There’s a lot of ceremony involved with the transition from winter to spring, not just in our homes but in the world around us too! Bare branches spring back to life, birds busy themselves, and bulbs burst from the earth. Let yourself enjoy all the fruits that this budding season has to offer by simplifying your spring cleaning routine with these seven easy, little tips.
1. Start from the ground up
It’s a good idea to start with your floors first to eradicate any dust or damp that may have accrued over winter. Be sure to use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to make absolutely certain you’ve thoroughly cleaned all your surfaces in the method that suits them best. Carpets and rugs should get a deep clean with either a steam treatment or carpet shampoo. The major benefit of tackling your surfaces first is simply that you can minimise the amount of dust in your home before hay fever rears its head! Dust in the home can exacerbate seasonal allergies, so being proactive with your surfaces can greatly improve your early spring experience.
2. Use natural products
The benefits of using all-natural cleaning products don’t just stop at the fact that they’re environmentally conscious. Oftentimes the same natural cleaners can have astounding results in a variety of different spaces and on a wide array of surfaces. Baking soda-based sprays can be ideal for cleaning anything from your bathroom and shower surfaces to your grill top and waste bins. Similarly, homemade cleaners that use lemon can help keep your home smelling fresh without the need for harsh, chemical alternatives that can often leave your living spaces feeling more stuffy than airy.
3. Flexible seasonal storage
Coming out of winter usually means washing hampers and hampers of blankets, only in preparation to store them away. It’s one of the most cumbersome chores of the season, and it’s made doubly difficult by the fact that thick blankets can eat up a fair amount of your storage space! Simplify your seasonal storage mishaps by investing in flexible and stylish options, like storage ottomans, chests, and crates. Incorporating elements like stylish baskets and storage ottomans into your living spaces means that you can always store your throws and blankets nearby without having to worry about clutter or sacrificing your home’s much-needed wardrobe space.
4. Declutter your closet space
Speaking of freeing up your wardrobe space, it’s imperative that you take some time nearing the end of winter to go through your closets and offload clothing and other items that you find you’re no longer using. Decluttering your closet space is all about being thorough and merciless! Yes, this is a gruelling process, but seeing the floors of your wardrobes and closets for the first time in weeks, months, or years, is a reward in itself. If you want to make this experience all the more positive and enriching, you can even opt to include a ‘charity’ pile in your clean-up process, setting aside items that you feel others may be able to use. One family’s clutter is another family’s gain!
5. Clear your fridge and pantry
It’s common for a lot of foods like reserves and canned goods to clutter your fridge and pantry spaces during the colder months. Anything that’s left over from the winter season should either be disposed of or donated so that you can make space for all the fresh, spring produce that’s right around the corner. It’s best to clean your kitchen spaces in segments, starting with one shelf and with one section at a time. Be sure to also reorganise your pantry and other kitchen storage space so that they’ll be less likely to develop clutter through spring.
6. Clean out your gutters
Fall leaves are lovely in some situations but can be quite cumbersome in others. You don’t want them clogging up your gutters, especially not when spring showers are on the horizon! Prepare your household for heavy spring rainfall by giving your pipes and gutters a little TLC. Whether you get your gutters cleaned professionally, or you climb up a ladder and do it yourself, getting this pesky chore out of the way now may end up saving you quite a bit of time and money when it comes to home repair jobs like water damage and clogged pipes.
7. Freshen up your garden
Finally, it wouldn’t be spring cleaning without some garden goodness! Take a trip to your yard spaces and really think about how your garden beds can spring to life in this new season. Consider planting some perennial shrubs for some colour, or maybe even go back to basics with some succulents and other low-maintenance plants.
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Getting ready for spring doesn’t need to be arduous, nor does it have to be fast. Feel free to work at your own pace and go room by room if you want to. Take your time to find and settle into your own spring cleaning process. After all, finding fresh practices is perhaps the best way to herald in this season where life springs anew!
