Spring is the perfect time to refresh your home—you can open up the house and sweep away all those winter cobwebs. A good, deep spring clean allows you to start fresh for the new season and rejuvenates your home. Whether you’re ensuring that all your floors are properly swept and mopped, or clearing out your cupboards, the impact that your cleaning and decluttering will have isn’t just physical. It can also help boost your physical and mental wellbeing as you’ll be living in a healthier environment.
Ready to get tidying? Let’s take a look at a few things that you can do to get your home fresh for spring!
Refresh your walls and flooring
When it comes to interior design, your walls and floors are the canvas, so by getting them to look their best, the overall space will look a lot nicer. Even something as simple as wiping off any marks that have gotten on your walls and giving your floor a good vacuum and mop can make the world of difference.
Top tip: This is a lot easier to achieve if your space is crafted with materials that are easy to clean in the first place. Simple things like using a wall paint that is designed to have marks easily wiped away and durable choices for underfoot like hybrid flooring can make a world of difference.
Declutter like a pro
You’ll find that your home also feels much more open and comfortable when there aren’t a million and one things in every room. It can seem overwhelming, but there’s loads of things you can do to make it easier.
Effective decluttering strategies
One of the best ways to approach decluttering is the four box method. As the name suggests you’ll need four boxes – one for things you’re keeping, one for items to donate, one for rubbish and one for things you’re moving to another spot. To make it even easier, set a timer so you know you only have to focus on decluttering for a short period of time.
One thing to keep in mind is that decluttering isn’t a ‘once done and dusted’ activity. Once you’ve completed the bulk of it, try implementing the one in, one out system. Basically every time you bring something new into your home, you remove one other item, which means less decluttering in the long run.
Room-by-room strategy
After you’ve decluttered it’s time for tidying and cleaning what’s left, but tackling the entire house at once is a recipe for overwhelm and distraction. Instead, go room by room so you can stay focused and organized. Here’s a few top tips to keep you on track.
Revitalize your bedrooms
If you want your bedroom to be as fresh as possible for the new season, it’s time to focus on those areas that are often neglected. Yes, we’re talking about under your bed and inside the closet. No matter how thoroughly you usually clean, these areas tend to get missed as they’re hard to get to and out of sight generally means out of mind.
Start off by stripping everything off your bed so your mattress can air out. As mattresses can carry allergens like dust and dirt, it’s also a good idea to give it a vacuum. You can then tackle the rest of your space while your bed linen is washing.
For a deep wardrobe clean, take everything off the shelves and wipe them down with a vinegar and water solution to discourage mold. You can also add your favorite essential oils to this for a fresh scent.
Organize your kitchen
The quickest way to make your kitchen feel less cluttered is to place everything that you can in the cupboards or pantry rather than having them sit on the bench. Make it organized by adding labelled containers for loose things such as cereal and flour, lazy susans for smaller items, and pull out storage for larger ones. Sick of rummaging in drawers when cooking? Add a magnetic strip to the wall to store cooking utensils and knives, and a few hangers for pots and pans.
While you’re organizing, it’s the perfect time to dispose of anything that has passed its use by date and make up a donation box for your local food pantry with items that are in date but unlikely to be used.
Bathroom tidy up
Bathrooms can be a magnet for clutter, as things like neglected skincare items, shampoos, and extra razors can easily get out of control in drawers and cabinets.
To help avoid this, go through your cabinets and ask yourself questions such as ‘do I use this regularly’ and ‘is it still in date and needed?’ If the answer to either of these is no, you can probably get rid of it. For everything that does need to remain in the bathroom, find cosmetic organizers and small shelves to place them within to optimize space. Cupboard organizers are also life savers when it comes to clutter.
Involve the whole family
Once you’ve got everything all clean and how you like it, get the whole family involved in maintaining your space. This will lighten the load and give your family a sense of pride in the home. Try creating a chore chart so everybody knows what they need to do around the home, and assign age appropriate chores such as the dishes or tidying their rooms.
Having a tidy home is incredibly satisfying, especially after a deep spring clean. Not only will you feel happier in your space, but it’ll set a positive tone for the rest of the year. Enjoy!