Spring is the time of year when people create a list to refresh their homes and yards, and they might also take steps to refresh their mindset. With the new season comes the feeling of new beginnings, so a deep clean inside and outside the house is a logical next step. That can lead to a feeling of optimism lacking in the cold, dark winter as you create a cleaner, more organized space. Let’s look at indoor and outdoor spring cleaning, giving you a strategy to reset your space for the coming months.
Spring Cleaning Within the Home
Let’s start with the interior, where you spend so much time. There’s a lot to know, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but sticking to the following activities is generally the best approach. While you regularly tidy up and wipe surfaces, this time, you’ll do a deeper clean as part of refreshing the home for spring.
Declutter and Organize
A task that requires your focus is decluttering. It’s easy to accumulate items over the months, especially given the holiday season has recently passed. Decluttering or clearing away extra things around the house is important because it opens up the living space and helps reduce mental overload, as clutter can be stressful.
Once you’ve decluttered the interior, cleaning is easier overall as there’s more space between things to dust, and there’s no stressful mess around you.
To keep it from feeling too big of a task, start with one room at a time, sorting items into keep, donate, and toss piles. Also, take the time to store away winter clothes in the closet or elsewhere and bring out lighter spring clothing and shoes to help welcome the season.
Next, organize storage spaces like closets, pantries, and cabinets to make them more efficient. For example, keep the things you often reach for, such as mugs and drinking glasses, on lower kitchen shelves rather than serving dishes you use for special occasions once or twice a year.
Also, organize and declutter paperwork. If you have piles of papers, consider scanning some into your computer; many printers now include a convenient scanning feature to do so.
Deep Cleaning Checklist
You’ll also want to create a checklist that you can reuse each spring with deep cleaning tasks. Keep it in a document on the folder or print it out to keep in a file folder in the office to refer to each year. That way you never miss any tasks.
A good place to start is by dusting all surfaces, including shelves, baseboards, and ceiling fans, to remove any built-up dirt. Cleaning carpets and rugs come after that as the dust you’ve moved falls to the floor in the hours that follow. That way, you’ll vacuum the fallen dust in addition to any food crumbs or dirt on the floors. A deep shampoo of carpets and rugs before vacuuming can help with reducing allergens and help make the air feel fresher.
Next is washing the windows inside and out. That’s a great way to let in natural light now that the weather’s getting better. A homemade window cleaning solution might be helpful.
Finally, scrub kitchen appliances like the stovetop and the inside of the microwave gently but thoroughly. Take the time to wipe down cabinets too, something you’ve meant to do for a while, before tackling wiping down the bathroom walls and deep-cleaning tile grout. The result? A fresh, clean appearance.
Outdoor Spring Cleaning
Next, it’s onto your home’s exterior and yard! Both need attention after months of winter weather. While it’s been too cold to do much outdoors, now you can get out there with a light jacket and start to look at what needs doing. A well-maintained outdoor space adds curb appeal to your home and is important for overall maintenance to keep the property at its best.
Lawn and Garden Prep
The first task is to rake up any remaining leaves. That can help the grass beneath them breathe, encouraging it to grow in the warmer weather. Consider also removing moss that might be suffocating the grass. Aerating and fertilizing the lawn are important activities, too, as many homeowners know, to encourage healthy grass to grow during spring and beyond.
Looking at your garden, you may notice that some plants and bushes need trimming to remove dead stems. Now is the time to do so, as regrowth will be coming soon. It might also be the time to add fresh mulch too, as that can improve the look of the back and front garden beds, as well as potentially improve the soil.
Mowing the Lawn
The task that you’ve done without for several months is now one that will restart. As part of starting a new season, you might get the blades on your mower sharpened. Or, it might be time for a new, better mower.
Using the latest push mower encourages healthy grass by providing an even and smooth cut. It is also more eco-friendly than a gas mower, so you can feel good about doing your part for the planet while getting a bit of exercise. Plus, a well-trimmed lawn looks great from the road and makes your garden areas look even better.
Outdoor Maintenance
Gutters are one of the things many homeowners attend to when spring cleaning, and rightly so. They can get clogged over the fall and winter with debris and leaves, so taking time to inspect and clean them is important. That can encourage proper drainage and prevent water damage too. If you’re not comfortable doing this task yourself, whether it’s feeling uncomfortable going up a ladder or another reason, don’t take the risk and call a professional instead to do it.
Other things you might have noticed your neighbors doing at this time of year are power washing their driveways, decks, and the siding on their homes. Be careful, though, if one or more of these tasks are on your spring cleaning list, as there could be health hazards if you are working on an older wooden deck. Also, using water pressure that is too strong could damage your home’s exterior and property. If in doubt, a lower pressure level is best.
Check for Repairs
Finally, walk around the property and look at what might need repairing, whether it is because of a recent wind storm, something you put off doing last year, or another reason. Among the places where repairs might need doing are fences and patios.
Your outdoor furniture, such as wooden chairs on the back deck, might need repainting, too, especially if they were uncovered during a harsh winter. The work you do outside can create a cozy and inviting outdoor space for relaxing and having people over to visit.
Conclusión
Spring cleaning inside and outside involves a series of activities that share an important goal: To create a more organized, peaceful, and productive season ahead. The work you do now, including decluttering indoors and maintaining your yard, is part of creating a better living environment. You’re also being a responsible owner by doing your part to maintain the home. The effort you put in is worth it as you create a space that you want to be in during the spring season and beyond.
