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Sitting at my desk, looking through my window at the birds chirping, fluttering from branch to branch and the tulips and crocuses peeping through, it tells me spring is here! Oh, what a glorious time of year. The earth comes alive and we follow along. As long as I can remember, as a child, springtime always beckons for the windows to be opened, the house to be aired, and the fresh flowers to be brought in. It was also a time that my grandmother and mother would clean the house from the inside out.
In this article I will share ten effective strategies that have worked extremely well. Most of these were taught to me by my grandmother and mother and they have passed the test of time. An organized and clean home gives much peace and tranquility. As we clean every room of our home, there will be a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as well as an orderly and organized environment for you to relax in. These ten effective ways have helped me much. You will find much success as you follow these steps.
Step 1: Effective Method - Make Your Spring Cleaning List
Though this step does not have to do with the actual cleaning, I believe it is a very necessary one. Before tackling our spring cleaning, we must first make a list of every room that needs to be cleaned. I am listing thirteen rooms here. Some of you may have more; some less. I always like to set a time limit of how long it will take me to complete my spring cleaning. Set a realistic time of about two weeks if you are a stay-home mom or dad, or longer if you work outside of the home. Just doing this is already giving you some direction:
-
Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Living Room
- Garage
- Bedroom
- Toy Room
- Laundry Room
- Deck, Swing set, BBQ
- Basement
- Craft Room
- Library
- Home Office
- Yard and flowerbeds
Step 2: Effective Lists Of What Should I Clean
Making a list of everything that needs to be done per room continues to give direct focus. Here is my list, and it works very well.
1. Clean and organize all cupboards.
2. Wash light fixtures/ceiling fans.
3. Wash kitchen valances and blinds.
4. Clean windows.
5. Dust and clean all wall hangings, picture frames.
6. Wash kitchen table and chairs.
7. Organize kitchen carts, Kitchen Island.
8. Clean all appliances. (fridge; toaster; dishwasher; oven, etc.)
9. Run the dishwasher with vinegar without any dishes.
10. Wash walls and baseboards and above doors and walkways.
11. Wash all metal vents.
12. Dust and polish all furniture.
13. Sort pantry. Throw away expired foods. (Short date upfront, long date at back)
14. Clean and wash all small appliances.
15. Clean all bathroom and kitchen drains with baking soda or lemon juice.
16. Sort and organize all toys.
17. Sort and organize books in library.
18. Dust, vacuum, and dry clean all upholstered furniture.
19. Clean all accent lamps, curio cabinets.
20. Clean all carpets and rugs.
21. Hardwood flooring: please use ammonia and water, no soap.
22. Wash chandeliers and light fixtures.
23. Clean electronics according to manufacturer’s direction: often a wet cloth and vinegar/ammonia works well.
24. Dust and wash all walls.
25. Wash or dry clean all throw rugs.
26. Wash all draperies, beddings, comforters (use laundry marts for large comforters that are washable) mattress pads, pillows, etc from all rooms).
27. Sort medicine cabinets.
28. Scrub, clean, and organize bathroom and drawers.
29. Linen closet: make rags of old towels.
30. Wash windowsills and ledges/blinds.
31. Organize craft room.
Watch video here.
Step 3: Effective Schedule For Cleaning Each Room
Determine which room you will start your spring cleaning. At this step, you determine how long you will spend deep cleaning this room. Here is my time allotment per room. It is definitely something you must do or else you will become overwhelmed if you have worked all day and seemingly got very little done. Follow your master list for cleaning from step 2.
- Kitchen- 2-3 hrs
- Bathroom - 2 hrs
- Living Room - 1 hr (additional time of 2 hours if you’re cleaning your upholstered couches)
- Dining Room - 1 hr
- Garage - a full day
- Bedroom - 1 hr
- Master Bath - 1- 1 ½ hours
- Toy Room - 2 hours
- Laundry Room - 1- 1 ½ hours
- Pantry - 1- 1 ½ hrs
- Basement - 2 hours (If you have a finished basement, treat it as another room in your house. If you have an unfinished basement, organize your storage and don’t forget to throw away/give away anything you have no need of.)
