4 Guiding Principles for this Year’s Spring Clean

A few weeks ago, we at 1-800 Ridofit brought you our Guide to Cleaning Before you Clean, a pre-spring cleaning primer to help you prepare your head and your home for the big job to come. Here we are now just a few days after the official first day of spring enjoying some of the nicest weather we’ve seen all year and it seems only fitting to follow up that blog with a full-blown spring cleaning post, so here are Ridofit’s 4 guiding principles for this year’s spring clean.

Plan in advance

This is without a doubt the most important part of any smooth spring clean. As you’re well aware, spring cleaning is an ordeal. It’s a lot of work- and I do mean a lot of work- so don’t use half-measures, get a plan in place before you pick up a broom, grab a garbage bag or get going on your cleaning in any capacity. Start off with a list. Write down everything you want to accomplish and the time you hope it will take. Not only will this help you structure your work but it will also help you to be more productive- every time you check something new off of the list it will feel like you’re getting more work done and you’ll be more motivated to get even more of it done.

Find a Partner

We’ve talked about this in previous posts but it really is one of the best ways to get more done in less time so it bears repeating. Particularly with a comprehensive cleaning job like a full spring clean, getting your partner, friends, family or roommates is a great idea. If you have to, offer them something small as a reward- a home cooked meal, a box of beer- something like that. But however you convince them to help out, an extra pair of hands will lighten the load and a conversation partner will quicken the pace.

Reorganize

For a big cleaning job, it can be tempting just to put things back the way they’ve always been, taking stuff that has been moved from its usual home and putting it back there. However this can cause you to gloss over one of the most important aspects of a successful spring clean- decluttering. If you’re looking to get rid of extra or unnecessary stuff around the house (as you should be) you’ll be much less likely to do so effectively if you’re just putting things away rather than actually cleaning and reorganizing. If you aren’t actively trying to work against it, it’s much easier to just put something back where it’s always been rather than getting rid of it altogether, so when you’re cleaning this spring, shake things up a little bit, give your house a fresh new look and get rid of what doesn’t fit with it.

Think outside of the Box

Don’t limit your cleaning to the obvious. Everyone wants to make sure their bathrooms, basement, and living room are in order, but take things a step further. Take things to your kitchen, bedroom and anywhere else you may have neglected and get rid of all the books, DVD’s, CD’s and clothes that you can. Take care of that room you’ve been neglecting, and as I said earlier, cleaning isn’t just about putting things back where they were before, get rid of the clothes you don’t wear, entertainment and other items that you don’t use anymore. Charity organizations do pickups in just about every neighbourhood on a regular basis and there’s always someone who could use your neglected items more than you.

There you have it. A couple of easy things to keep in mind that will speed up your spring. Plan everything out in advance and chart your progress, enlist some help, break free from the norm and shake your house up a bit, and expand your thinking when it comes to what you are and aren’t cleaning. Have fun!