Making Spring Cleaning Doable

What emotions wash over you when you realize you probably should be thinking about spring cleaning? Excitement and enthusiasm or panic and overwhelm?

Spring cleaning takes a lot of time and effort requiring the homemaker to spend of lot of energy she may well not feel like she has. However, there are some simple steps to take to spring clean without getting overwhelmed.

I know, that sounded very formal, but it's true isn't it? Does spring cleaning almost make you lose your sanity or am I the only one that happens to?

Most years when spring comes around and people start talking about spring cleaning I turn a deaf ear and pretend I don't know what they are talking about.

("What do you mean, Spring Cleaning?! My house IS clean!")

I mean, it could be clean-er but it's still very livable. It didn't suddenly become unlivable because spring arrived and it's time to spring clean!

(sigh)

Ok, I guess my house does need some help. But please, let's make this easier! Like, I have 32 windows in my house! I can't possibly clean them all every spring PLUS get all the other deep cleaning done!

Unless you know of someone who has invented a super window cleaner that cleans the window track and all the dead fly dirt that has collected there.

Let's discuss some ways we can make spring cleaning easier so that panic and ovewhelm don't set in and consume us so that NO cleaning gets done.

Spring Cleaning Using a Schedule

Before we get into this, let's talk a little about why we spring clean. Why do feel the need to get some spring cleaning done?

Is it because you know your house is dirty and you want to clean it or because it's what "good homemakers and housewives" do?

Don't get stuck on the pressure of feeling like you "have to" spring clean. Because there is no rule book out there saying you have to. Ok?

We clean our houses because they get dirty. That's it. Our houses get dirty from living in them so we have to clean them.

So shove the pressure aside and just face the facts. A dirty house needs to be cleaned. Done.

One idea I came across years ago to get deep cleaning done, was to do it on a schedule and work on certain rooms or parts of rooms every month.

This was writing out the whole schedule with certain rooms and areas set to each month.

But the problem I found with that was that I would maybe do it for a month or two but give up because progress was slow and motivation dwindling to nothing.

So what if we would work the schedule a bit differently?

Instead of scheduling it all out, simply writing down each area you want to cover, having a space to check off the area and a space for the date.

Then when you are inspired to clean a certain area, you would complete the task and then check it off and date it.

Checking off something on a list is so rewarding for some reason! And then writing the date helps you remember when you did that cleaning project and how long it's been since it was done.

Another way to keep yourself going is to set a time within the month like the second week or third week in the month would be the week to tackle a cleaning project.

But still, if it didn't work out you have evidence of when you did something last because of dating your tasks.

That will also help you stay motivated because if you managed to do it last month surely you could do it this month as well.

And this way you are not doing the whole shebang at once but it's taken in small chunks making it much easier to handle!

Spring Cleaning on Inspiration

If you are like some people, cleaning isn't your first love. And that means that cleaning gets done in fits and spirts, with a lick and a promise.😉 Like me. Until I had to change the way I was operating.

It seemed like for a long time the cleaning in my house was only done when I felt inspired. Which only happened when things got really bad. Or under pressure, when company was coming over.

That doesn't work so well for daily or weekly cleaning. But I think it could work for spring cleaning. Or deep cleaning in this case because the cleaning is not going to get done only in spring. This will probably be a year-round deal.

The benefits of doing it this way is that the deep cleaning gets done in small increments AND there will always be areas of your house that are wonderfully clean!

Here's how you can do this. This can work a little the same as the above option where you write down all the places you would like to have cleaned and a space to write the date of when you cleaned each space.

Then, when inspiration hits, clean like crazy, and then check it off and date it. And that's it!

The next time inspiration hits and you want to go at deep cleaning again, you know what you have done and when you did it.

Finding Your Place in Spring Cleaning

As you already may have guessed, I don't like spring cleaning. But, cleaning needs to get done regardless of whether I like it or not.

And, like it may be for you, there is a lot of pressure to spring clean. Most of it doesn't come from anyone else but ourselves.

You know those little voices in your head? They love to talk and tell you things. Sometimes good things but a lot of times, things that cause turmoil. At least in my experience.

So here's the reality. We need to come to some peace with this spring cleaning thing. Remember, we are cleaning because the house gets dirty, not only because it's the thing that good housewives or homemakers do.

And finding you place in spring cleaning, finding peace through it all is quieting those voices that are giving you pressure. That you HAVE to spring clean. Or else.

The voice that says your whole house has to get cleaned from garret to cellar EVERY year. Or you are not a good housekeeper.

It's ok to want to have a clean house, it's ok to want to be a good housekeeper. Those are awesome ideals! But if they rob us of joy and peace they aren't worth it. We can have peace in a dirty house.

You can have peace knowing some back corners are dusty and full of cobwebs. And leaving them because they don't really matter right now. You'll get to them later. Or next year. And that is perfectly ok.

Find peace in your home right now. Because you are allowed to. And go from here and do your best.

That's it.

Conclusion

Spring cleaning can get done on a schedule. Your schedule. Make it to work for you. Tailored to your ability and cleaning style. Spring clean when you feel inspired, but write it down so you have evidence of when it got done.

And find your place. Be at peace in your home right now, because you can.

What is your biggest road block when it comes to spring cleaning?

Write your answer below!