Spring Cleaning? Here are the Most Useful Tips and Tricks Ever

If you’re looking for the best Spring Cleaning tips, tricks, and hacks to declutter, deep clean, and freshen up your home, then this is for you!

Spring is such a wonderful season! I don’t know about you, but it always makes me feel like I’m unwrapping myself from winter hibernation and ready to open up all the windows, doors, get some flowers on the table, and let in all the sunshine and fresh spring scents. 

It also gets me all fired up to start Spring Cleaning!

Now, you must know in the past, while I still loved the idea of spring cleaning, it always kind of felt like a drag once I got started. But over the years, with sharing so many home cleaning tips and tricks here on the blog, I’ve come up with a pretty awesome plan for getting the spring cleaning done with a smile on my face – the whole time!

I promise it doesn’t have to be a drag! And the results, as you know, are so rewarding!

There’s nothing like walking into your new spruced up home, or sitting in a freshly vamped living room with your loved ones. Plus it’s such a great feeling to get all the Spring Cleaning things you want done, to enjoy the rest of the spring season doing whatever it is you love without having to worry about more cleaning tasks! We’ve also compiled the whole plan for you to have on hand as you begin to map out your spring cleaning plan. 

So, let’s get started, shall we?

Determine your war zone areas

Start by determining the war zone areas in your home. These are the spaces and places that become home to clutter. It’s the areas of your home that always feel like they need the most help and are the hardest to keep decluttered and clean (like the kitchen counter), they might get used the most, hold the most clutter, or might be the most neglected. 

Take a notebook with you as you walk around the house making notes of the spaces you want to have cleared and cleaned. Also, jot down what is taking up that space that shouldn’t be. What are those items, where do they belong, and who do they belong to?

Now that you have your list, go back through it and decide which area you want to tackle first. Then jot down the spring cleaning tasks you want to get done in these spaces; such as washing the curtains, windows, walls, vacuuming, cleaning out bins, etc. 

Figure out your cleaning style

Before you dive into knocking out all the cleaning tasks, I really can’t stress enough how important it is to take a minute to figure out what your cleaning style is. Not only will this help you during your spring cleaning, but it will help set you up for upkeep success later on down the road. Figure out your personal cleaning style HERE.

There’s nothing like using your cleaning style to your advantage friend! It’s a life-changer!

Get the whole family involved

Now if you have really little ones, this might be more of keeping them entertained, busy or cared for while you get what you want to get done. However, if you have toddlers or older kids at home, get them involved in the spring cleaning with fun! 

Little kids actually LOVE to help clean – most do anyways. Hand your toddler a wet rag and let them feel like they’re helping by wiping the windows, chairs, tables, etc. Make it a challenge for the older ones and make the prize ice cream sundaes or their choice of movie and popcorn in the living room. Not only are you setting them up to have healthy cleaning habits later on in life, but even if they might not show it, they’ll feel good about having helped mom (and/or dad) get the house looking and feeling nice. 

One fun idea we’ve used at home is to take a deck of cards and write down one task on each card. On a cleaning day, the cards are shuffled and dealt to each family member. That family member is then responsible for completing the tasks on their cards, or they can trade to get different tasks they would rather do.

Go back to your list and jot down the names of who can help or tackle different tasks in each room. For littles, it might be helpful to make a little note of an activity they can do while everyone else is busy helping out.

Make a cleaning products list

Before you head to the store next time, make sure you have all the cleaning products you need before you get started. Update any utilities you know you’ll need to complete big tasks (mop, broom, filters, etc.). Now, this doesn’t mean breaking your budget by going out on a shopping spree! I simply mean grabbing a box of heavy-duty trash bags so you don’t run out during a project, upgrading your raggedy mop, or making sure you have enough window cleaner, or supplies to make your own cleaning products. 

Check out our Green and Thrifty Cleaning Products post for some great ideas on how to make safe and powerful cleaning products with items you might already have on hand.

Do you love cleaning hacks? Then you HAVE to read 12 Cleaning Mistakes You Might Be Making and Fast & Easy Cleaning Hacks. Guys, this isn’t what you think… these are amazing cleaning hacks and complete house cleaning game changers! They are things that I have learned over the years that have not only saved us money but so much time in the long run. 

By the way, these are all things to know before you start your spring cleaning so you can make the most of what you already have on hand, and implement it into your regular cleaning routine.

Declutter first

Remember the war zone areas you jotted down in your notebook? Well, we’re going to start by decluttering those spaces first.

If not, it’s easy to get sucked into trying to complete all the things on the list, feeling overwhelmed, and throwing your hands up in the air.

Think of it this way, what’s the point of picking up and putting things away that you don’t want anyways. Save yourself, and the family some time, by decluttering each space first. Separate items into three different piles: one for donating, one for throwing out, and one for putting it back where it belongs.

And decluttering doesn’t have to be a tedious daunting task! Here’s how you can declutter a space in 10 minutes or less, and if you have a hard time letting go of things that you don’t really want, then head here to learn how to declutter without feeling guilty. 

YOUR SPRING CLEANING STEPS + PROCESS

Now it’s time to recap what to do before you get started:

1. Start by walking around your home with a notebook jotting down the war zones, what’s in them, who and where the items actually belong. Include spaces such as the basement, garage, pantry, closets, laundry room, and any other areas you want to tackle. This might seem a bit tedious in the beginning, but I promise you, having it all laid out before your eyes will give you a clear view of what needs to get done, as well as help you make a plan to get it all done.

2. Figure out your cleaning style.

3. Decide who will help with what task. What can the little ones “help” with, or what can they be doing while everyone is busy at work? What will the older kids be tackling? What jobs need to be delegated to others? And who’s help will you need to accomplish certain tasks?

4. Make a list of products you need have on hand to get the job done, what items you have already so you’re not buying duplicates, and what products you’d like to make.

5. Go back to your notes and decide which war zone you want to tack first, second, third, etc. Then, looking at your calendar, decide when you have time and can make time to complete the things you want to get done.

6. Declutter the war zones. Make three different piles; donate, trash, and put away. If there are some big-ticket desirable items that could earn you a little extra money, post them on your local FB marketplace or craigslist group to sell! 

Also, while it’s tempting to start with the surface cleaning, start with the harder/more challenging tasks first. For instance, don’t start with vacuuming and wiping down surfaces if the big task you need to complete is just going to dirty what you cleaned, having to wipe and vacuum the space all over again.

Start implementing your Spring Cleaning Plan.

Tie up any loose ends

Don’t forget to finish taking any bins or bags to your local charity or donation box, throw out broken items, and put things in their proper space. It’s also super helpful to talk to your family, especially kids, through the process so they understand what happens to unused things, as well as how to care for the items you’ve decided to keep around.

So now that we have a plan for your home, what about your life? What are some areas in your personal life that could use a little spring cleaning? 

Two areas that I’ve recently delved into are two items that I use every single day. My phone, and my purse. Yes! I was amazed at how cluttered just these two things were, and didn’t realize how cluttered they actually were. 

Get your purse decluttered and find exactly what you need when you need it, and then spend some time decluttering your phone. You’ll feel the effects of this one almost immediately!

Happy Spring! 

Xoxo, Ruth

Other helpful resources:

• How to Create a Cleaning Schedule That Works For You
• How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen
• How to Banish Your Paper Piles For Good

PIN FOR LATER: