spring cleaning therapy

Spring conjures up different images for different people. I think of yellow forsythia bushes growing wild in my grandmother’s yard, my father scanning seed magazines, and my mother preparing for her annual spring cleaning. It was a ritual, and a therapy. Transporting all the rugs outside to be shaken clean, washing all the linens, the Pine Sol smell of freshly mopped floors.

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Despite my quest to simplify my life, spring cleaning is one task I won’t discard. I’ve scoured tons of spring cleaning checklists on the internet, but most divvy up major chores into months. Sounds great in theory, but this system is not for me… for two reasons. I never achieve that “everything is spotless all at one time” feeling only fellow OCDers would understand, and I miss the ritual. Perhaps it connects me in some strange way to my mother, who has recently been kidnapped by Alzheimers. Whatever the reason, a thorough, roll-up-your-sleeves, old-fashioned spring cleaning is an important part of my homekeeping. Nonetheless, there’s no need to over-complicate it. Here’s my SIMPLE formula. (Don’t forget, roll up those sleeves.)

•  If you have the time, tackle those closets and drawers before delving into the deep cleaning. Yes, these secret stashes need to be edited at least once a year.
• I like to walk through each room and change light bulbs at one time, especially if you need to dig out a ladder or step stool.
• Replace all the AC filters.
• The rule of thumb for professionally cleaning oriental rugs is every 7 years, but if they need it, roll them up & send them off before you begin your cleaning.
• A simple but time-saving tip: a cleaning apron with big pockets! I wear one even for maintenance cleaning and pick-ups. Stock it with your cell phone, and a small pencil & pad (for your “items to buy/do” list). It’s also handy to collect loose coins & found sundries while cleaning.

I’m including this blueprint for room cleaning, because it amazes me how so many people don’t use a system at all. Before cleaning a room, make sure its closets are organized and cleaned. Secondly, always start at the top (ceiling) because dust falls down. Simple, huh? I use a Swiffer duster (with a re-usable cloth) to dust the ceiling fan or light fixture, then I walk around the circumference of the room dusting the baseboards (including mouldings around the doors & windows). Now that the periphery of the room is dusted, I clean the furniture (dusting/polishing the wood, and vacuuming the upholstered pieces). Lastly, vacuum and mop the floors, and empty the wastebaskets.

Coming from someone who has read EVERY book on home organization (yes, every one), here is the only list you’ll ever need to maintain order in your home:

• 5 minute Minimum Maintenance – This is the most brilliant piece of homekeeping advice I’ve ever stumbled upon. I read Bonnie’s Household Organizer years ago, and it is still my favorite book on the subject. Minimum Maintenance in a nutshell is this: every day a minimum amount of effort will go into that day to make it work. Put on your cleaning apron, walk through every room in your house, and set the timer on your phone for 5 minutes (each room). This is just a quick pick-up, but you’ll be surprised how much can be done in 5 minutes. The only exception to this rule is the kitchen.
• Develop routines. My morning routine is this: coffee, 5 min. Mininum Maintenance, start one load of laundry, decide on dinner.
• Paperwork. No one system fits all, but a strategy is essential. I sort through the mail right away, toss the junk, and store the rest in a hanging “control station” which has pockets for each member of the family. There is also a pocket for bill paying.
• One central big calendar. Here is the one I use, which shows the entire 12 months at once and requires quite forgivable dry erase markers.

So there you have it. I just saved you days, maybe months, of reading all the homekeeping books in the world. Remember, I’ve read them all. And these are the fundamental steps in keeping an orderly home.