The Essential Spring Cleaning Guide: Tips from a Professional Organizer on How to Effectively Spring Clean - & Why We Need To

Spring cleaning is about more than hitting the reset button on our cleaning habits & sorting through our junk. It’s also about creating a more livable home environment. Because if there’s anything we’ve learned this past year, it’s that our home truly is our sanctuary and respite from the madness of the outside world.

Read on for our top tips on how & why to spring clean your space.

• Perfect opportunity for a reset

  • Spring time is the perfect time to clean, reorganize and reset your home! Take your inspiration from nature; the snow melting, the grass growing, and the flowers blooming. It’s time for your home to feel refreshed and new too. Let the sun power you up and give you the energy needed to clean and organize. Let the warm weather make it easier to get outside and clean out big spaces like the garage and sheds. Also, spring is the perfect time to have a garage sale which is a huge motivator for decluttering. 

• Some areas we just don’t get do weekly or even monthly

  • Oh we all know those areas that we just can’t seem to get to during the year; like cleaning the windows or the baseboards or under our beds. And we all have those areas that just need an organizational reset from working hard all year; like the kitchen, basement and storage areas. Finally, some areas need to be reset seasonally; like your clothes, your décor, and outdoor tools. 

• Some things do not NEED to be cleaned or reorganized weekly or monthly 

  • Areas like behind the fridge, on top of the cabinets, or under your bed simply do not need to be cleaned out monthly or weekly. Things like the curtains, cushion cover and rugs need to be maintained through the year but they do not need to be on your monthly cleaning rotation. And realistically, they would never get done that often anyways. 

Cleaning basics

• Prepare your supplies

  • Make sure you have everything you will need on hand and ready to use; baking soda, dish soap, distilled vinegar, microfiber cloths, vacuum, mop, bucket, sponges and rough brushes for extra tough messes. In addition, get some music going, put on some comfortable clothes, prepare a snack and have lots of water on hand! 

• Look at your space objectively

  • I know we probably all clean our spaces weekly or at least bi-weekly, but don’t you feel like you end up cleaning the same thing? Well, spring cleaning is really for handling those spaces that you DON’T think of normally. So look at your space as objectively as possible. Do the tops of the cabinets, picture frames, baseboards and door frames collect dust? Is there dirt collecting in hidden places like behind and under appliances, shelves, and furniture? Are dirty light fixtures and dirty windows making your space feel darker? When is the last time you’ve thought about all of your textiles like chair cushions, throw blankets, curtains, etc.? Pretend that you’re a cleaning detective looking for dust and dirt!

Organizing basics

• Always fully empty the space

  • I don’t care if you need to organize your closet or just a drawer, it is so important to empty everything from the space! It is not until you see the space totally bare that you will be able to truly see its full potential.

• Make the easiest decisions first

  • Once everything is empty, I always suggest doing some decluttering. The goal here is to make fast, confident decisions. Let’s pretend you’re decluttering your clothes for example. What is a definite “heck yes!” hang it back up in the closet or refold it nicely. If it’s a definite “oh no!” put it in a trash bag to donate right away. As you get confident in your decision making, the “maybe” pile will start looking less intimidating.

• Set up systems and zones

  • Now that you’ve decluttered, it’s time to organize your things into logical zones. This is very personal to you. Perhaps you need a smoothie station in your kitchen or a workout section in your closet. Maybe you need a make-up station in your bathroom or a snack zone in your pantry. Whatever makes sense for your lifestyle and daily habits, work that into your organizational flow! This is why these Pinterest closets or pantries don’t work because those are not YOUR closet or pantry! It probably doesn’t fit your lifestyle. 

  • This is the part where you can go out and buy some organizing products like bins, baskets, lazy Susans and drawer dividers. However, I strongly suggest doing a serious declutter and then figuring out what tools would be appropriate.

So now you are ready to spring clean your space! Just remember that whatever space you decide to tackle first, come at it with intention and a plan. Spring cleaning can be such an overwhelming task and I know even I can easily lose my steam and motivation and I am a professional organizer! So get prepared, get focused and get it done! 

Violetta Reum is a wife, mom and professional organizer. She is the founder and owner of Reum Organizing and offers services ranging from moving, to business organizing to DIY.

Find out more about Reum Organizing on their site and check out their instagram @reum_organizing.