The calendar isn’t lying. It’s that time of the year is here again, and everyone’s allergies are the alarm. Spring has come! And what better way to welcome it than with some much-needed spring cleaning around the house? No? Is that a groan we hear?
Okay, no one likes to do spring cleaning, but you have to trust us when we say that it’s a very beneficial tradition and that all the good that comes from it severely outweighs any argument against it. Motivation to clean and organize is key, however, so let us show you a collection of tips to help you stay positive and even make it a little bit fun!
Make a banger playlist
Music makes everything better, right? It even makes the worst parts of the day a little less so, and we’re going to need all the power of music to dust those carpets and de-clutter those drawers.
Remember to keep it fun and vibrant at every track, so cram that playlist full of all your favorite dance-floor hits, singalong classics and just about any upbeat song that you love. You might own the most impressive collection of industrial music in the whole state, but mopping along to it can be kind of a drag.
Have a clear goal for each room
Tackling a big chore like spring cleaning head on can be a little frustrating or overwhelming for most, and that’s because working without any clear direction is not good for staying motivated. Instead, try visualizing how you want each room to look like after you’re done, and do your best to reach that image through every little thing you do.
The stains? Gone. The floor? Shining. The shelves? Tidy and organized. It all comes down to what is in a room and knowing that every sweep of the broom is building towards something bigger.
Make a schedule instead of cramming work
Many people confuse spring cleaning with a marathon, but the truth is that no one wants to spend an entire day scrubbing and cleaning. Being realistic with the time you devote to cleaning plays a big part in how successful you are at doing it. So make a schedule and stick to it.
If you have deck repairs or window cleaning allotted on a certain day and on certain hours, you’re excused to go right after you’re done, and then you have the rest of the year to not think about them again. Otherwise, you’ll be discouraged more and more every day that you spend cleaning, and the results will be less than favorable.
Involve everyone in the house
Be it, family, roommates or anything else, it’s only fair that everyone who lives in the house puts in a little bit of effort at least, right? You can plan by writing down everything that has to be done, then dividing these chores and giving each person a list of to-dos. This can get tricky because some people might not like doing certain specific things over others, or some jobs are better suited for teams, etc. It’s up to you on how to best sort this out.
Despite how difficult it can be to organize them, cleaning as a group is better than cleaning alone, and this is an activity that can strengthen the bonds between you all. You can even turn it into a little bit of a game to see who can finish their list first (and best), then reward them accordingly.
Identify the areas that will actually get cleaned
Contrary to popular belief, spring cleaning does not mean cleaning out every inch of the entire house. That is to say, it doesn’t include the regular upkeep chores of your house, although it is an excellent opportunity to tackle some of the biggest deep-cleaning and repair projects that are just lying about.
Give the house a quick once-over then shift into full gear to really do the things that need doing. We recommend that you start with the projects that look the hardest, because then everything feels like going downhill from there, and you’ll feel better much faster.
If you’ve ever wondered how to get motivated to clean, well now you got your answer. Spring cleaning isn’t always easy, but the secret is to take something that’s a little bit of a drag and putting a spin on it so that it can be a fun group activity. And if everything else fails, you can always bring out the experts to sort it out!
