The cold weather may not be completely gone for the season, but there has been enough Spring-like sunshine, warm rain, and blossoming trees and flowers to serve as a sign that Spring is officially here. Like many others, I feel an urge to clean my house in the Spring. After months of having the windows closed tight and a desire to hibernate indoors, I want to open things up, clear things out, and get rid of the clutter that seems to always find its way back to my house.
Fitting 7 people and all their stuff into a 3 bedroom townhouse is not easy, so organization is a MUST. Lots of things are better in bulk, but MESS is not one of them. I still have so much to learn about organizing and cleaning (just ask my husband) but there are a few things I’ve learned from my 16 years of managing my own home.
- Messes happen. Don’t be discouraged when the house is a mess after a day of work and play. Kids play with toys, dishes will always need to be washed, and everyone dirties clothes.
- Clean consistently. Rather than spending huge chunks of time cleaning, I have found that I prefer cleaning as I go, little by little. Of course, there will always be tasks that require a larger time commitment, but the clean-as-you-go method works well for managing clutter.
- Everything needs a “place.” One thing I cannot stress enough is that fact that it is impossible to clean if everything that you own does not have a place to “live.” Whether it’s a spot in a closet, a section on the shelf, or a box in the basement, everything needs a place to go.
- Donate regularly. I always have a bag or two of clothes, shoes, and other odds and ends to donate. I separate those things I’d like to pass down to a friend or my sister’s kids, and the rest is taken to the Salvation Army.
On Tuesday, March 22 from 11:00am to noon EST, I’m leading a LIVE CHAT in the Coffee Talk Community about Spring Cleaning your Home, where we will be sharing additional tips to find and maintain order at home. I hope you will join me and share your favorite house cleaning and organizational tips! If you can’t make it to the live chat, leave your favorite tip in the comment section here.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
Cleaning brushes image by Flickr.com user “tanakawho” [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Note: I am a Community Leader for the Coffee Talk community on Blog Frog and receive compensation for my time on the forums.
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I agree! If things don’t have a home, they become clutter very easily!
I know all too well about “helpful” children. Luckily, most of my kids are actually able to do real tasks around the house. it felt like it took forever to get here, though!
Don’t feel guilty. ;) I got my house totally cleaned for my mom’s visit last week. Now that she’s been gone for 7 days, you’d never know it was cleaned top to bottom!
That’s my problem. If I let a job get too big, then I can’t get myself to start!
I really need to give my home a good cleaning, but, I need to find a babysitter because my son is just a little bit TOO helpful :). Thanks for the tips!
Now I am feeling guilty I haven’t started spring cleaning yet. Of course, here in Florida, spring hits in February, so I am really late.
You’ve got me all jazzed to clean my house! I appreciate your comment about cleaning as you go. I need to do that more often. I think I allow myself to become overwhelmed because I don’t do this right. I do certain jobs daily but a lot of the burden would be lifted if I wouldn’t let things get so big before I go at them.