- Craft Room - 1- 1 ½ hrs
- Library - 2 hrs
- Home Office - 1 ½ hrs
- Deck, Swing set, and Barbecue - all day
- Yard and flowerbeds – all day
Step 4: Effective De-cluttering System
This step is where the de-cluttering of each room comes in. As you clean each room, have three boxes or garbage bags each labeled as “Throw away, Give away, and Keep.” Often with your “Keep” items, you are able to put away neatly into its rightful place as you are sorting. If it belongs to another room, put it in the “Keep” box and take it to it’s room and put it in its rightful place.
Step 5: Effective Clothes Sorting
Go through each person’s closet and determine clothes that the children may have outgrown. Put this in your give-away box. This is also a great time to sort socks drawers and get rid of half or holey socks. For yourself, only keep what you absolutely like. “Less is more” sometimes, as the saying goes.
Step 6: Effective Way To Store Winter Coats
These should be taken to the dry cleaners or washed and stored in their proper place until the next winter season. You should designate one closet to keep all your winter coats, and accessories. I found doing that in the Spring saves a lot of time looking in the winter. Everything in its place is the key here.
Step 7: Effective Cleaning Tips for your Home
Assessing each room will help you determine the problem areas.
1. Always clean any room from the top to the bottom.
2. Keep all cleaning supplies and equipment together, saves time.
3. Using natural products as much as possible will save money and will be better for your health.
4. Taking steps to de-clutter your home will give you a peaceful environment.
5. Having a master clean list for daily 15 minute clean-up and weekly, monthly, seasonal cleaning will help you in the long run to keep a clean and clutter free home.
Step 8: Effective Natural Cleaners
Growing up, we always used natural ingredients around the house. Here is my list of effective cleaners for just about every job around the house.
- Distilled white vinegar...for any surface
- Baking soda...for all surfaces and in place of cleansers
- Lemon juice...cuts grime always
- Borax washing soda...to leave clothes clean
- Liquid soap...from lye or what you find in the stores will work. Great for soft water
- Detergent...it is synthetic but works well with hard water
- Ammonia...It is strong but does work for cleaning wax floors and sour laundry...Use sparingly.
Step 9: Effective Cleaning Tools
Having the right equipment in cleaning will always help you to work quicker and use your time more effectively. Here are my tried and true list…I just won’t do without.
- Gloves...to protect hands
- Old cotton towels...perfect for any cleaning
- 4-6 spray bottles...filled with different natural mixes and clearly labeled
- A carrying basket...it is easy to carry from room to room
- An apron with pockets...to put small items
- Scrub brush...necessary for bathtubs, etc.
- Old used toothbrush...to get the corners
- Steel wool pad to clean my stainless steel sink
This is all I need and have not ever found them adequate.
Step 10: Effective 15 Minute Plan For Clutter Free Home
Since I now have a sparkling clean home inside and out, I go back to my daily 15-minute clean up list for each room. Here is my condensed version of the annual spring cleaning list. This is not thorough cleaning, but lends itself to a clutter-free environment.
Kitchen - wash dishes, put away all items from counters, throw away trash.
Living Room/Dining Room - tidy and put away all items in respective places.
Bathrooms - organize and clean mirrors and polish fixtures.
Bedrooms - rule #1- always make your bed and hang up your clothes.
CONCLUSION: Always remember that to keep a room tidy, you must put things where they belong, throw away if it is trash, and return items to their proper places. A quick wipe down with lemon and water or vinegar and water will leave your home smelling fresh and clean. If this rule is followed throughout the week, the keeping and maintaining of a tidy and tranquil home will always reward you for time well spent.
Romona Weston lives in beautiful Southeastern Pennsylvania in the Amish countryside of Lancaster County, PA. She loves to organize, read, cook and write.
She is a Web Publisher who reviews various products. She is happily married to a wonderful man and has seven beautiful children whom she home schools.
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