Spring will be here before you know it! The change of seasons often motivates a fresh start, and for many, that means one thing: spring cleaning.
As the temperatures begin to rise, now’s the perfect time to pull back the curtains, open up the windows and let the fresh air in while taking care of the tedious tasks that you neglected all winter. Check out these helpful tips below to make the process a little easier on yourself:
1. Ask your loved ones for help
Cleaning an entire home on your own can be overwhelming. Don’t tackle the chores by yourself – instead, reach out to some of your family members for assistance. Not only will this make the cleaning day more efficient, it’s also the perfect opportunity to bond with your loved ones. You can dig up old family photo books to look through, and find toys and trinkets from your kids’ childhood to pass on to your grandchildren.
An extra helping hand can also take care of the chores that are difficult for you to complete on your own, such as dusting in hard-to-reach places or rearranging large, bulky pieces of furniture.
2. Make a spring cleaning checklist
Once your loved ones have arrived for the day, sit down and create a checklist of all of the tasks you’d like to complete. Spring cleaning generally consists of sanitizing and organizing rooms, but there are a dozen other chores that are typically overlooked. Aside from mopping and vacuuming the floors, cleaning the windows, dusting and reorganizing, consider the following tips.
- Medicine cabinet – Remove all medications and prescriptions that are expired, as well as ones that you no longer use.
- Refrigerator and pantry – Eliminate all food that is expired.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – Replace all dead batteries.
- Rooms and hallways – Replace all broken light bulbs. Also, eliminate area rugs that pose a tripping hazard.
- Bathroom – Consider installing grab bars in the bathtub, shower and near the toilet.
Taking care of these additional tasks can reduce physical health threats in your living space.
3. Eliminate the clutter
It may be difficult to part with the items you’ve accumulated over the years, but hoarding the things that you rarely use takes up space, and has the potential to negatively impact your physical and mental health. Talk to your family members about helping you tackle the room with the most clutter first. Make three separate piles: yes, no and maybe. Place all of the items you use often in the yes pile, and turn items that are just taking up space in your home to the no pile. For items you’re unsure of parting with, place them in the maybe pile. For all of the things that you’re willing to part with, determine the condition and either throw them in the trash, sell or donate them to charity.
4. Reorganize before you cleanse
Once you’ve eliminated the clutter in your home, you’ll have a fresh slate for cleansing and organizing. For your first task, I recommend gathering all of your important financial, health and legal documents and organizing them in one space. This will save you time, money and stress in the event of an emergency.
After gathering these critical documents, continue organizing. Make the items you use regularly easily accessible, and place items you rarely use tucked out of your way. Once your living space is arranged, you can start taking care of the traditional spring cleaning tasks: sanitizing, mopping, vacuuming and dusting.
5. Evaluate your current living conditions
If you’ve uncovered any issues in your home that make living conditions less safe, have one of your family members take care of it immediately. If your loved ones find the issue too problematic for fixing, it may be time to consider a new living arrangement.
