If I’m being completely honest, I’m not a big “deep” cleaner. I enjoy a tidy home and try to keep things as clean as possible with 2 kids under foot, but I definitely don’t clean as much as I did before kids. I tend to hit the high spots as my mom used to say and just let a lot of the super deep cleaning go.
If you were to visit my house, most of the time you would probably find dust on my baseboards, my ceiling fans, and on top of my fridge. I don’t hit these spots every week and so they do tend to build up a little more. However, at least once or twice a year I try to give my entire house a good deep clean. While most people do their deep clean in the spring, I tend to do mine in the late winter.
I understand the thought process behind spring cleaning. The weather is warming up and it’s often breezy which makes it a perfect time to open the window and air out the house. I definitely do this in the spring and love the feeling of the first days of spring. However, when weather is finally getting nice I don’t want to be stuck inside cleaning! I wan’t to be outside enjoying time with my boys in the backyard, at the park, or working on outdoor house projects.
Warm weather can set in anywhere from early March to late April where we live. It’s different just about every year. Since I usually start decluttering in January and February, I generally will follow that with my deep spring cleaning. I try to start my “spring cleaning” in February and finish it by the end of March so that when warm weather arrives, I’m ready to get outside and play, not be stuck indoors cleaning.
If you want to jump on board with early spring cleaning, you can follow these steps to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Declutter FIRST
There is no reason to start deep cleaning if you are surrounded by clutter. There is no point in cleaning things that you don’t need, use, or love. I recommend spending an ample amount of time getting rid of the clutter in your home before you ever begin a deep clean venture.
Start with your daily routines
I recommend setting aside a certain amount of time each day for a couple weeks to get through your spring cleaning list. If you try to cram all of your cleaning into a day or two, you will be become overwhelmed.
By starting each day with your morning routine and finishing each day with your evening routine you will make your deep cleaning a lot easier. You won’t be cleaning around piles of dirty laundry or countertops filled with dirty dishes. The toys will be put away, bathrooms will be tidy, and beds will be made. By following your daily routines, you will be able to get through your deep cleaning much faster.
Clean, clean, clean!
Once you’ve decluttered and have kept up with your daily routines, it’s time to get down and dirty. Make a list of all the things you need to do and start chipping away at the list.
Everyone has a different house, a different set of priorities and different needs so I’m not going to give you a list of what you could or should do for your spring cleaning. Just do what you can with the time you have.
Save the best for last
There are a handful of tasks I hold off until warm weather sets in because they do require me to open the windows and/or have decent ventilation. These tasks include:
- deep cleaning the oven
- cleaning out the window sills
- shaking out the rugs
Anything that requires the windows to be open should wait for warm weather. I actually enjoy doing these things because they encourage me to let in a little fresh air or get outside to enjoy that warm spring sunshine!
As weird as it sounds, I really do enjoy spring cleaning. There is just something so refreshing about starting a new season full of life with a freshly cleaned home.
When do you do your spring cleaning?
