6 Tips for Successful Spring Cleaning

The flowers are blooming, the birds are serenading, and the house still feels like it's stuck with winter blues. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the often hectic seasons of spring and summer. It can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be difficult.

Here are six spring cleaning tips to get you started.

1. Clean Room by Room

Approaching your house room by room is the most effective way to deep clean it. Create cleaning checklists for each room to help you get organized and to remind you of the areas that need extra attention. Feel free to skip the areas that have been cleaned recently, and focus on the parts of your home that were largely neglected over the winter.

2. Organize and Clear the Clutter

One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is often getting rid of clutter. A systematic four-step approach can be helpful for this. Identify problem areas, analyze reasons for the clutter, determine solutions, and implement them. Sorting your belongings into four categories—trash, give away, store, or put away—can also be effective as you go through the spring-cleaning process. Move the clutter out as soon as possible, whether it's bringing a donation box to a charity or planning a yard sale.

3. Get the Household Involved

Make spring cleaning a household endeavor. Even young children can be excellent helpers. Assign age-appropriate chores, so everyone feels included. Try throwing on some music as you all clean or establishing a household reward as an incentive to get the work done.

4. Tackle the Seasonal Chores

Many chores need to be done seasonally, especially in preparation for warmer weather. So incorporate them into your spring-cleaning routine to get them out of the way early. For instance, tackle outdoor chores, such as cleaning the grill, patio, and outsides of windows, as soon as the weather warms up. Also, store winter clothing, bedding, decor, and other items. And pull out your spring items to give your home a refreshed look.

5. Keep Cleaning Products to a Minimum

If you need to shop for new cleaning products for spring cleaning, keep your items to a minimum. Myriad cleaning supplies can create unnecessary clutter, and you probably don't need all of them to keep your home fresh and clean. Opt for a good all-purpose cleaner and microfiber cloths. Those items will cover the majority of surfaces in your home. Then, purchase other specialty cleaning supplies only as needed.

6. Establish New Cleaning Habits

A thorough spring cleaning that covers the whole house is a great opportunity to establish ongoing cleaning habits, which can make the next spring cleaning even easier. For instance, don't try to do all of your spring cleaning in one day or even one weekend. Instead, tackle items on your spring cleaning to-do list for just 15 minutes each day. That will help to get you in the habit of tidying up for 10 to 15 minutes per day even after you're done with your spring cleaning tasks.