Spring Cleaning Survival Tricks & A Free Printable

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Nothing feels better than a clean house. Unfortunately in order to have said clean house you have to clean it. I have a love/hate relationship with spring cleaning. When it is done I always feel on top of the world, yet when it comes to actually cleaning, it’s not exactly my favorite.

In the past year I’ve tried to come up with different ways to tackle cleaning around our house without getting overwhelmed. It still hasn’t happened.  A few months ago we did our first round of spring cleaning. What had been originally a day dedicated to cleaning turned into a day of sorting toys, clothes and books…followed by the actual cleaning. 16,000 steps later the house was all set, I was exhausted. Little Man had the toy box emptied in 3.2 seconds after coming home. At least the floors were clean.

As a mom I’ve come to find these Spring cleaning tricks helpful to getting the house cleaned while (trying to) stay sane.

Spring Cleaning Survival Tricks & A Free Printable

Spring Cleaning Trick #1: Break It Down Into A Few Days

While spring cleaning is often done in the Spring we typically do it 4-5 times a year. A few different parties take place at our house during the year. Those parties typically involve an extra deep cleaning to our house before the party starts. After trying to do it all in one day way too many times I finally realized that the best way to tackle the whole house is to break it down over a week.

We both work full time so that means evenings are our best friends. Depending on the party at least one of us will take a day off work to tackle the big projects. By spending a few hours deep cleaning during the evening we are able to stay a little more motivated than if we were to try and knock it out in one day.

For example…the kitchen is always the place I feel like I clean the most. I won’t go to bed without a clean kitchen but when it comes to Spring cleaning it gets an extra deep cleaning. Typically I start here. I might spend 3-4 hours on the kitchen one night and then tackle the bathrooms the next night. That way they’re done and throughout the rest of the week I just have to maintain it like I normally would.

Spring Cleaning Trick #2: Make a Realistic List

Making a realistic list should not only be highlighted, underlined and bolded but it is the key to your sanity. I typically make two lists when it comes to a cleaning day. The ideal list and the realistic list.

What does that mean? In an ideal world, I would get everything done on my first list. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world and life happens. This is where the realistic list comes into play. Having a second list of everything I realistically have time for allows me to narrow it down. If we get through the realistic list then we can start to work on what is left of the ideal list.

My lists typically look something like this. Make your own list by downloading our free printable!

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring Cleaning Trick #3: Send The Kids Away

As we got ready for Little Man’s birthday party this year I finally decided I needed a day off work to simply clean the house. Typically I try not to use my days for something like this. With a 6 month old and a 4 year old there was no other way to get it done. Being able to send both of the boys to daycare gave me a completely free day to clean.

Not only was I able to get through my realistic cleaning to do list, I was able to tackle a lot of things that had been on my ideal list for awhile. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to spend the day off with the boys. They had a fun day with their friends and I was able to get so much more done.

Spring Cleaning Trick #4: Donate

During round one of spring cleaning I made it a priority to donate. With a trunk full of clothes, books, etc. I made two trips to Goodwill. Just making a donate pile made a huge difference in how much less overwhelmed I felt. The more I got rid of, the less I had to clean.

Take a look at your clothes, what are you keeping because you feel like you should? How many shirts do you really wear? Is that one shirt from college that you haven’t worn in 10 years really worth the space in your closet? Do you have enough room for you new Lululemon clothes?

Not only does donating free up a lot of space, it actually takes a big weight off your shoulders that you might not even realize is there. Personally, I get frustrated when my dresser is overflowing. Being able to open the drawers easier sounds like a simple task but actually makes me a lot less stressed at night as I get ready for the next morning. Less stress=more  free time.

Spring Cleaning Trick #5: Take It One Room at a Time

I often feel like I can’t focus when it comes to cleaning. The list is so long and I have no idea where to start. I finally realized that the best way to break it down is to take it one room at a time. Since we typically break our spring cleaning down over a week, this made it easier for us to figure out priorities.

Instead of trying to do the floors in 5 different rooms, I like to do all of the chores that need to be done in one room. Yes, it might mean having to get supplies out multiple times but I have found that it is more satisfying to see a completely clean room instead of 5 rooms with clean floors…that still need dusted.

The house might never be completely clean. These tricks have helped us knock out the cleaning when it needs to get done.

 

What is your favorite spring cleaning survival trick? 

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

Comments (13)

  1. I like that you included a printable. I definitely like to span my spring cleaning out by doing a room at a time. Sending the kids away is awesome. Then they can’t complain when cleaning out their closets. I always told my kids we were giving to someone who needed the stuff more than they did. That helped them; thinking about helping other kids.
    Jobie Medina recently posted…Lactation Boosting Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip MuffinsMy Profile

    1. Yes that is a great way to help clean things out with the kids. Little Man is just starting to understand sharing stuff like that with other kids!

  2. The most important thing is that you should be alone at home, so that there will be no disturbance while cleaning house.

  3. Great post! Do you have any idea on how to clean yellow tiles in bathroom walls? Bathroom cleaning is my biggest issue!

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