With the vernal equinox on March 20th, spring 2021 is a little over a month away! Get a jump-start on your plans to freshen up your space with this handy spring cleaning guide.
What is Spring Cleaning?
This long-held tradition of “wiping away winter” stems from a history of homes being closed up during the fall and winter months to hold in heat from a wood-burning fireplace. Well, it’s 2021 and we sure don’t have those same old-school heating methods, but we all love a good deep clean. The vernal equinox is the perfect excuse to revitalize your space for the next season – so, let’s get right into it!
1. Establish Your Process
When it comes to cleaning a home, some people feel more organized going room by room or task by task, while others prefer to follow a specific cleaning and decluttering process, like Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method™.
Whichever route you choose, set yourself up for success by scheduling time to dedicate to the project, whether that’s an entire weekend or an hour in the evenings Monday through Friday until it's done.
2. Tidy Up & Declutter
Forget cleaning or organizing, only to create a mountain of random odds and ends sitting in the “donate pile.” Pack up everything that needs to leave your place and send it off to its next home right away – whether that’s the community dumpster or the local donation center.
3. Start From Top to Bottom
Nothing is worse than seeing dust scatter from your ceiling fan blades all over your freshly polished surfaces. Start with cleaning the higher-up places like ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, upper cabinets, and blinds, before working on the countertops or floors.
4. Refresh Soft Surfaces
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to flip your mattress, fluff or wash your pillows, launder your living room pillow covers, rotate your couch cushions, and wash your throw blankets. If you make this an annual habit, they’ll stay fresh and clean, and you’ll prolong their use.
5. Clean Appliances
From emptying out the overflowing toaster tray full of crumbs and wiping down the inside of your fridge, to cleaning out your washing machine and putting the dishwasher through a sanitizing cycle – these are must-dos during spring cleaning.
Looking for more home and lifestyle inspiration? Head over to read The Hawthorne’s other blog posts today!