Spring cleaning is something that most of us dread. Every year, it’s so much work to haul out our belongings, dust them off, and polish them up. Part of the struggle is that a lot of us haven’t got an in-depth cleaning routine that we practice throughout the rest of the year. By adding just a few spring cleaning ideas to start doing all year round into our weekly and monthly schedule, we can make big, annual cleanings much more impactful.
Tend To the Floors
If you are looking to make noticeable changes fast, spend time cleaning the floor to make a huge impact. We spend a lot of time perceiving our floors passively. This lack of our full attention has some profound effects that many fail to notice. It’s easy to view the floor only as a thing to step across, walk by, and otherwise ignore.
But an untended floor can make a room feel chaotic in subtle ways, as it amasses dirt, dust, and scuffs. Taking the time to mop, vacuum, polish, and otherwise refresh your floors can instantly make a room feel clean and bright. Establishing a regular carpet and floor cleaning routine in your everyday life will have a profound impact and make yearly spring cleaning much less of a hassle.
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Routinely Let Go of the Unwanted
Spring cleaning commonly involves a large amount of digging out and donating the unwanted. But why tolerate piles of useless junk all year? Rather than trying to negotiate space for everything, make a habit of periodically thinning down possessions. There is nothing wrong with deciding to donate an item that you just aren’t interested in anymore. Doing so makes room for new things you’ll enjoy more and makes space for old hobbies and interests.
This is especially true of clothes. Many of us hang onto articles for years, hoping to someday match them to an outfit. Take the time to look through your items and be on the lookout for signs you need to update your wardrobe. Rid yourself of any items that are getting in the way of a more organized lifestyle. Slimming down possessions is among the better spring cleaning ideas to start doing all year round. Getting into the habit can start with simply sending out one item every time you bring something new in, or you can build this process into a monthly cleaning routine.
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Organize Storage Areas
Once you’ve cut back on your belongings, you’ll have a better idea of what kind of storage space you have. Take the time to redesign your organization in those spaces. If an area seems to be a magnet for clutter and piles of belongings, try to switch to using a different organizing tool. Open spaces on top of surfaces may benefit from a stylish tray to control where and what items are set on it. Adding shelves inside closets can put an end to bad stacking habits. Utilizing labeled storage bins also helps move general clutter out of sight and into a controlled container.
These days, you can even obtain hangers and racks that match modern styles, so there is no reason changes to the layout have to be obvious. Most importantly, once you make changes to how an area is used, you must hold yourself to it. Otherwise, you may revert back to the once-a-year cleaning frenzy and continue living amidst disorder the rest of the year. It’s all about slowly building better cleaning habits to make life easier a little at a time.
