It's daunting, frustrating and, at times, maddening. your house (condo, apartment, room) is not only cluttered and disorganized, it is, you have to admit, d-i-r-t-y. May is a perfect month for spring cleaning because it's not too hot to do physical labor, but it is warm enough to throw your windows open and air everything out.
To begin a fantastic spring cleaning you need a plan. This, not unlike an outline for writing a research paper (remember those?) and will help break down the steps and take away some of the rambling, overwhelming sense of dread you feel when your Q-Tips come tumbling out at you from within the darkness of your linen closet. What are they even DOING in there?
The following is a recipe for spring cleaning. As with all recipes, you may throw it away and make your own, take pieces of it that feel right, or mix and match as you see fit.
1. CLOTHES - If you start with your clothes you will be amazed at how much you can quickly eliminate from the clutter of your household. Unnecessary clothing such as things you have never, ever worn, your children's onesies (they really ARE fourteen now, okay?) and old, weathered shoes with stains from the wine you spilled on them at your sister's wedding 15 years ago - depending on their shape, these really can go in the garbage can or to a donation center.
Goodwill, the Salvation Army and other donation centers are in abundance, even in rural areas. Along with other household goods, this is a wonderful, socially conscious way to offload the things you are no longer wearing or using, particularly if they are gently used and not trashed (who wants trashy second-hand things?) You will make piles. There shall be two piles. Pile One will be donated. It shall go into a garbage bag (or several) and then into the trunk of your car, IMMEDIATELY because if you're driving around with stuff in your trunk it will annoy you quickly and you will do what needs to be done. Pile Two is actually going to be thrown out and that pile, too will go into a garbage bag and then into the actual garbage.
2 - CLOSETS - Once your (and by "your" I mean you and everyone else in your household) unwearables are out of the picture, you will then clean those closets. This means every closet in the house, or home. Bathroom closets will be rid of the old toothpaste caps and shampoo bottles that don't have anything in them. Linen closets will have their moldy sheets washed, folded and organized on shelves. (Or likewise, the things in there you no longer use will get thrown into the two piles, as you did with your clothing). Cleaning out your closets means THROWING THINGS AWAY including old chargers if you no longer understand what on earth they may plug into, earrings that have one of themselves and not the other, a magazine about lizards and nail polish from 1972.
3 - LAUNDRY, WALLS - Do all of the dirty laundry in the house. I mean all of it. Get a fresh start. The things you are washing MUST be things you REALLY WANT so that when they come out of the dryer or off of the line, you are putting away USABLE items. Really. As you are doing the laundry (this make take an entire weekend, you understand) you are cleaning your walls. You can use a mild soap like Castille Soap or even a bit of diluted dish soap and gently wash your walls - wherever there are fingerprints and smudges.
4 - YOU CAN BREATHE - You will be amazed at the oxygen you feel flowing into your lungs with the closets, laundry and offloaded clothing under your belt.
5 - DISHES, FLOORS, CARPETS - Sweep and mop your floors, vacuum any carpets. Take the little carpets outside and beat them with a broom to get the dust out.
6 - WINDOWS are last.
Voila! You will feel so good, you won't believe it. Oh, and add lots of hip shaking music to this recipe - you may actually enjoy your day.
Aimee Boyle lives in CT and writes regularly for EmpowHER.