Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring Cleaning Tips

When it comes to spring cleaning, it's important to deal with the tidying part first (of course) before cleaning, because it will make cleaning much easier. As the tidying guru Marie Kondo says "Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature." In Canada (and most countries located much north of the equator), spring cleaning is the transition from winter to spring and preparing the home for enjoying outdoors.

Here are some tips that I have that you can use to get your spring cleaning started:

• When removing tarp or covers from your outdoor furniture or central air/air conditioner, be sure to spray them down first to remove the dirt and then fold them into the smallest rectangles and place them in a clear container vertically, so that they all live together in your shed or garage.

• If you have a shed or garage, and if you haven't done KonMari in these areas this is the best time to do it (but only if you have finished doing the last three categories of clothing, books and paper of course). Bring everything out on a nice sunny day and categorize items, choose what sparks joy and then organize back. This would also be a good time to bring the spring and summer gardening equipment to a more accessible spot and switch the homes of the winter equipment. Have lawn mowers in closer reach than the snow blowers, and switch snow shovels with gardening tools and rakes.
  

Image from Better Homes & Gardens via Pinterest.

• Organize the stuff in the shed and garage with a peg board and hang items that are useful and spark joy, so it makes finding what you need at ease.

• This is a good time to take inventory of what's under the sink (kitchen and bathrooms) and also the pantry of what is expired and not in use. For under the sink in kitchen, I recommend using only three cleaners (All purpose cleaner, wipes and dish soap) and having them stored in a filing box, I like the plastic filing boxes from MUJI.

• Try Shizen for spring cleaning, it's a more Zen way of creating a more natural environment and green home, you can even play Zen-like music while cleaning. Open all the windows for fresh air to come into the home and let the drapes breathe and more natural light to see all the dust everywhere. Check on your plants, use a fork to mix soil, cut dead leaves and give some plant food. Only use natural cleaning, try creating a homemade natural all-purpose cleaner with just a half vinegar, and half water with one lemon squeezed and the lemon slices infused into the mix and place into a spray bottle, store the rest in a mason jar.

Image from Domino via Pinterest.

• If you’ve completed the KonMari Method already, but want to have an even more minimalist aesthetic to the home, try another Zen element called Kanso. Kanso is a design for the home which has more of a plain and simple interior design look. It focuses on having less decor, patterns, and excess (less souvenirs or accents on display) and really appreciating the beauty of simplicity. Start by looking at the stuff you have on display and check out online examples of Kanso so you have a better idea.
  

Image from Hovey Design via Pinterest.

I hope these tips give you some good ideas on how to get your spring cleaning started. Hopefully you have continued doing KonMari throughout your home, but even better if you have completed it already, and then you can do spring cleaning with confidence!