There are a few things more American than the annual spring cleaning of our homes. Spring cleaning is almost always necessary after a long, cold, and dreary winter when everyone mostly stays indoors. The question is, what makes a good spring cleaning, and what tips and hacks are there to make it easier and faster?
If you need to know those answers, the information below will be helpful! It’s the ultimate spring cleaning guide for 2024, brought to you by the storage experts at iStorage. Loaded with spring cleaning and decluttering tips, plus hacks for space management, garage decluttering, and more, the info below will help you prepare your home for the coming return of warm weather and outdoor activities!
1. Gather Your Spring Cleaning Tools
You can only have a good spring cleaning with the right tools, so gathering them beforehand is best. That way, you don’t have to search for specific items while in the middle of your cleaning project. Some of the best spring cleaning tools to keep on hand include the following;
- A long-handled duster
- A good vacuum with plenty of time-saving attachments
- Several clean rags
- Garbage bags to toss out stuff you don’t need, want, or use.
- Cleaning wipes
- Your favorite furniture spray
2. Spring Cleaning Checklist
Below is a spring cleaning checklist that will help you stay organized and ensure you remember to clean any area(s) of your home.
General Areas
- Vacuum and, if necessary, shampoo your carpets
- Mop all floors that don’t have carpet
- Dust and polish your wooden furniture
- Take down curtains and wash them
- Use a blind-cleaning tool to clean your blinds
- Dust light fixtures, fans, and any other areas that need it
- Clean all of your windows and window sills
Kitchen
- Give all of your major appliances a deep clean inside and out.
- Organize your pantry.
- Give your sinks and countertops a deep clean.
- Clean out your refrigerator and freezer, throwing away anything that has “gone bad.”
- Store pics, report cards, and your child’s handmade items that were on the fridge, making room for new ones to come.
Bathroom(s)
- Take down and wash your shower curtains
- Clean and disinfect your toilet, tubs and sinks
- Clean all mirrors and light fixtures
- Empty waste baskets
Bedroom(s)
- Wash and dry bedding and pillows.
- Get on the floor and clean under your beds.
- Decluttering your drawers and closets, tossing away anything you don’t want, need, or use
Garage
- Use a leaf blower to clean out any natural debris in your garage.
- Use large, heavy-duty garbage bags for garage decluttering.
- Organize all of your tools and equipment.
- If you have a high-end floor in your garage, clean it well.
Attic and Basement
Attics and basements usually get ignored when spring cleaning because, let’s face it, out of sight, out of mind. However, the attic and basement should also be addressed if you want to deep clean your home for spring.
- Throw away anything that’s broken or beyond repair.
- Donate things you don’t need, want, or use.
- Use shelving units, hangers, storage bins, and other devices to organize your attic and basement.
- Don’t store anything you know you’re going to throw away anyway.
3. Top Decluttering Tips for Inside Your Home
One of the most essential facets of spring cleaning is decluttering. Over the winter, most families neglect decluttering because it’s cold, wet, or otherwise unpleasant outside. For many, however, clutter is as bad, or worse, than an unclean home. Below are some excellent tips to declutter and keep your home clutter-free.
- Start small. Choose a single bedroom or other room in the house rather than trying to declutter your entire home all at once.
- Sort things into 3 piles; “Keep”, “Donate”, and “Throw Away”. Then, use those piles accordingly.
- Use a timer. That way, you don’t waste a day trying to declutter a single area.
- Use the “one in, one out” rule. For each new item you bring into your home, eliminate an old one.
- Digitize your essential files, documents, and paperwork. Use a scanner to store them digitally on a device you keep in a safe place. (It takes up much less space than tons of paper.)
Remember that decluttering is about getting rid of things and keeping your home as organized and clutter-free as possible.
4. Use a Storage Unit for Efficient Space Management
It can be difficult to spring clean and organize your home when you have so much stuff that it’s bursting at the seams! Therefore, renting a storage unit from iStorage can be an excellent solution. Storage units come in many different sizes, from 5’x5′ all the way to 20’x30′ and larger, giving you ample room to store practically anything.
Few spring cleaning solutions for efficient space management are better than a clean, safe, and affordable storage unit. A storage unit is also the perfect solution for seasonal storage, including clothing (see below), holiday decorations, seasonal sports equipment, and more.
5. Winter Wardrobe Storage
Once spring arrives and the weather heats up, you’ll want to store your winter wardrobe. Below are a few excellent tips to do precisely that.
- Purchase wardrobe boxes to hang winter clothing and store them in the garage or basement.
- Use silica gel packs to ensure your clothing stays dry and mold and mildew can’t form.
- Store foldable clothing in clear, plastic bins so that you can find specific clothing items quickly when winter comes around again.
- You can also store your winter wardrobe in a small storage unit if you have a lot of cold-weather clothes.
Let iStorage Help You with Your Spring Cleaning Tasks
If you have a lot of extra belongings you want to keep (furniture, clothes, sports equipment, etc.) but need more space at home, a storage unit from iStorage is an excellent solution. Safe, clean, and affordable, an iStorage storage unit can make spring cleaning much easier, faster, and less of a hassle.
When you’re ready, you can reserve a storage unit from iStorage online. You can also visit the nearest storage facility and meet the on-site manager. (They’re friendly and have a wealth of storage knowledge!) Until then, we hope that the tips and hacks we’ve provided today in our ultimate spring cleaning guide have been helpful and actionable, and we wish you a very happy and healthy spring!