  
• The clear dryer vent is less likely to cause fire issues.
  
• Less clutter means more living space.
  

I am sure you can think of others.



To recap:

Pick a start time, pick a start location, pick a task - then schedule it!

Get everyone involved, don't try and do it all yourself

Add a little fun; music, take out food, competitions

Keep track of your progress – make a list of the things that are DONE

Consider the additional benefits of spring cleaning