I believe that Spring Cleaning should be done in all seasons. Actually, I think it should be renamed to "Weekly Cleaning," but I'm probably the only person in the world that thinks that.
If your room needs a bit of sprucing up, here are some general steps to follow to get it looking like my bedroom. (Well, at least my half. My sister's half is a wreck. But we won't go there).
You can also use these steps for other rooms, just modify them to fit whatever it is that you are cleaning.
1. Make your bed.
-- This is a good place to start because it starts the process of tidying things up. It also makes a good place to
temporarily put things and sort through later (in the process of cleaning).
-- If you haven't washed your sheets lately, strip your bed instead and postpone this step to after step 6.
2. Pick up everything off of the floor and put it away.
-- There are so many people who have clothes EVERYWHERE. Pick them up and put them away.
-- And not just clothes, just stuff too! If you don't need it, get rid of it. If you do, put it away.
-- It is smart to have a trash bag in your room so that
-- If there isn't room to put them away, maybe it's time to go through them and give away the things you don't wear anymore. (see topic about Sorting Through and Giving Away)
-- If you need to do this sorting and giving away, move the things into another room if you can, maybe the living room...somewhere where you will have space to go through everything.
3. Vacuum
-- Who likes dust and dirt? Well okay, dirt can be fun, especially when mixed with water and being messy, but that's not the point...
-- Vacuum it up! This will also get up dog/cat/human hair, clipped fingernails (eeeewww), dried up contacts, and other creepy things I can't even think about.
-- When vacuuming, make sure you get in EVERY little nook and cranny you possibly can.
-- GO SLOWLY. Take it one section at a time, going back and forth over each area twice if you haven't vacuumed in a while (or ever).
-- If you see a dust bunny or ball of hair stuck in a corner that the vacuum can't reach, then
pick it up. It won't do anyone any good just sitting there because the vacuum can't reach it. You can do it.
4. Mop/Swiffer Wet Jet
-- If you are cleaning a room that has carpet, you can skip this step.
--
However, if you are cleaning a room that has an area rug,
do not skip this. Clean even the smallest sliver of wood/tile/slate/etc. floor that you can see. (Plus it gives the room a fresh and clean smell.)
-- The Swiffer Wet Jet is my best friend. If you don't have a swiffer, a mop will do the job too (I've never actually used a mop myself), but I seriously urge you to buy a
Swiffer Wet Jet. They're reasonably priced, super super easy and a lot less messy than a mop. I swear by it. And you can get it pretty much anywhere.
-- Oh and I use the multipurpose wet jet cleaner, that way I can go from wood to tile and it doesn't matter.
5. Dust
-- If you're really in the cleaning mood, whip out that dust rag and pledge! Honestly, I don't do this every time I clean, but it's good to do every now and then.
6. Wash your sheets
-- You should wash your sheets and pillowcases about every two weeks for health reasons. (I do mine almost every week).
-- You should also wash your blanket/duvet every now and then, especially if it's white.
-- It'll feel so nice and clean in your freshly made and clean bed!
-- It would also be smart to strip your bed first and let the washer run while you're doing everything else! It's all up to you.
See, that wasn't too hard was it? And it you should definitely feel better about your room and therefore yourself. At least I do. Hope it helped!
-Soo Coco
