I’m going to tell you a secret: I hate cleaning with a passion. Even thinking about spring cleaning makes me sweat. Still, spring sometime near spring cleaning is a great way to evict any pesky germs left over from the winter and get rid of the grime collected over the last few months.
Just because spring cleaning can be a drag, it doesn’t have to take over your life to complete. Here are a few ways to make spring cleaning a little less painful.
Split big jobs: Spring cleaning time is ideal for sorting through old clothes, movies, toys, and books as well as scrubbing down walls, windows and floors. Split big jobs into separate days, if possible. For example: begin by sorting clothes and toys one day and do books and movies another day. Pair the larger tasks with smaller jobs such as cleaning out the junk drawer in the kitchen. Splitting big jobs allows you to save energy to finish more of the smaller tasks that you’ve been putting off.
Double duty: Let your work, work for you. Make cleaning your tub a little easier by soaking the tub before you scrub it. Toss in some shelves from the refrigerator or burners from the oven and you can clean two things at once.
Don’t waste your energy: Work in zones. Creating zones reduces wasted energy and time running from room to room. Keep a laundry basket with you as you clean. Put items that belong in another zone in the laundry basket. When you move to a new zone (or room), put away items in the basket that belong in the new area and remove anything that goes to a new room. By using a laundry basket or box, you save time and energy you would have otherwise used to run from room to room putting items away.
Create a cleaning playlist: Music makes unpleasant things (such as exercise) survivable. Create a special list on your MP3 player to keep you jazzed up while you clean. Turn the music up loud and feel free to shake your groove thing while you dust the ceiling fan.
Don’t forget the little things: Don’t let all of your hard work go unnoticed by forgetting the small touches that really freshen your apartment. Scrub out garbage cans and toilets, wash all of your bedding and dust your photo frames. Don’t forget to wipe down the television set and computer keyboards. While you’re at it, think about switching out those photos for newer pictures of your family for an easy way to freshen up your home.
Share your tips for making spring cleaning a little easier in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
