Spring cleaning can be very intimidating both because of how long it takes and how much work there is to do. If you find yourself dreading this major cleaning task but you still want to get it done, we have a few tips to reduce stress, speed up the process, and work more efficiently.
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Make a List of Tasks
Part of the reason spring cleaning seems so daunting is because the work can be a bit nebulous. If you don’t write down the different cleaning tasks you have to complete, you may just see spring cleaning in your mind as this big, impossible thing that will never end. If you write down a list of individual tasks, though, then it can seem more manageable. This gives you some goals to work toward and makes it easier to break everything down into smaller parts.
By creating a list of tasks, you can see progress on your overall spring cleaning even when the room you are working on is not finished. Checking off items from a list is therapeutic and makes you feel like you are really accomplishing something. Even though you may complete some very small task, it can feel incredibly rewarding as you see progress being made on the list little by little.
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Work on One Room at a Time
You will see this tip pop up on lists like this all the time, and that’s because it is a great way to compartmentalize your larger work and not let it overwhelm you. In other words, if you break the work down into rooms and then focus on finishing a single room at a time, you won’t be taking on too much work at once. You will save time and energy by working in a single room and not having to go back and forth so much. You will see your progress more easily as you stay focused on one room at a time. This method of working through your spring cleaning is best for your mental health and your overall energy levels. You are more likely to finish faster and not feel as tired if you stay working on one room at a time through the entire process.
This also allows you to stop cleaning for a day or two when you finish a room and not leave a room partially undone. When you need a rest, you won’t feel that nagging pull of an unfinished room.
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Hire Help for the Tough Stuff
There may be some tasks that are part of spring cleaning that you feel unable to do on your own. Or maybe there are some tasks that you are very intimidated by and that you dread to get started on. For those jobs, it could be helpful to hire professional cleaners.
You can get oven cleaning and baseboards done by Imagine or in your local area. You could have them do deep cleaning, bathroom cleaning, or other difficult tasks that require a lot of scrubbing, hard work, and specialized cleaning supplies. Those jobs you had trouble with last year could be given to a cleaning service so you can focus on what you know you can do well. You will end up with a cleaner house, and you will finish faster.
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Remove Clutter before Starting
You might want to do some work ahead of the spring cleaning to make things easier on yourself. It can be tough to work around furniture, toys, containers, and other objects that take up space in the rooms of your house. See which items you can move out of the way, perhaps putting them into storage or getting rid of them. Before you do your spring cleaning, take the time to assess what you want to keep and what you can do without. This is an excellent opportunity to give items to your family members that you have been meaning to, especially larger items that would simply be in the way. Do a decluttering throughout the house and see how much extra space you can create to work around before spring cleaning starts in earnest.
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Start from the Top
We mentioned already that you should work on only one room at a time for spring cleaning, but there is another cleaning practice that will help you work methodically and with less overall effort. That would be to work at the top first, near the ceiling and at the top of the walls. Start there and work your way down as you clean.
That way, you will not be going over the same area twice or creating a mess in an area that you have already cleaned. If you clean from the floor first, then you go to clean on the ceiling fan or on high shelves, then you will end up dropping dust and other particles down onto the clean floors. You see how that would make more work for you? In every room, just keep this practice in mind and start up high and then work down to the lowest point from there.
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Protect Yourself from Allergies and Discomfort
Do you ever start to feel sluggish as you clean, even though you feel that you should not be tired yet at that point? You could be suffering from allergies or an allergic reaction to the dust and debris in the air. When your nasal passages become clogged or irritated, you can experience respiratory problems which slow you down and make you feel unwell.
You can do a few things to protect yourself and keep your energy levels high. First of all, open windows and doors to allow for plenty of ventilation. Set up a fan or turn on the air conditioning system to move dust particles out of your way. Then, protect yourself personally by wearing a face mask and gloves. This will prevent a lot of irritation and nasal blockage.
With these tips, you should be able to work faster and more efficiently and get the job of spring cleaning done quicker than you did last year.
