Spring is nearly here for many and one of the wonderful things that means is that it is time for spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is not something new, it is a long held tradition that goes back over a thousand years. Even the old religions used to have special days just to make sure to also cleans homes of negative spirits and energy. I can’t tell you much about those things but I can tell share with you some tips that might be able to help you with your spring cleaning this year!

Spring Cleaning Tips:

#1 First Reduce

One of the best ways to get your home looking amazing is to be free of the clutter. It is time to find new homes for items no longer used. Start in one room with two boxes and a trash bag. Put your hands on each and every item in that room and decide one of 4 things, keep, trash, donate, sell. If you have not touched the item in the last 6 months, do you really need it? If you find yourself with many items and the idea of a yard sale doesn’t sound like fun to you look online at sites like Music Magpie that can help you cell CD’s and Games! They do so much of the work for you and it is very simple. After you have sorted the room, next step is the actual cleaning!

#2 Clean Green

It is such a shame when people clean their homes with products full of chemicals because they are really just adding toxins to the place they love. Choose green cleaners or find recipes online for safe house hold cleaning like spray bottle mixes of vinegar and water! Start at the top of the room and work your way down dusting and cleaning. Don’t forget above the doors and windows. It is a great time to throw the curtains in the wash!

#3 Carpets

Carpeting is a bigger issue than most of us know, they hold all kinds of bacteria and mites and things we don’t tend to want to think about unless you have the professional carpet cleaner. Spring is a great time to hire a green carpet cleaning company to come in and get them all cleaned quickly. If you have never had your house done before, you should know it is much faster than you might think and saves a lot of time and energy!

#4 Organize 

Everything needs a place, a special space that it belongs. If your items do not have a place of their own it is no wonder things go amiss. It is a great time to invest in items that can help you get organized. There are groups online to help inspire and motivate you and give you detailed tips for the space you have. You can often share a photo of your situation and get help right away from those who have years of experience. Something that helps me personally is having bins for closets and holiday items and seasonal clothing. I have also started a kitchen organization system to help with baked goods and other food items to keep them stored neatly and so they stay fresh.

#5 Out with the old, in with the new!

While your running around checking the fire detectors and changing filters for your air unit you might want to look at how energy efficient your home is! Spring cleaning can also be about your budget and there are things you can do to your home to save you money such as low flow facets, shower heads, and toilets. You can turn down your water heater. You can replace  appliances with energy efficient ones to help cut costs! While we are thinking about our homes, we need to also think about our planet and how we can clean it up as well. Our children are watching and chances are they are helping with spring cleaning as well. Help them reduce, reuse, and recycle and make better choices!