How to Spring Clean Your Home

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For most of us, springtime means warmer weather and fun outdoor activities. But if you’re feeling like your home could use some TLC, then there’s no better time than now to clean up your house so that you can enjoy the first truly nice days of the year in comfort and style! Here are some simple tips on how to spring clean your home from top to bottom.

Why You Should Spring Clean

Spring is a time for new beginnings—from outdoor picnics and camping trips to clean carpets and freshly painted walls. Spring cleaning isn’t only important to make your home look spotless—it also signifies that you’re ready to move on from winter and start the new season off fresh. With spring officially in full swing, it’s high time to refresh your surroundings by getting rid of everything you no longer need! 

Spring is a natural time to shed unwanted items because spring cleaning serves as an uplifting experience at its core; spring cleaning means we’re letting go of clutter while simultaneously preparing our homes for warmer weather. Additionally, many homeowners opt to do some spring cleaning prior to selling their house or apartment or moving into a new one—if you plan on leaving your current home soon, why not get ahead of schedule? 

Everyone has unused items that have been hidden away since last year (or longer), but these objects are typically unused and dusty and haven’t provided value for quite some time. Chances are high that you won’t miss most items that fall into these categories when they’re gone—and there will be plenty of value in your life without them!

Dirt and grime tend to build up throughout the year due to busy work and life schedules.  With spring on its way, now is a great time to clean things that have been neglected all winter long! Spring cleaning is a great time to focus on deep cleaning areas of your home that aren't covered in your day-to-day cleaning tasks.

Start With a Plan

The best way to start spring cleaning is to plan out what you want to do before you start doing it. Sit down with a notebook and make a list of all those little things that need to be done around your home or apartment. After making this list,  prioritize them, then complete a couple of these tasks daily to reach your goals. It’s easier to get through spring cleaning when you know where you’re starting from and have set goals for your time.

One way to create your task list is to organize it by room. Start with the busiest and most-used room in your home and work from there. This is probably your kitchen or living room. Last on your to-do list can be the storage closets, attic, or basement, where you've probably been storing things over the winter.

Under each of these rooms on your task list, create specific tasks for that room that you want to accomplish. In the kitchen, these tasks could include:

  • Deep clean drawers and cabinets with disinfectant spray
  • Clean out the refrigerator and freezer
  • Organize under the kitchen sink
  • Declutter old pots and pans
  • Add containers to the drawers to organize silverware
  • Add shelves to the cabinets to create more storage space
  • Dust and clean the top of the cabinets

Once you have a game plan and an organized task list, you're ready to go!

Declutter Before Cleaning

Before you attack your floors, cabinets, windows, and more give yourself a head start by decluttering. Give away or donate items you don’t use or need anymore to reduce clutter around your home and life. Getting rid of extraneous possessions not only helps make cleaning easier but also gives you space to make new memories with family and friends in your newly decluttered abode. Plus, if you have less stuff taking up space in your house, it’s easier to get a head start for spring cleaning.

Start by tackling one area at a time in your decluttering process. This way, you won't get overwhelmed with decluttering. Focus on the areas that need it most and then decluttering will start to feel simpler! This might mean starting on your bedroom closet, a storage closet, or maybe even the pantry. Once the tough decluttering jobs are out of the way, you can quickly and easily declutter the smaller areas.

Consider donating your unwanted or unused possessions to a local thrift store that supports those in need. Your donations will not only help you to get your space organized and cleaned, but it will also help people that the thrift store or donation site supports!

Tackle One Area at a Time

Clear a shelf, clean out a drawer, or wipe down your nightstand. Just one area at a time will help you stay on top of your spring cleaning without becoming overwhelmed. Start by tackling an area that tends to accumulate stuff. How can you keep things tidy if they’re never put away? So don’t forget to put things back where they belong throughout your day so you won’t have to search for them later. This alone will dramatically reduce mess and clutter!

Creating a task list as mentioned previously makes tackling one area at a time much simpler. By going one room at a time, you can successfully meet your spring cleaning goals! Follow the tasks that you created for each specific room, and don't be discouraged if you don't finish in one day. Spring cleaning is a marathon- not a sprint! You don't have to complete your spring cleaning in a day or even in a week. If you have a hectic schedule, you might even want to spread your spring cleaning plans across a couple of weeks. This way, you can realistically complete your spring cleaning and start your season off fresh!

Update Your Decor

It’s time to update your decor to better suit spring. Start by removing heavy winter blankets and drapes, then use lighter-colored throw blankets and window treatments like a linen shade or lace curtains to fill your home with natural light. Go for lighter and brighter color accents—pinks, yellows, light blues—to evoke springtime warmth. For even more seasonal change, swap out winter decor for flowers or new plants. Here's a complete list of spring decor updates you can do to make your home or apartment spring ready.

