The question I come back to every year as winter turns to warm weather is just how do I not hate spring cleaning? Listen. I’m not the hugest fan of cleaning. I didn’t learn how to do it well as a kid, and it hasn’t just come magically as an adult. With a house, 3 businesses, 4 kids, and a husband–this house is always, always busy.
I’ve found some ways not to HATE spring cleaning, and I’d love if you’d add your best ideas in the comments! Let’s help each other out…cleaning is a necessary evil but I know some people out there have it totally figured out.
Here are my best tips:
- Figure out if you’re a to-do list person or a time-limit person. If you’re a to-do lister, then make a manageable to-do list and quit when you’re done. Don’t make this as aspirational to-do list…you know what I’m talking about. If you’re like me and just want an end in site, set a 2 hour time limit and batch our your entertainment accordingly.
- Have some sort of entertainment. Listen to your favorite album–that’ll get you at least an hour. Have podcasts lined up. If you’re folding laundry or centralized in one room, you can even catch up on shows. OR, and this is where I get my best cleaning done, call your mom or a girlfriend. For some reason, chatting always makes the time go faster for me.
- Have a treat planned for when you’re finished. After a day of cleaning, i normally plan an “introvert night” for myself, which is my highest delight. I’ll get my favorite snack and drink, make a nest on the couch, and catch up on Netflix (normally Thursday night ABC shows, if I’m honest).
- Use quality (and enjoyable) tools. There is nothing that makes cleaning harder than not having the right things to clean with. Just like any project, having the right stuff makes it all work like it’s supposed to. I wish someone would have told me this when I first had a home to take care of. Invest in the good stuff. If there is a smell you particularly like, use that! You can make cleaning a certain kind of self-care if you enjoy the process.
However it gets done, spring cleaning needs to happen.