My Spring Cleaning Plan and My Mindset

Spring is here! 

My mind has jumped from decluttering to spring cleaning! The sun is shining in on some of our most used rooms and I can see the fingerprints, dust and even a couple of cobwebs that need attention. Spring cleaning won't keep my attention for very long. I want to be outside to enjoy my yard as the temperatures warm! 

Here's my basic plan. Make a list of things I think I need to be done, not the ones all the influencers on social media suggest, but the ones I know my home needs. I already know my list is probably too long, and some items unnecessary. I wrote down wipe down doorknobs on all doors. I'm not even sure why...I don't think they are probably that dirty. I'll cross that one off and skip it. 

The main areas of focus on my list seem to be the kitchen and our master bathroom. I do have a few house wide tasks, like dusting ceilings for cobwebs and dusting all the ceiling fans. Lucky me, my husband did all the windows inside and out recently, so I personally can skip that house wide task. 

The kitchen is a big job, as it encompasses cleaning all the appliances, items on the counters, and wiping down all shelves and drawers. The fridge and oven alone can take some time. My mindset on this big job is to break it down into very short tasks, such as wipe down 3 drawers inside and out. I can do this type of task in less than ten to fifteen minutes. I will tackle them in one or two bursts each day, likely before or after making a meal. Over the course of a week or two I will have it all complete. 

I also have a new concept. Plus One. As I do my regular bathroom cleaning, I can add on just one extra task that is part of my spring cleaning. For example, next time I clean I will get the step stool out and clean off the light fixtures. The next week, I might wipe down a drawer or a cabinet. I will just do the extra during my regular cleaning. In my mind that makes spring cleaning easier, not this big overwhelming task to add on to all the other things I do in a day.  Just a plus one. I can do that!

There are a couple of laundry tasks, just run another load once a week after I run our regularly laundry. Soon it is all complete without much extra effort or the mental overwhelm that can kick in. 

I have already started on my list, but I will not be working on these past April. There's no reason to prolong it, plus if I don't get it done in that time, it probably just isn't' that necessary. I have a flower beds to weed and a desire to be outside, rather than inside. As a side note, I'm weeding my flower beds in small bursts too...I take a small grocery bag out and fill it...then I'm done. Usually 20-30 minutes of time. Over time the beds all get weeded and ready for mulch, which we buy in stages, too. 

Are you spring cleaning (or fall for our southern hemisphere friends)? What tasks do you do and how do you approach these tasks? Share in the comments or share in the Organized Friends Facebook page.