The irresistible signs of spring are in the air: flowers are blossoming, and the birds are singing us into a new beginning. But your house feels stale, right? So turn that northern tradition of Spring Cleaning into the perfect excuse to freshen up your home in time for summer.
These Six Steps to S.P.R.I.N.G. Cleaning success are actually going to get you to the end result – a light, fresh home that you can’t wait to show off.
These tips are from our Milking it, Systems for Success program:
S = SEE the end result.
The crucial start of every successful project (especially one as big as a spring clean) is all about getting motivated. You need to see the end result in your mind. Gather some images that depict a fresh clean and beautiful home. Get yourself a new notebook and ‘turn over a new leaf’, so to speak. Put the pictures in the beginning of your notebook. Getting in the right mindset is 70% of the effort. We need both PAIN and GAIN motivation. The PAIN is the time and money you waste every day living in clutter and mess. The GAIN is the wonderful feeling of living in a beautiful home, having friends over, finding things and 50% LESS housework (once you’re done).
P = PLAN.
Your cunning plan will save you from hitting the wall half way through. You want to have everything ready before you start or you’ll take twice as long. Your plan will help you decide the following: When do you want to have the project finished? Who can you enlist to help you? How do you want to break down the project? Which room will you tackle first, second, third, etc? What will be your end reward? When will you be ready to start? What time do you need to block out in your diary?
R = Reduce.
Reduce your possessions by….40% You should always de-clutter before you start cleaning because it will reduce the effort by….40%! Isn’t that amazing? Less belongings = less to clean. Devote two days to simply getting rid of as much stuff as you can. Box it, bag it, drag it and tag it. Get it out of your space and recycle, return, repair, replace.
I = Implement.
Implement your plan. Persistence is the key now. Tackle one room at a time and don’t move onto the next it til you’re done. Turn up the music, keep hydrated, gather your cleaning materials, roll up your sleeves and get stuck into your spring cleaning. The kitchen is always the hardest working room in the house and is the best place to start. Then the living room, and so on. Make it beautiful
N = Nearly there.
Now it’s time for getting into the detail and sprucing things up. A new cushion here, a pot plant there, a polish of the silver and a picture frame update, some new linen or moving some furniture? Subtle changes like these are as good as a holiday. Look at your spaces with fresh eyes and have fun.
G = Gather
Gather your friends together, your goal has been achieved. Time to celebrate as Spring is in the air and you have invested precious time for wonderful results in the most important place in the world…. your home.