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As the promise of spring fills the air, many households are beginning to think about the honored tradition of spring cleaning. This annual ritual is the perfect opportunity for renewing and rejuvenating your home and your space, according to Better Homes & Gardens.
While there are many ways to go about spring cleaning, you might want to consider decluttering first. While i may not be on your to do list, removing clutter is actually the key to effective spring cleaning.
The Relationship Between Cleaning and Decluttering
You might be wondering if cleaning and decluttering are really that different from each other. Don’t they often come hand in hand? In a way, they do. It is difficult to clean a space that is full of clutter. This is why, according to the Becoming Minimalist blog, spring decluttering is even more important than cleaning.
If you want to clean, especially if you want to do a thorough spring clean, a decluttered and mess-free space makes it much easier to get started. When you get rid of unnecessary things in your home, it becomes more spacious and simpler to get to all areas, especially those places you want to deep clean.
How to Declutter?
So where do you start? Becoming Minimalist recommends you start with rooms and areas in your home that don’t need as much effort when decluttering. If you start with a more manageable area, you will see results and this could help motivate you to continue decluttering even the more challenging areas.
Decluttering involves sorting the things that you need to keep from the things that you don’t. Give away or donate the clothing you no longer wear, outgrown toys, and other items that no longer fill a purpose for you and your family. It is a complete win-win, as other people will get to enjoy the items you are decluttering, while you get to appreciate and make the most of the extra space.
Time to Clean!
Spring cleaning is a great time to get to cleaning places and things you don’t usually have the time for or don’t use as much. You should begin by making a list of all the things you’d like to clean in your home and go through them one at a time, suggests Better Homes & Gardens.
Spring is the time to deep-clean your carpets, refresh your curtains, and dust all those hard to reach items like light fixtures. The Guardian reports that other things you might not usually think of cleaning include your computer keyboard, jewelry, and the inside of appliances like water machines.. If you don’t clean those items routinely, this is the time to begin.
Getting through your cleaning list will be so much easier for you if you declutter your home first. And once the decluttering and the cleaning are all done, you will be left with a refreshed space that is organized, easier to maintain and will feel lighter. Enjoy the new season and your clean, clutter-free home!
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