As a mother of 4, I feel like my house is never clean. No matter how hard I try, or how many chore/cleaning charts I create, we always seem to be drowning in clutter. For the longest time, I would just ignore the messes and the clutter…however I realized that approach really isn’t the best one for me. It was pretty much making me go crazy. So, slowly but surely, I have been working more on taking a minimalist’s approach and getting rid of clutter in every aspect of my life. With the Spring air circulating around us, I thought I would share a few simple ideas to help kick start your spring cleaning endeavors.
1. Declare one space in your home as a “Clutter Free” zone
With 4 children running crazy around the house having any space clutter free seems impossible. Using this technique, I have one area in my home that I work hard at keeping clutter free. Every evening before bed I make sure that everything is in order so that the morning it will start out clean and organized. Then throughout the day as I pass the room, if anything has mysteriously appeared there, I take no more than a minute to tidy it up.
Once a solid rhythm has been set up, deep cleaning that space may only need to be done on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. (A deep clean could mean wiping down glass, dusting, or mopping) As time passes, the desire to expand your “clutter free” zones will also increase. Try not to let the chaos of the rest of the house overwhelm you here. Slow and steady is the name of the game if you are taking the minimalist’s approach.
2. Get rid of any torn, broken, or stained items
Gasp!!! Did I just say a forbidden phrase?! Yes, yes I did! Get rid of ANY torn, broken, or stained items. I am still working at getting this one down, but I must say I am getting a lot better! I personally struggle with getting rid of clothing and my children’s stuffed animals. However, being able to get the tattered items out of my home really does help it feel more clean. Not to mention the fact that my children look some what presentable when they leave the house now that their stained clothes are no longer an option to wear.
My children are notorious for having broken toys, torn books, and random papers stashed everywhere in my house. Depending on how many items your children have, this one can be a challenge. I might suggest a little trickery while performing this task. If my children see me getting rid of anything in their room, 9 out of 10 times they fight me about it. To get around that, I clean with them side by side stealthily tossing items away as I see fit or I just go through their rooms while they are at not at home. Some may think that is a bit harsh, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And honestly…every time I have gone in to their rooms to de-clutter while they were away, they have NEVER asked about the items I have removed. Not once.
3. Make a room-by-room checklist and start from the top
Spring cleaning can be a daunting task. But like I have mentioned earlier, the minimalist’s approach is a slow and steady process. Making a room-by-room checklist will help you break down the important tasks each room presents. Once that is complete, you can have a visual tool to help you see progress and guide proper direction. If you are a person who struggles working on one task at a time, this also helps you effectively move from room to room accomplishing your goals of a clean and organized space without getting completely off task.
What tools or techniques help you with Spring cleaning? I would love to hear your thoughts on what works best for you this time of year. Also, feedback on these three tips…will they help you? Do you know someone that they could help? Like, share, and comment! Happy cleaning!
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