I wouldn’t describe myself as a hoarder per se, but I would say that I do have an issue with getting rid of things I don’t need. Usually when I start spring cleaning I do more of the surface rather really getting into the nitty gritty. (Lazy, maybe? Unfocused, possibly? It was my process nonetheless.)
This year I took a new approach. Recently I’ve realized a lot of my anxiety stemmed from my environment. Even though my home seemed cleaned on the outside there were pockets of chaos throughout it. You could walk into my bedroom and see that it’s spotless but if you stepped into my closet, well you’d ask if there was a floor. lol
My goal was to give everything I own a home and to get rid of anything I no longer had use for. I wanted to feel comfortable with the idea of a guest being able to walk throughout my house and open any cabinet without me secretly cringing about what they might find. I was on a mission.
So I came up with a strategy that truly worked for me! It allowed me to keep focus on the task at hand and proved to be an easier transition into moving on from the unnecessary items I held onto for so long.
My hope is that you read these tips with an open mind. I am someone who has never really been able to stick with projects like this. I would always start my deep cleaning process with good intentions but would quickly overwhelm myself and stop before everything is completed. I’ve found that this specific method has worked wonders for me and I hope it does the same for you!
How to Uplevel Your Spring Cleaning
Dedicate a day to each room.
My current job is a 9 to 5 that takes up most of my week. I came up with the idea of dedicating a specific day, one of my days off, to clean one specific room. In the past I would try to do the entire house all at once and it didn’t seem to work. I had to realized that it’s a marathon not a sprint. By picking one day or weekend, depending on how long it took, I was able to put my entire focus on that room and was more likely to see it through until the end.
Utilize the One Day At A Time method for your daily cleaning tasks.
I love this method! I actually picked it up from one of my favorite influencers, Remi, and put my own little spin on it. Set a timer for 15 minutes each day and focus on doing your daily household cleaning tasks within that time. I do this Monday – Friday on the days I’m not dedicating to my bigger spring cleaning projects. This ensures that you’re caught up with your everyday chores. I love it because I’m not always in the mood to clean but by spreading out my responsibilities and knowing that it’s only a short amount of time it’s sooo much easier! I like to fit it in during my morning routine so that everything is already tidy before I head out to work.
If you haven’t used an item within the last year donate it!
You’ve heard this tip over and over again, it’s true! I often struggle with the concept of “well I’ll use it one day” or “what if I end up needing it?” The fact is I never actually use any of it. Everything ends up collecting dust in my closet. Be intentional. If it’s not something you’ve actually touched recently, donate or toss it! I promise you won’t miss it.
