Does the mere thought of decluttering and organizing completely overwhelm you? If you answered yes, you are not alone. Spring cleaning can feel daunting, but it can actually be a fun and rewarding experience if done the right way.
I too used to dread spring cleaning. I felt guilty if I didn’t at least attempt it, envious of the women who did it so well, and confused on how to even start. My go-to method (which really wasn’t a method at all) consisted of me writing down every closet, drawer and crevice I wanted cleaned and organized and then attempting to tackle it ALL in one weekend. HUGE mistake. I ended up with half-done projects, more of a mess than when I started and double the stress. To top it off, my stress would spill over to my family who would give me crazy looks while whispering things to each other like “mom needs a chill pill, it’s just a closet, the world’s not ending, loony bin and Mom…NOW!” It wasn’t pretty and I sure wasn’t fun to be around.
I quickly realized (10 years is quick right?), attempting all these projects in one weekend was not good for me or the sanity of my family. It only left me feeling stressed and overwhelmed with thoughts of finding a better way. With this thought in mind, I scoured the internet and read blog after blog only to find the same thing said thirty different ways but never anything new.
Then…. it…. happened.
One day, while reading my ten thousandth blog about cleaning (I am not kidding. I am pretty sure there is not one cleaning blog I have not read), I came across a gem of an idea. The idea was simple: fill one bag every day for a set period of days. I LOVED the concept but knew I needed to tweak it to make it my own. I spent the next few weeks trying out different ideas and came up with a much easier and more “doable” way to spring clean.
My Doable Spring Cleaning
In March (or any other month I feel so inspired) I choose one small area to organize, declutter and clean daily. Yes, I said daily – one area must be completed every single day. I take a box, bag or barrel (not the smartest choice but sure looks cool) and fill it up. Here’s the key: each area should NEVER take more than 1 hour, and you fill up only one “bag”. When the hour is up and the bag is full, you stop. You do NOTHING MORE until the next day. Period.
That’s it. It’s simple! It’s easy! It’s DOABLE! The best part is, it really works. The reason this works so well has everything to do with one little word in the sentence above: DOABLE. For me, knowing I only clean, organize, or declutter for one hour and fill one bag makes the whole process much easier then my old way of trying to organize my entire closet, basement, and garage in a weekend. One hour is also the perfect amount of time to see progress while still allowing time for all the other daily to-do’s.
Want to try it?
Here are 6 Steps to Make Spring Cleaning a Breeze
1) Pick A Start Date
I like a start date of the 1st of the month but if you’re in the middle of the month, start there. The main point is to pick a start date and stick to it for 30 days.
2) Make A List
Pick 30 areas (one for each day of the month) you want to tackle and write them down. Remember to stick to the 1 hour rule! Sometimes it may take 20 minutes and sometimes it may take the whole hour, plan your days accordingly.
3) Put A Date On It
After you make a list and have a set day you’re going to begin, assign a day of the month to complete each area. Example: March 15th- clean junk drawer. Assigning a date to each area helps hold you accountable and also gives you a visual time frame to look at.
4) Break Large Areas Up
If you want to organize the whole kitchen, please don’t try to do it all in one hour. You will just set yourself up for failure and frustration (two things we want to avoid). Take at least 3-4 days for the kitchen. If you happen to finish early, guess what? You get a free day! TAKE IT!
5) Give Yourself Grace
Life happens and you’re bound to miss a day here or there. If you do miss a day or get behind, don’t beat yourself up about it or allow it to throw you off track. Just move on to the next day and take note to do that area another day when you have more time.
6) Celebrate
Make it a point to celebrate ALL you have worked so hard to accomplish! Sticking to anything for an entire month is very hard work and you deserve something special. For me, pegging up my organized drawer or closet is enough but for you it may be the special pair of shoes. Whatever it is, make sure to reward yourself.
Tip: You don’t have to limit this cleaning technique to just a once a year Spring Cleaning experience. I use it all the time. It’s how my home stays “clean enough” because guess what? “Clean enough is still clean!”
What some easy tips you live by to help make the process of spring cleaning seem less daunting?
[…] I am no stranger to decluttering, and I try my best to do it often. But like so many of us, I still had items I’d held onto for years usually because guilt would inevitably creep in and I’d convince myself I’d use it at some point. Well, as we all know, some point rarely comes and the truth is so much of what filled my home was only stuff that didn’t t spark any joy at all. In fact, it sparked stress. […]