Getting ready for spring cleaning? Don’t forget the checklists!

Snow or no snow, March is a good time to start spring cleaning. Our homes accumulate a lot of stuff throughout the work and school year, and a household refresh is good for the house and for you.

Some rules about cleaning have been around forever. For example, gravity is a thing, so start from the top and work your way down so you aren’t messing up what you just cleaned. Make sure your cleaning rags and tools are clean to start. Do your bedroom first so you have the reward of a fresh bedroom at the end of the day. Do your bathroom second so you have a clean place to shower before you get into bed. Do your kitchen third. These are your priorities. They allow you to function.

The internet abounds with helpful pointers and demonstrations. Try Youtube channels run by pros like Brandon Pleshek, a third generation pro janitor/custodian at Clean That Up, or Angela Brown, a pro cleaner, trainer, speaker, and author at Angela Brown Cleaning. These folks demonstrate good practices and safe-to-use products.

The first rule of order is … order. A checklist will help you plan and track and as a bonus you get a little hit of dopamine when you complete a task and put that checkmark on the paper. Free printable checklists are available online.

Taste of Home (tasteofhome.com) is usually a go-to for cooking and recipes, but they’ve posted a printable two-page checklist covering all rooms in the house including a section for things like smoke alarms, light bulbs, and other tasks. It’s Titled The Ultimate Room-by-room Spring Cleaning Checklist. Find it here: shorturl.at/LlpZB.

Organized Living (organizedliving.com) has a spring cleaning list which is detailed without being overwhelming. Organized Living is a manufacturer and seller of home storage and organization systems. The list is titled The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist. Find it here: shorturl.at/OwR0U.

Orkin Canada (orkincanada.ca) is a go-to for pest control and the website is chock full of articles with advice and solutions for homeowners and businesses dealing with pest prevention and mitigation.

Orkin has a short, to-the-point workplace spring cleaning checklist for outdoors which also addresses pest prevention. While meant for commercial properties, it can be applied to residential properties. It’s good yard and exterior maintenance advice titled Workplace Spring Cleaning Checklist. They also have the Spring Cleaning To-Do List for Your Home. Find them here: shorturl.at/0XQpi and here: shorturl.at/9lUtJ on their website.

Decluttering first will make cleaning easier. If decluttering is straightforward for you and all you need is a little organizational help, go online, pick a method, and start.

However, if letting go is holding you up, try this method: hard yes/I don’t know. The items you must keep (like your current toothbrush or your tea kettle) are a hard yes. Your hard yes should feel like a good, sound decision. These items should not be so abundant that they clutter the room. Immediately clean them and put them where they belong.

If you become caught up in an item or are very hesitant, that’s an “I don’t know.” Some items may be sentimental or decorative or hobby-related. Put the ‘I don’t knows’ in a box. Make a list of the items as a label for the box and date it. Set a time limit to return to the box and start the process again one box at a time. This time around, you must actually release items to give away or to trash. Don’t fall into the “I could use this for something else” trap. Let it go.

Hard yes/I don’t know gives you a short trial run living with less stuff. It keeps you from getting over zealous and tossing something that really is important. It also gives you a break from trying to make too many decisions all at once. However, it is crucial that you commit to divesting items as you go through the boxes one at a time. And as you come across items that are a “hard no,” that’s a bonus. Chuck ’em right away.

Once decluttered, give each room a really deep clean. The “move out/move in” method from the youtube channel Midwest Magic Cleaning (youtube.com/@midwestmagiccleaning) might be for you.

First, completely remove as much as possible from the room and clean from top to bottom. Anything remaining in the room is also thoroughly cleaned.

As furniture is returned to the room, it is also cleaned. Now the room is down to its “bones.” This is the time to see what a completely uncluttered room looks and feels like. Next, decide how much more you really need to bring back.

Clean and return items one at a time. You want a pleasing room that looks nice and is easy to maintain. The items you didn’t return to the room can be put where they belong or de-cluttered to trash, recycling, give away, or in the case of some seasonal items, stored and seasonally swapped in and out. A good place to try this method is the bathroom. Too much? Try a linen closet first.

Spring cleaning isn’t going to happen in a day or two. You may have to go one or two rooms at a time and depending on your schedule, it could take all of spring, but it will set you up for more freedom in the summer months … until the fall, when it will be time to do it again.

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