10 helpful tips for Spring cleaning

Spring Cleaning fever has hit us. It is important to get a kick start on cleaning whether you’re an allergy sufferer, the weather is warming up, or you’re ready to tidy up all areas of your home. Spring cleaning may sound like an overwhelming scenario to many homeowners with an image of dust, clutter, and cobwebs. However, have no fear! Spring is the perfect time to take the challenge and get started.

The key to spring cleaning is setting aside some time each day during this 10-day challenge and establish a room to conquer per day. Write out a checklist and gather your cleaning supplies in a cleaning caddy for easy transportation from room to room. Make cleaning more fun by blasting your favorite playlist and get yourself in a positive mindset.

You don’t have to dread spring cleaning with these top spring cleaning tricks and tips:

1. Create a Plan - Whether you have two bedrooms or five bedrooms, your household is big or small, you live in a condo or house, create a schedule to establish your game plan. It is time to go beyond your usual mopping, scrubbing, vacuuming, and dusting routine. Like all big tasks, start with pen to paper and commit to a list. If spreadsheets are your style, create a mass digital spreadsheet. Start by identifying every room of your home and don't forget important locations like the garage, pantry, and laundry room. Consider areas that aren't cleaned on a normal basis such as windows, baseboards, and under furniture. If it helps you establish a clear list, do a brief walk through your house to get a better idea of where to clean.
2. Don't Rush - The real question here is do you want to work fast or do you want to get the job done right. Of course after mapping out your plan, it may seem like the cleaning will take days. However, allocate time for each room and utilize the classic divide-and-conquer method. Revisit your list and break down each room into manageable chucks. There is no right or wrong on how much time to spend on each room. Make sure to stay on task, however, do not get burned out from overworking. 
3. Declutter Your Areas First - Declutter your space before you shuffling items around to wipe down, dust, and broom. Create piles before physically cleaning such as donating, tossing, or keeping. Do you really need that hat you wore only once on your vacation? When going through your household items, it is important to evaluate whether these items serve you any good. If the answer is no and you can live without the item, then toss or sell it. It is common mistake to hoard items that take up space. It is also a psychological cleanse when organizing your space; you will be surprised by how you feel afterwards! 
4. Work from Top to Bottom - When deep cleaning each room, it is key to start from the ceiling and work your way down. This way, all the cobwebs and debris will fall to the floor by the time you mop and broom. Another useful tip for reaching your ceiling is using a vacuum hose to capture cobwebs and dust that are trapped in the cracks. 
5. Don't Forget Walls and Windows - Your windows and walls need an equal amount of love too. People are so focused on cleaning their floors, they forget these important areas that capture just the same amount of dirt. Even a simple damp towel to wipe the walls of dirt and Swiffer to remove dust from the window blinds. 
6. Do Not Fear the Kitchen - We spend the most time in our kitchens and utilize the appliances every day. It is our most used room as we cook all our meals within our kitchens. There are a few trouble areas you can quickly hit. For example, wide down the inside of your cabinets. Your pots and dishes have been sitting in there forever. Also, reorganize your refrigerator and pantry. Not only should you wide down the inside of shelves, but utilize clear buckets to group similar items. Use the appropriate sprays to clean your appliances. 
7. Prioritize Locations and Rooms - Even with all these tips under your belt, it still may seem like a enormous time-consuming task. If so, go through your list and prioritize the areas that need cleaning the most. For example, cross off areas that you frequently clean and focus on areas that you have never touched before. Rooms you spend the most time in need deep cleaning such as living rooms and kitchens, along with areas that are neglected such as pantries and laundry rooms. Ultimately, places you and your family do the most activities are the rooms you will need to focus the most energy on. 
8. Start Early - You may not an early riser in the morning, however, this is the time you may need to change your morning routine. Get out of bed early and set aside some time at the start of your day. As the day progresses, it will be more and more difficult to get the job done. Do you really want to be knee deep in organizing your closet during dinner time? By the blink of an eye, it will soon be summer and you will be sorting through your garage searching for those beach chairs. 
9. Toss Out Expired Items - A huge part of spring cleaning is tossing out old items. If it is expired, then it is more than likely in a need of retirement. Items are quickly rotated through our shelves. This includes fridge shelves, pantry shelves, bathroom shelves, and laundry shelves. There are most likely a couple expired products lurking in your medicine cabinet right now. Instead of pulling apart your cabinets to quickly get the cleaning job done, spend some time looking at the expiration date. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. 
10. Let Your New Clean Home Set the Tone - After winter season, our homes may feel dull and dark. Add fun and colorful decor to your living space after cleaning your household. This can include new pillows, bath towels, linens for your table, and any other decorate items that will transform your home for Spring!

We typically associate hibernating with winter, however, as the weather warms up, we tend to rise from our caves and embrace the blooming flowers and fresh air. Spring time is when the earth is reborn and renewed, so why not bring that same fresh energy into your household? When cleaning our household, we barely scratch the surface, however, these few tips may help you get a start on your spring cleaning. Share your useful tips which help you to put your home in tip-top shape!