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Anytime you start a major project, it's best to have a plan. Spring Cleaning is no exception.
Follow our four week plan for Spring organizing starting with the kitchen, as this is usually the room where we spend the most time. Make the kitchen your project for the first week of April and use our tips to get you started. Block out time on your calendar and get the whole family involved. Week 2 will be the bathrooms and week 3 the closets. Week 4 will be drapes/carpets/upholstery. Start each week with our suggestions and use the rest of the week to tackle other spaces in the house. By the end of April you'll be breathing easy! (Then you can start on the garage.)
Week 1: Kitchen
Instead of an Easter Egg hunt, go on an expired items hunt. Open the fridge and pantry and start pulling everything out. Once they are completely empty, give them a good wipe down. Check anything in a jar, bottle or dated container and discard anything past it's prime. (Salad dressings tend to hang around much longer than they should.) If you have multiple containers of the same product open, combine them if possible. Keep a box at hand for donations to your local food bank. Anything that is still good, but you know your family won't eat, can be donated.
Keep:
Mustard 2years
Ketchup 6months
Vinegar 3 1/2 years
Soy Sauce 6 months
Olives 6months
Steak Sauce 3 years
Maple Syrup 1 year
Make sure you replace items with a system. Assign homes for beverages, condiments, leftovers etc. Label their location so the whole family can easily find what they are looking for, and it helps you keep track of what you have (and what needs replacing.) As you buy groceries, keep the oldest in front and put new purchases in the back to minimize waste.
Follow this principle with the rest of the kitchen and it will be in good order in no time. Remember to always leave the kitchen spotless before bed because there is nothing worse than waking up to a messy kitchen.
Week 2: Bathrooms
Completely empty out the medicine cabinet and vanity. Sort everything into like items and remember to have a trash bag nearby for expired items and a donation bin for unopened multiples. It's OK to have three months worth of supplies in storage, but any more than that is called hoarding. Assign each family a bathroom (and a partner depending on how big your family is and how many bathrooms you have.) Did you know that most make-up is supposed to be replaced after 3 months? Make sure to sort through that drawer full of make-up that rarely gets used and re-think why you are still holding onto it. Tooth brushes follow the 3 month rule too. You might also want to check your moisturizers, sunscreens and hair products. There is no sense hanging on to products that no longer perform as designed.
Week 3: Closets
OK this one can be a little more emotional so start with the easy ones like the hall closet, mudroom, and spare room. Your tools, once again, are a trash bag, a donation bin, added to a mending/ dry-cleaning bin. Empty the closet completely then go through each item individually deciding on it's fate. Only the things that fit and that you love and use go back in. Dry-cleaning, mending, and donations should immediately be put in the car (unless you do the mending yourself. Then put it where you will tend to it.) For your bedroom closet, be ruthless: try everything on and look at yourself objectively in a full length mirror. If it doesn't flatter you, get rid of it. Remember, we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time, so keep your favorites and leave room for new favorites. Lastly, your bedroom closet should contain clothes, accessories, shoes and a good organizing system. NOTHING ELSE!
Week 4: Drapes, Carpets, Upholstery
Life is too busy to worry about all the extras, most of the time. This is your time to tackle them. Why not start at the top and work your way down. You can assign a room or two to each family member, or have each person complete the same chore (vacuuming, dusting, washing walls doors and baseboards) in every room of the house.
Start at the top: Cobwebs are often lurking in corners or hanging from light fixtures. While your up there, take glass shades down and soak them in hot water with a little dish soap. Then dust off all the high tops of cupboards and ledges. Next wash all the windows and glass doors inside and out, that you can reach. Dust and wash all blinds. Drapes and slip covers should be washed too. Give the carpets a really good going over, from corner to corner, with the vacuum. Then get out your upholstery attachment and tackle your sofas and chairs. Really get into all the cracks and crevices.They tend to hold onto dust and animal hair. Using the sticky lint rollers works well on the furniture for the animal hair or get a small rubber bristled brush. Finally, wash down all the baseboards, wooden doors, and door frames. For tough dirt, make a paste from baking soda and water.It's an ugly job but someone has to do it.
After four weeks of diligence your house will be cleaner, neater, and more organized. Most importantly, you will have worked together with your family to make your home more comfortable. We guarantee you will feel better, less stressed (and hopefully ready for the next project!)
Haike Tremblay & Sherry Halvorson
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