Tips for Easy Spring Cleaning

Spring is in full swing with colder weather behind us and warmer weather on the horizon.  For a lot of people this means it’s time for that good old spring cleaning, where you give your house a deep clean, declutter, and maybe even open the windows for some fresh air. According to a study by Statista, most Americans participate in spring cleaning¹ with 69% of people spring cleaning every year, and only 10% who don’t participate at all. Whether you’re a spring cleaning veteran or trying it out for the first time, here are some tips to make spring cleaning a little easier, and tips on making some money in the process.

Make a List

When it comes down to it, spring cleaning is a big job that can be overwhelming. There’s just so much to do! One of the best things you can do to make spring cleaning easier on yourself is making a list of what you need to do. This will help remind you of what needs to be done and what has already been accomplished, while keeping you on track with meeting your goals. There are several ways you can make your list and here are a few ideas.

1. In order of most to least important.
2. In order of largest to smallest jobs, or vice versa.
3. In order of the time it will take to accomplish the task.
4. Separated by room.
5. Separated by job. For example, grouping all floor cleaning together, grouping all dusting together, etc.

While these are some ideas to get you started, take some time to think about it and come up with a list that works best for you and what you want to accomplish.

Declutter

Spring cleaning isn’t just about giving your home a deep clean, it’s also a chance to declutter. By purging your home of the items you no longer want or need you’ll be able to be much more organized. Decluttering is a lot of work, and while you can include it in your list of things to do as mentioned above, it may be best to create a separate list for it to make the job easier. As you go through your belongings, a good rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you have not used in the past year. You might be surprised at what you haven’t used and can get rid of now. Here’s a tip to help prepare for next years’ spring cleaning: hang all your clothes in the closet with the hanger backwards and turn them around as you wear them. Then next year it will be easy to see what you haven’t worn in the past year.

Sell Your Stuff

If you’re feeling generous you can donate the items you’re getting rid of to charity or the thrift store, but it’s also an opportunity to make some extra cash.² You may no longer need the things you’ve decided to get rid of, but someone else may have a good use for them. Considering the ongoing pandemic, a garage or yard sale may not be something you want to have, but there are a lot of other ways you can sell your unwanted items. You may have to do some searching, but some thrift stores will purchase your items from you or you could also use different community apps to display your items for sale. If you don’t want to meet up with strangers, you can receive payment virtually through services such as PayPal or Cash App and can ship the items to the buyer. Shipping costs can add up, so in order to avoid this cost you can include the cost of shipping in the sale of the item.

Sources:

¹Petruzzi, Dominique. (2023, Mar 30). Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/251230/us-spring-cleaning-frequency/#:~:text=The%20survey%20revealed%20that%2069,respondents%20never%20do%20spring%20cleaning.

²Spector, Nicole. (2019, Jan 6). Retrieved from: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/how-sell-your-unwanted-stuff-ncna954546