Keeping your home tidy is a key part of feeling good about where you live and staying safe. But it can get away from you, especially if you have work and family commitments. But with spring comes the annual cleaning job. So here are some tips for a stress-free spring clean this year.
Switch Off Your Utilities
First, you need to switch off your utilities. This might seem a little strange. But it is for the best. The last thing you want is to knock a pipe and have water flood everywhere. Or, dare we say it, reach for a light switch with a wet hand. Of course, a plumber can help you with water hazards. But there may be no coming back from an electrically-charged mishap. Oh, and don’t forget to fill up your water buckets before switching off your water supply to save some time.
Start with Clutter for a Stress-Free Spring Clean
Even the tidiest homes will have some clutter, as it’s just unavoidable. Of course, some have more than others. But in the case, you stay on top of clutter items, you still have things like magazines, paper bills, and even digital devices lying around. Cleaning experts agree that decluttering should be the first step when spring cleaning. This is typical because it’s very hard to clean around clutter. So getting rid of it just makes your jobs, like dusting, so much easier.
Don’t Do Too Much
Depending on what needs to be done, a spring clean can take a while. So don’t try to get too much done in the short space of time you have. If you can, spread your cleaning over more than one day. That way, you won’t exert yourself too much, and you can even injure yourself by pulling a muscle if there is a lot of work to do. Additionally, you need to keep some energy for other things around the home, such as getting work done, looking after the kids, and cooking.
Have a Plan of Attack
One way of making sure you get the job done while not doing too many straightaways is to plan. It helps to sit down and write a plan so you know what to do and how to tackle the job:
- Decide upon the best order for cleaning your home, room by room.
- Make a checklist of the jobs required for each room of your home.
- Do a walkthrough of your house so you can see the problem areas.
- Place some of the items you will need in each room to save time later on.
- Tackle the hardest areas of the home first to get them out of the way.
When you create a plan for cleaning your home, it makes it easier to break down tasks into smaller goals. This helps ensure you don’t miss anything and prioritizes harder jobs.
Enlist Some Help
Getting in the zone of focus to clean can set you on a path that no one can bring you back from. Mentally, you just want to get everything done and out of the way. But in many cases, this isn’t possible. And when you think about it, cleaning the home is a shared responsibility. So why should you do it all? You shouldn’t. Spring cleaning is a great time to teach your older kids some responsibility. And don’t let your partner off lightly, either. After all, they make some mess too.
The Right Tools Help with a Stress-Free Spring Clean
Every task is made easier when you have the right tools for the job. This includes electrical tools, manual tools, and specific cleaning sprays. For example, it’s pretty hard to clean a kitchen using just hot water and elbow grease. And you will probably increase bacteria rather than remove it. Additionally, you will need to stock up on certain things, especially things that degrade. So you will need plenty of sponges, microfiber cloths, dusters, and antibacterial wipes.
Work Your Way Down
A survey found that 35% of Americans deep clean monthly. And you can bet these people know the right order to do it. First, you dust, then clean furniture and wipe it down, then you mop and vacuum. But there is also an order to this. And the trick is to clean from top to bottom, working your way down. And you apply this to everything. For instance, start at the top floor of your home and work down. But also the top of a room, such as ceilings, windows, then floors.
Summary
You may not believe it, but stress-free spring cleaning is possible. It’s just a case of removing barriers and understanding how to clean. First, switch off water and electricity to avoid a tragedy. Then remove clutter, and work your way down when cleaning a room and the home.
