Spring Cleaning Dread: How to Break the Cycle

Spring Cleaning Dread. How to Break the Cycle

There. I've said it. Spring Cleaning Dread.

This time of year Pinterest is bursting at the seams with spring cleaning tips and hacks for cleaning your home. I can't be the only one who looks at those perky lists and feels anxiety bubbling up. You know the ones I'm talking about. They claim you can deep clean your kitchen, bathroom, carpets, blinds, mattresses, and window tracks in a single weekend.

Seriously? It's hard enough to get out the door to go to the library or to a museum on a gloomy day. Does anyone really believe that we're going to get a whole house deep cleaned in a weekend with the kids running around, meals to be made, and husbands who would rather watch sports. Yeah, I don't think so either. 

But, How Do You Stop Spring Cleaning

This year, let's turn this spring cleaning thing around and set yourself up for success. Instead of trying to do it all in a weekend, give yourself the gift of living in a clean home year round. With a decluttered home you can set up a schedule for deep cleaning so that it never gets out of control. 

Imagine, getting home from a long day and opening your door to a neat and tidy home. A place where creativity can flow free along with peace and calm. A home where happiness greats you and you never fear an unexpected drop-in or last minute request for a playdate.

With the traditional spring cleaning dread, you work so hard for a tough long weekend and barely get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. If your home is like mine was, you'd clean and clean and make everything sparkle, but it wouldn't stick. By the next weekend, things would be out of place and home would feel messy. It makes you feel like all the hard work was for nothing. 

Let's stop that cycle so you never have to spring clean again! 

The better plan is to declutter and live surrounded by the items that make you happy. Then you can clean less and not have to give a full weekend every year trying to freshen things up only to become messy again. It can be more work upfront, but is full of rewards later. 

Here are 5 simple steps to decluttering you can start now.

Make a commitment to yourself and your family that you will complete the process.

I cannot think of how many times I used to start projects only to never finish them. Decluttering and organizing is a task you need to commit to. The problem is that things will look worse before they look better. That's part of the process and it's okay. Just keep reminding yourself that you will have space to breathe when it is complete and that everyday cleaning will be SO MUCH EASIER. 

Think about how you use your home and the life you want to live. Are you a sporty/outdoorsy family or do you prefer to stay in and read a good book? The answers will affect how you set up your home.

Don't worry about how other people set up their homes. Your home is your sanctuary for you and your family. What matters is how you want to live your dream lives. Start living your life for you - not others and definitely not to show off on social media.

Store like items with each other - clothes (each family member has their own space), cleaning supplies, books, toys, etc.

Instead of organizing by room, organize by category. This will make it easier to remember where things are when you need to find them as each type of item will be in one place. It also makes it easier to see if any category is getting out of hand with too much stuff. 

Go through your items and only keep what makes you happy and/or is very useful. Do not keep items you think you will use someday.

This is such a hard thing to put into practice, but is incredibly rewarding. By no longer holding onto things for someday, you will begin to appreciate the things you have and treat them with more respect. You are also able to be more resourceful when you think of something you need for a one-time task. For instance, did you know you can rent tools for a day from the local hardware store? You can also rent items like luggage, formalwear, and sports equipment if these are things you need only occasionally.

Keep the end goal in mind throughout the process. A simpler and happier life is ahead of you!!

When you start to doubt the process of decluttering, refer back to the life you are working towards. Take a minute to close your eyes and visualize yourself actually living that life. How do you feel? What are the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes you see yourself enjoying? Really try to feel the experience. Then, open your eyes and get back to work. You'll get there. I believe in you!  

Want more information? Join my 7-Day Break the Clutter Cycle Challenge.

Each day you will receive an email that will help you on your decluttering journey. By the end of the week your house will not be decluttered (I'm not a miracle worker), but you will have a good start and understand the underlying factors that go into decluttering so that you do not fall back into the trap of a messy home and life.

This 7-day challenge will start you on the path to living the life of your dreams. One that is happy, organized, clean, and peaceful.

If you found this article helpful, I’d love if you’d share it on Pinterest to help out other parents.

Cheers!