  • Change out the lighting –  Even though you’re using lighter decor and accessories, it might still be a good idea to change your lighting. Harsh lights or dim lights can dull your new springtime spaces, so consider investing in white lights or colorful lamps to add some extra warmth. If you really want an extra glow, invest in some string lights as well. You can also swap out bulbs for LED light bulbs, which can give off a soft glow without feeling too bright.
  • Add color –  You’ve probably heard that green is an excellent choice for spring, but it can also be fun to use different colors throughout your home. Try using a blue wall in your bedroom or a pink accent wall in your living room. Yellows and oranges can make rooms feel warm, so try playing with these two shades in your decorating scheme. If you're not wanting to paint, you can easily find beautiful wall art or decoration pieces to add to your apartment to bring in some vibrancy.
  • Add houseplants – Houseplants are one of the easier and less expensive investments you can make to liven up your space. They’re great at purifying the air and will brighten up your space even more than colorful decor can. If you don't have a green thumb, there are plenty of houseplants that don't require much maintenance or lighting and are perfect for the indoors. Even if you have a busy schedule, you will be able to maintain houseplants for years and years to come. They are a gift that keeps on giving!
  • Rearrange furniture –  Moving your furniture around can really update a room. It will add new flow and allow for new lighting. It may be a good idea to bring in some of your seasonal decor so you can get a feel for how it all works together before fully moving everything. After rearranging your furniture, you will feel like you're living in an entirely new space!

Spruce Up Your Outdoor Areas

When spring finally hits and you’re able to open up your windows, get outside, and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine, it’s time to take advantage of your beautiful surroundings. You can spruce up your outdoor areas with a few simple touches. Not only will you feel better as soon as you step outside, but your home will look great too! Here are a few ways to make that happen. 

  1. Add outdoor seating –  It doesn’t matter if you have a porch, patio, or balcony that gets good light in spring and summer; it can be any outdoor area where you want to spend time with friends and family on nice days or cozy up with a book on cool evenings. Adding some furniture is one of the easiest ways to turn any space into a place to relax and unwind.
  2. Add outdoor plants –  A few well-placed plants can bring a whole new look to your outdoor area and keep it looking great all year long. Potted plants are some of the easiest ways to decorate, but you can also place planters on any flat surface or hang them from walls and railings with hooks, fasteners, or rope. This is especially helpful if you live in the city and need to bring some nature into your home environment!
  3. Update the lighting –  Lighting is crucial to making your outdoor areas look their best. The right bulbs and fixtures will illuminate your surroundings in such a way that it makes you think spring has already arrived! Don’t be afraid to try out new combinations of colors; you might find one that suits your home perfectly! String lights are an amazing way to elevate your outdoor space and make it feel classy and relaxing for the spring weather.

Deep Cleaning Checklist

When cleaning your home for spring, it’s important to do a deep clean before you do any redecorating or rearranging. The process can be long and tiresome, but it will be worth it! Before you start deep cleaning, grab your checklist and make sure you have all of the necessary cleaning products on hand. You'll need a window cleaner, a multipurpose cleaner, microfiber rags, dusters, a broom, a vacuum, and some time of mop. You may need some general tools for maintenance or a magic eraser for tough scuff marks or spots. Now for the fun part! Here are our favorite in-depth deep cleaning lists for spring cleaning:

If you want a list that goes room-by-room: 

  • Taste of Home's "The Ultimate Room-by-Room Spring Cleaning Checklist": https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/spring-cleaning-checklist/

If you want a 30-day checklist:

  • The Spruce's "30-Day Spring Cleaning Checklist": https://www.thespruce.com/spring-cleaning-guide-4134151

If you want a printable spring cleaning infographic: 

  • Cleanzen's "The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist": https://cleanzen.com/blog/spring-cleaning-checklist/

Hire a Professional Cleaning Service

Instead of trying to do a deep clean yourself, spring cleaning can actually be done by a professional cleaning service. Hiring a professional team to do your home cleaning once or twice a month can help you achieve a clean and organized house while allowing you to focus on other things. It’s easy to get busy with work and everyday life, and it’s hard to have time for these cleaning tasks, especially if they are tedious and time-consuming.

Hiring a cleaning service is a great way to start the spring season and make time for yourself. When you don't have to worry about cleaning your apartment or home, you have more time to do what you love! So take that weekend trip, go out with friends for brunch, or take your furry friends to the dog park,  and let the professionals do the cleaning for you!

Plan: B Cleaning is the go-to cleaning service for your home or apartment in Fishers, Indiana. Plan: B Cleaning creates a custom client profile for each client to ensure they are meeting your specific cleaning needs and requests so that you can come home to a clean space every day.

Ready to schedule your cleaning service and take back your free time? Call Plan: B Cleaning at (317) 572-8515 or visit https://planbcleaning.com. Plan: B Cleaning serves the Fishers, Indiana area, including Carmel, Noblesville, Fortville, and Geist.

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