How to Do Spring Cleaning the Right Way

1. 3 D’s: declutter, (get) dollars, and donate!

Design hack numero uno: A de-cluttered space instantly looks more expensive and put together. Getting rid of extra stuff you don’t need or use is the most amazing way to start your spring clean. Side note: psychologists actually say that getting rid of clutter in your home can actually improve your mood and make it easier to focus. Mmmm, talk nerdy to me.

Go through your house, room by room, and put stuff you’ve outgrown or that you never use in a big bin to donate it to your local charity. You can also take your nicer items to a thrift or consignment store and turn them into pocket change! Too lazy to drive your old clothes to the shop? Use a service like ThreadUp that lets you mail in your clothes for cash! They donate whatever they don’t buy to awesome charities and keep trashed clothes out of landfills so you can feel extra good about decluttering your closet.

2. Clean top to bottom, left to right.

We know it sounds super “type-A,” but seriously this trick can cut your spring cleaning time in half. Picture it like working in layers of three. The first layer is the top of the room; dusting light fixtures, ceiling fans, etc.. The second layer is the bulk of the room like stuff on walls and surfaces; dusting artwork, cleaning shelves, vacuuming furniture, and so on. Last is the bottom layer of the floor; baseboards, carpets, hardwood. Do each “layer” left to right and you never have to double back to re-clean anything. It’s seriously genius. Try it.

3. Use natural cleaners you already have.

You don’t have to break the bank buying a bunch of new cleaning products for your big spring clean. Plus, the fewer chemicals you can use, the better! Also, chances are you already have most of these natural cleaners lying around the house or in your fridge. Stinky garbage disposal? Toss in a lemon wedge and flip the switch. Want to brighten your white linen? Add a dash of baking soda to your load of laundry. Need to remove stains on your couch? Salt works wonders. Cooking pans looking like they could use a thorough clean? Remove old burns and buildup with white vinegar and baking soda. Seriously, Google it.

4. Do a virtual cleanse.

Don’t forget your desktop! We spend a lot of our time on the computer these days and it’s easy to get your virtual space just as cluttered as your real life one. Take an hour or two to delete those photos and videos you’ve been meaning to trash forever. Get rid of old software programs that you don’t use anymore using programs like CleanMyMac (RIP Limewire), organize the files on your desktop into folders, and backup important files like tax returns.

5. Expiration date showndown.

Free up that cabinet space! Go through all your kitchen cabinets and pull everything out- anything that has expired over the last year toss it out. Same goes for your fridge and freezer; if you haven’t used that hunk of frozen pizza dough in 9 months, guess what? You’re never gonna. Unless you’re actually going to toss the dough again, toss it to the trash.

6. Make it fun!

Spring cleaning goes a lot faster if you’re excited about it. Or if not exactly “excited”, at least not actively dreading it. Some ideas to make the time pass more quickly? DIY an upbeat Spotify playlist to listen to as you go (classic 80’s power ballads work wonders). Download an awesome book on tape from audible.com or for free on the OverDrive app. Pick a favorite old sitcom (we’re partial to Seinfeld) and have it running in the background to give you a chuckle. Make a Pinterest board of beautifully designed dream spaces to give yourself inspiration (or you could just follow us to get some inspo too). Plan to meet up with a friend after you’re done so you have something to look forward to…there’s tons of ways to make the time fly!

How do you make spring cleaning work for you every year? Let us know by tagging us on Twitter and Instagram and sharing with us by using #BeMakeful!