The Spring Cleaning Series | Week Two

Driving this morning was an absolute pleasure because I can see all the buds on the trees turning into bright green leaves. It is amazing how much one color can impact your day for the better. Thankfully, it is still a little grey and cloudy here in New England so I still feel like I can get things done. When it is beautiful outside it is hard to stay motivated to stay inside for Spring Cleaning. 

This week my goal was originally to focus on the kitchen. Week One was about cleaning the bedroom(s). I planned on jumping right to the kitchen next, but decided to save that for next week as I feel motivated to jump into shared living spaces for now (this is any room such as a living room or dining room that families or roommates share with the household. If you have any additional rooms such as a den, shared office/library, basement, playroom, or gaming room you will want to add it to this week’s agenda. 

Shared spaces are usually pretty easy to clean, especially when you have team work to go through things. They don’t typically gather as much clutter as other rooms do (unless it is your office or gaming station). 

Step One: Remove everything that does not belong in these rooms or spaces. If you have laundry in the living room, put it in your laundry basket or fold and put it away. Toys where they don’t belong? Put them away. Anything that does not belong in that room should be brought back to its rightful home. 

Step Two: Gather all similar items into one place. For example; put all DVDs together in one pile, throw blankets in another, paper piles all together, etc. BY gathering all itms by category, you can see what you have too much of to help you declutter and donate and you will also be able to put everything away in an organized manor. 

Step Three: What about the items that don’t have a home? If you’re looking around your living room and you have a bunch of stuff out, but no where to put it, you will have to create a home for every item. First, declutter and donate the items you no longer want or need. Everything left should have a place to go. Usually by rearranging what you have, you can create a home for every item. Use your existing shelving and storage wisely. At the end of this post I will be sharing some of ideas I have used to organize my shared spaces. 

Step Four: Once everything is decluttered and put away, it is time to deep clean. Wash curtains, clean windows, disinfect door nobs and buttons, clean furniture and under furniture, wipe (or paint over) marks on the walls, polish wood furniture, scrub or vacuum floors including the corners, and dust all electronics and decorations. 

Tips to help you spring clean shared spaces:

One. Divide tasks between household members. If you’re sharing a space, each member of the home can select a project that they can contribute to. The more helping hands there are, the faster tasks will be completed. Just make sure that everyone is on the same page ahead of time and is actually putting everything where it rightfully goes instead of just placing the mess in another room or cabinet. 

Two. Live alone? No problem. If you need an extra hand, enlist the help of a friend. You can always help them with their spaces in return. Sometimes it helps to have another person to remind you of what you don’t actually need if you’re having trouble letting go of things that no longer add value to your life. 

Three. Start easy and build up momentum as you go. If sentimental items are difficult or you, save them for last. 

Four. You have all week long to work on these spaces. Create a block of time every day to complete specific tasks, but if you’re feeling the momentum go ahead and keep going. 

Five. Deep clean as you go. If you’re reorganizing a shelf, make sure you wipe it down before putting items back. When you vacuum, make sure to use the smaller tools to get into tight corners and under furniture. 

Six. To keep up the energy, go ahead and play some fun and upbeat music as you clean. This can help you stay motivated for longer periods of time and make the process more enjoyable. 

Tips to keep your shared spaces organized:

Tip One. Have a home for everything. I say this a lot, but it cuts down on cleaning and clutter significantly. If everything has a place it makes it fast to put it back where it belongs as you clean and it helps other people in the household find what they’re looking for. 

Tip Two: CDs, DVDs, and video games can take up a lot of space. Instead of using up important shelving, cabinets, or baskets, you can save space significantly by using a CD binder. It can feel tough removing all of the cases and recycling them, but afterwards when you have your space back you’re going to love this tip. After going through our DVDs and Games, we recycled four full trash bags of cases and all the discs fit into three little CD binders on a shelf. Goodbye leaning tower of DVDs! They take up next to no room on our entertainment shelf now. This was a game changer for our living room. 

Tip Three: Create a donate basket/bag. Every time you encounter an item you no longer need and would like to donate, place it in the designated basket or bag. Once the basket is full you can bring it to your local donation center. 

Tip Four: If you only have one living space and your living room is your everything room, make sure there are designated areas for each purpose. For example, the entertainment system should be for games and DVDs only. You can have a music area where your radio and CDs or vinyl are kept. Keep a designated area for books or your work stations. If your dinning room is combined with your living room, make sure your table has its own spot and that clutter is kept off of the table and chairs. 

Tip Five: If you own a lot of books that you do not want to part with, but don’t have a designated spot for, consider using the wall behind your sofa. By pulling your sofa from the wall a few feet, you can fit some tall book cases behind your sofa. Not only does this save room, but it is a lovely way to decorate your living room with your books and stay organized too. 

Tip Six: If you have a small space, you can brighten and “enlarge” the room by hanging a simple mirror with a non distracting frame to give an illusion of more light and space. 

Tip Seven: Another way to make a small and dark room look brighter without changing your furniture is to use white curtains on your windows. It will make the room look both larger and brighter, even if your furniture is dark. 

Tip Eight: If you’re renting or do not have the funds for a new carpet in your living room, you can hide ugly carpets by using an area rug in your living room. 

Tip Nine: To make a room look cleaner, illuminate decorations. Too many can make a space look cluttered and small. Only keep what truly brings joy to the room and remove the excess. Having clean and clear surfaces in your room is a simple way to make it look much tidier and cleaner. 

Tip Ten: To simplify a room you can hide electronics. Electrical chords and technology can make a room look cluttered. Hide chords behind furniture and hide electronics that are not used all day from view in small baskets, drawers, or cabinets. You can even add beauty to a room by hiding your television in a wardrobe styled media stand or with a sliding door. 

Best of luck with your Spring cleaning! Join us next week as we tackle our kitchens.