Who doesn’t love the smell and feel of a freshly cleaned home?! I don’t exactly like the cleaning itself, but it has to be done. Every year, I start “spring cleaning” in January. Blinds are scrubbed thoroughly, curtains are taken down and washed, and baseboards get wiped down. Light fixtures are cleaned and I attempt to banish even the thought of dust from my home. The attic and garage are cleaned up and organized, yet again. There are a few reasons why I do this in the winter instead of the spring.
I like the idea of being organized and ready for the new year.
I love the potential and possibilities of the New Year. I’m organized, and personal and professional goals are set for the year. The promise of meeting goals and tackling new challenges are exciting to me. With the added bonus of a clean and organized home, I’m starting the year with less stress and saving my sanity. Also, a clean and organized home makes for an organized life. My son and I thrive on schedules so I feel like I can conquer the world – or at least the neighborhood.
There is just something about deep cleaning in the dead of winter.
In years past, I have used a vacation day to complete my inside “spring cleaning.” I will take off from work one day during the week, usually sometime around Christmas or the New Year, and I CLEAN. I make a list ahead of time and start early in the morning, only taking breaks to bring my son to daycare and drink a cup of coffee. Windows are opened to air out rooms. Stacks of cleaning rags and buckets of hot water and Murphy’s soap are hauled around the house. I scrub, wipe and organize. Hours later, sore from climbing a step ladder and bending over to scrub baseboards, the feeling of accomplishment is wonderful. Of course, my husband doesn’t even notice the house has been scrubbed from top to bottom, but I can proudly brag to my mom and best friends about my cleaning prowess – they get me.
We don’t really have a Spring season in South Louisiana.
If you have spent more than two days in South Louisiana, you know it can be 40 degrees one day and 85 degrees the next. I can’t imagine cleaning and organizing my attic in March or April when temperatures are climbing and the place turns into a sauna. Spending the hour or two necessary to get through everything and organize it all sounds much more appealing when done in 40 to 50 degree weather. Trust me – you don’t want to see what I look like after being in the attic for 10 minutes during the summer, much less 2 hours worth of sorting, hauling and cleaning. The same thought process goes for cleaning and organizing the garage and outdoor storage.
Have a game plan.
The idea of spring cleaning can be overwhelming to some. Create a game plan for your spring cleaning. Pick a day or weekend to do it. If you can, make arrangements for childcare so you can focus on cleaning. Make a list of what you want to achieve and list out each task that will need to be completed in order to get it all done. If you are going to need additional supplies like storage solutions or special cleaning agents, purchase them ahead of time so you don’t waste your day going back and forth to the store. If you really don’t have time to spring clean, consider hiring college students or a cleaning service to complete some of the big tasks for you so that you have more time to focus on the smaller tasks on your list.
Lastly, spring cleaning in the winter means I can focus more on being outside with my family and enjoying all of the wonderful South Louisiana sunshine, pollen and humidity that spring time brings.
For more inspiration, check out some of our favorite websites, blogs and Instagram accounts related to cleaning and organizing.
