Spring is a Time to Relax (Not Clean)
Spring cleaning used to be a big to-do on everyone's list, but in today's go-go lifestyle, taking a week away from your fast-paced life to spring clean can be difficult if not impossible, and when you can actually fit it in, you would be better off relaxing with how much you dread deep cleaning. It's still important to get the spring cleaning done, but who says you have to do it in the spring? Or all at once for that matter? Make some resolutions, or set some goals right here and now that will help you get through spring cleaning without putting your life on hold or make you face the coming of spring with anxiety rather than anticipation. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
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Getting Started: Make a Spring Clean Checklist
First thing you do is make a spring clean checklist. Sit down and figure out all those deep clean, organization, clean up and get rid of jobs that you would usually do during spring cleaning. Don't worry, you aren't going to do them all right now. Compile a thorough list. Once you have your list, start prioritizing it. What are the things that really should be done right now? What things can wait? What do you desperately want to get done, but never really make the time to do? Prioritize your list. You know what needs to be done now and what can wait. You also know which jobs that aren't done that are driving you crazy. Good, now time to put a plan into action.
Action: One Hour a Week
Once you have your list, make a commitment to dedicate one hour a week to a deep clean project from your list. That wasn't a misprint, I said one hour per week. One hour a week for fifty-two weeks will get much more done than eight hours a day for seven straight days. They may look about equal, but really they aren't. Make the commitment, then schedule the time just like you would anything else on the calendar. Don't make excuses if something comes up, just say, "Sorry, I'm busy, but we could go an hour later." Remember your over-arching goal of making spring cleaning less time consuming and dreadful. When scheduling your deep clean hour for the week, go down your spring cleaning checklist one item at a time sticking with your priorities first. Remember, you can add anything you want to your spring cleaning checklist as the year wears on, but come spring, you'll find your list is significantly shortened and much more manageable in comparison of when you were trying to do it all in one week.
Finishing Touches: The Little Stuff
Make spring cleaning even less of a chore by making sure the little stuff gets done daily. Commit now to make your bed daily and do the dishes after every meal. Keep to your deep clean schedule, but also make a daily chore schedule. Make sure laundry, ironing and mending are always caught up. The more you manage now, the less you'll have to manage during spring cleaning. Make a place for a donations box so when you are deep cleaning your closet this week and your toddler's closet in a month, you'll have a place to put everything you are getting rid of. Remember that spring cleaning doesn't just have to be done in the spring, but you can make it easier on yourself and your family by making commitments to do more now and less then.
