5 Tips for Spring Cleaning

It’s that time of the year again where we need to spring clean! I both loathe and love this time of the year! It’s the one time of the year where I actively start to organize all of my belongings and ask myself the hard question of “do you really need that”? This year I employed the Marie Kondo method in a lot of the process..focusing on things that “spark joy in my life”. But even when it comes to that, I still have a hoarder at heart and have such a hard time parting ways with things. And with the amount of stuff I have managed to hoard over the year, it can get increasingly overwhelming. I bet you guys feel the same way, too! Sooo, gotta give you some of my tips for spring cleaning that have worked and helped me:

1. Make a Schedule

Spring cleaning can itself be a nightmare and one of those things that we keep procrastinating on until…well, the summer. But it is definitely something that has to be done! Take the time to thoroughly clean your things, reorganize and revamp all that energy in your space. But because it can get extremely hard and overwhelming at times, a schedule might be your best friend. Don’t think that you have to get everything done in one day. It’s totally okay to take your time with it (not months of course) and really get a thorough cleanse. Schedule abc for Saturday and then xyz for Sunday. You can break it up however you want but make sure they’re bitable chunks so you can both challenge yourself but not get burnt out.

2. Use the 3 Month Rule

This one is definitely something that I struggle with. I love to keep everything because of the whole but what if I need it one day and then I have to go out and buy it? Girl, if you haven’t used it in the last 3 months, chances are you are not going to use it ever. This goes for everything! But most likely, your clothes!! Once you are storing away your winter clothes and taking out your spring ones, go through each piece of clothing and ask yourself if you have even worn/used it in the last 3 months or if you see yourself using it the next season. If not, then donate!

This rule applies to so many other areas, too! Makeup, for instance! Us girls love to hoard our make-up, but did you know they have expiration dates? Make sure you look through them and see if they are okay to use. Foundation, prime, blush and shadows can last up to 2 years after opening. Lipstick is up to 1 year after opening and mascaras and eyeliners are around the three month mark. 

And for other miscellaneous things, try to use the same rule! I swear you will end up with a lot of things that you didn’t even know you had in the first place gone or just a whole cleaner. 

3. Break It Up

Break up the different sections of your home to tackle or even categories. For me, it was easier to separate everything into categories such as clothes, shoes, desk, kitchen, bathroom, etc. This way, I can dedicate my entire attention to one area without having to worry about the rest. I find that if I try to tackle it all, I end up running around like a headless chicken!

So actually take the time to write down what you want to get done on a certain day and only do one area or two. Say you want to do your clothes. One way would be to go through your last season’s clothes first and then bring out the new season. Then divide it up into say pants and tops, outwear, sweaters, etc. Breaking it up will make the tasks seem much easier!

4. Be Smart with Storage

Living in NYC and dealing with the apartments here have seriously made me so appreciative of SPACE. There isn’t a lot of it and most of the time, it’s either sacrifice and make do with what we got or get smart with the storage options. I’ve heard crazy stories about people using their ovens or their kitchen cabinets as more space here in the city…but because we actually use all of those (hoarders central here), we needed to get extra smart. There are tons of space options out there in the market – stores like the Container Store and Ikea are killing it with smart options and options that are also cute! Invest in pieces that have dual purposes such as beds or couches that double as storage space within them! We personally have a bed that have drawers underneath! 

And work with what you have! If you have multiple suitcases, try to put them into one another if they are different sizes. My favorite is to store my unworn clothing for other seasons into the suitcases that I am not using. The space inside is empty space anyways so why not use it? Always layer your things and try to use vertical space. Our walls can hold so much! If you start designating certain things to a certain place in your home/apartment, it will automatically make it look cleaner.

5. Leave Actual Cleaning to the End

The part that we dread the most…right? The actual cleaning part where we have to lug out our dustpans and brooms or vacuums if you’re lucky. Spring cleaning isn’t just about de-cluttering and getting ready for the warmer months. It also means getting down and dirty to get rid of the dirty!!

Make sure to clean your windows, your bathroom, kitchen, floors, walls and all that contains dirt. A deep cleanse is exactly what you need after the colder months were your place probably didn’t get a lot of fresh air and/or air circulation. Get your cleaning gloves on and start scrubbing and bleaching!! And make sure to open those windows as often as you can to get the air circulating! Leaving the actual cleaning to the end will allow you to have more space to clean since you won’t have all the other distractions in your way.

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I hope these tips helped you in your process of spring-cleaning! I know that it can get super over-whelming and all you want to do is be done with it all. The end is near!! And to think that you can fully enjoy the warm weather in your home after it’s allll done!! 

A million and one thanks for reading – until my next lil’ thought then!

xx jen