Is it “Spring” Cleaning if I Start During a Snowstorm?

Is it “Spring” Cleaning if I start during a snow storm?

We just scheduled two events to host in our home in the next month, so I find
myself in Spring Cleaning mode.  But does it count as Spring Cleaning if we start on a snow day from school?  Hope so, here goes…..

First of all, why Spring Cleaning?  Think of it as a breath of fresh (albeit chilly today) air to your home or office.  Take the opportunity to clear the decks, shake things up a little and re-imagine a cleaner, more organized life.

My Spring Cleaning starts with a Spring Purge. 
To get yours started, collect all the stuff from around your house or office that you have already decided to let go.  Very often, we decide to part with an item, but then wait for the right time or situation or a nice day to move the items out of the house.  Perhaps you have hesitated to purge things because you have made some decisions about some items, but not all.    

Abandon Perfectionism, friends, and just start.  Let the items go!

So what is your stuff, and where is it going?  Maybe your items are slated for sale: if so, go ahead list them on Craig’s List, Ebay or Facebook, and get things moving.  Drop off your clothing donations, take your items back to the store for credit, return items to their owners, recycle your cast-off electronics.  You name it, it can go. And don’t worry if you’re not done with your purge, take the first wave of stuff away anyway, and revel in the open space.

Plus, put another drop-off day on your calendar, a few weeks from now, for the second wave of stuff to be donated / delivered / sold.

This week, I returned over-bought items to the store for credit, I will list a toy
racetrack on Facebook for sale, drop off electronics to our E-Waste Drop site and medication bottles at the Police Department, take a bag of books to Bookies
on 103rd for store credit, and donate some books and dvds to our local library.

Next I make my plan for the actual cleaning and organizing.  Typically, I list all
the rooms in my house and then, moving from room to room, I determine what the extra cleaning needs are and what organizing or updates need to happen. 

Here’s my actual list:

• J’s room: books and toys
• A&D’s room:  books, hang shelf
• master bedroom: done
• bathroom & linen closet: done
• front closet: tidy up, purge extra door decorations
• living room: rug?, G’s desk, music storage
• dining room: done
• Kitchen: papers: files, binders, recipe binder
• family room: desk/papers, dvds, desk drawers, winter accessory purge
• Basement laundry room: tidy up, rugs
• bathroom: done
• furnace storage room: tidy up, donate books and treadmill?
• work room: tidy up
• Lego area and Music space: Ugh.  Egads. 
• Garage: recycling, tidy up
• Basement crawl space: Done
• Windows:  When it is actually warm out
• Lawn and Garden:  When it is actually warm out

My favorite part of this step is recognizing which rooms are just fine the way
they are – DONE!  For example, our bedroom, the dining room, and the bathrooms are all fine with just a regular weekly cleaning, and I washed all the bedding last week.  This list of things I DON’T need to do helps me narrow my focus onto the areas that really do need my attention.

Looking at the list, I can choose to complete some small projects right away, to add to the DONE! List.  The laundry room, furnace room and garage
need only 15 or 20 minutes of attention each, so I will knock those out today.

Determine what projects you can complete independently, and which require the assistance of others, and pick your day to complete them. The bedrooms and the basement space require the rest of my family to help, so we will tackle those over the weekend (or, did I mention – SNOW DAY!!).  And one area, the work room, is
purely my hubby’s domain.  I can tackle these pieces over the next few weeks, purchase a new area rug or two, and be DONE with my spring projects before March ends.  Woo-hoo!  Then baseball season starts, and scout camping and weekend travels when the weather gets warmer…

Wow, it is a good thing I am starting these projects now, Snow or No Snow!