Ah, spring cleaning: the one time a year when surface cleaning is replaced with digging in deep to take away the dirt and grime. No one really enjoys spring cleaning, sans the star from the TV Show Monk, but it is necessary. Without it, the messes of years gone by are sure to accumulate, taking over your house in the form of rabid dust bunnies and cruel cobwebs. You may be putting your spring cleaning off, hoping your house will just somehow clean itself, but with a few tips spring cleaning doesn’t have to be the chore it’s known to be.
Don’t Throw Away What you Can Give to Charity: When you’re spring cleaning, it’s easy to just get a giant trash bag and throw away things you don’t want, the thing you don’t need, and things you don’t like. But, instead of throwing away these things, sort out the ones you can donate to charity. Items like old clothes, old furniture, and old recreational items are great donation choices. Not only will this allow you to help the less fortunate, but it will also allow you to help yourself in the form of a tax write-off.
Don’t Throw Away What Might be Valuable: Most of us know someone whose mom or dad threw away their baseball card collection, subjecting Mickey Mantle and Joe Dimaggio to the kitchen trash. At that moment, it may have seemed like these cards had little or no value, but you never know what time will do. Instead of throwing away things that have potential importance, simply put them aside: store things in your garage or your attic, where they are out of your way but not out of your life.
Don’t Do it All Yourself: You may be particular about your spring cleaning, wanting to do it all yourself so you can make sure it is done correctly. While this may seem like the best route, it is also the route that is sure to burn you out the quickest, leaving you to surrender to that crayon stain on your living room wall before you’re even halfway done. Instead of doing everything yourself, solicit help from the rest of your family: ask your spouse to help, have your kids spring clean their own rooms, and make Fido earn his keep by promising not to shed on nearly vacuumed furniture.
Don’t Mix Cleaning Solutions: You may find a need to mix one cleaning product with another, letting out a mad scientist laugh as you do so. This might not cause any problems, but there is potential for a toxic combination. For this reason, never mix anything on a whim: follow the directions of each cleaning solvent. If you need something stronger than what your cleaning solution provides, try purchasing an industrial-strength product, using steel wool, or using a putty knife to scrape away the mess.
Don’t Do it all in One Day: You may be anxious to finish all of your spring cleanings in one day, wanting it over and done with. But, spring cleaning is much more invasive than regular cleaning: it takes a lot longer. For this reason, don’t be in a huge rush to get everything done in a twenty-four hour time span. Take your time and take some breaks: your house isn’t going anywhere.
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