Welcome to the spring cleaning season! While you could certainly set aside an entire weekend to overhaul your home, no one wants to spend the first few days of the spring season inside cleaning (well, honestly, as a cleaning professional, I love the idea of being inside cleaning!). Here are some tips for speeding up your spring cleaning tasks:
Stock Up on Supplies
Viable speed cleaning demands organization and the right supplies. Stock a grab-and-carry tote with natural, plant-based cleaners (or some of your DIY creations), large trash bags, and microfiber cleaning cloths. Click here for even more ideas on how to create a spring cleaning arsenal of supplies.
Create a Strategy
Your cleaning strategy is to start in the back (or the top floor) and work your way to the front. Open the windows as you go; the most health-producing aspect of spring cleaning is letting toxic indoor air out and fresh spring air inside your home. Don’t forget to turn off your HVAC system before you throw open the windows.
Pick Up and Dust Up
Use a large garbage bag to empty trash as you move through your house, and wipe down surfaces with a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths, which hold five times as much dust and dirt as traditional rags, will allow you to forgo the furniture polish and will keep paper towels out of the landfill. Be sure to do a quick dust of baseboards, ceiling fans, and lighting fixtures.
Make a Donation
Put any household items you no longer want into a pile in the middle of each room as you go. This should include things like clothing, toys, and overall knick-knacks that are just taking up space on your shelves. When you are finished collecting trash and dusting, go back through each room with a bag for donations and another for recycling. Check local donation centers for places in need of textiles, furniture, books, toys, appliances and other household items.
Clean the Floors
Make one more trip through your living space armed with a vacuum and a mop to clean your floors. Notice I didn’t specify using a broom. That’s because a high-tech vacuum with settings for hardwood and carpet will do a better job disposing of dust and debris than a broom, which stirs it up only to have it settle in corners.
If you get organized and spring clean with a strategy, you can do it in less time allowing you to spend more time enjoying those first rays of spring sunshine outside.
Talk to us: What is your best tip for speeding up spring cleaning?