While the warm weather may have most of us thinking about bathing suits and beaches being just around the corner, all that sunshine might also shed some light on the inside of your home. The renewed energy you feel with the longer days and fresh air might have you noticing that some corners of yourhome are a little more dingy than you remember. And if you haven’t already pulled out the rubber gloves and baking soda, now would be a good time to start preparing that elbow grease for some down and dirty work around the house. Spring cleaning should be right up there with other seasonal rituals, like cutting the grass or drying laundry outside. In fact, most cultures around the world have some sort of house cleaning tradition or ritual that encourages us to purge and clean our homes. And while cleaning house is great for anyone, those of you looking to prepare your house for sale in the near future might not know just how valuable this tradition can be. A good, deep spring clean is good for your health and state of mind, and in the case of selling a home, good for the wallet as well. So set aside a weekend and pull out your cleaners of choice, and while you’re at it, keep these essential cleaning approaches in mind as your brush away the old and welcome in the new.
Purge, Purge, Purge
The long and short fact of life is that unless you have made a deep and genuine commitment to a minimalist lifestyle, we all tend to gather and collect a lot of stuff, most of it long forgotten, some of it worse than useless. And while you might just want to dive right into sorting and washing, it is a lot easier to clean your bedroom or kitchen if you don’t have to contend with all the junk that can often fill our cupboards and drawers. So before you worry about cleaning, start with dejunking. You can do a full on Kondo-esque cleansing of your entire house, or just focus on problem areas (like closets, kitchen cupboards and drawers, or the dreaded garage or storage locker) and make your place easier to clean and keep clean. And don’t worry about what to get for storage bins or organizers - before you hit Ikea, toss what you can by donating unwanted items, and tossing or recycling items that can’t be safely reused by others. Since the the weather is nice out, this is also the perfect time to put on that garage sale to make a few bucks from your unwanted stuff, or look to see if there are community yard sales in your area that you can piggyback on to. The only thing better than a less cluttered house is profit you can make of your love-lost possessions, not to mention the possibility of a shorter and better sale on a clutter-less home.
Air it all out
Once the junk is out of the way, you can start to get down and dirty and begin cleaning those items and areas that rarely see the light of day. Spring cleaning is the best time to air out items like rugs and curtains that have been suffocating inside all winter long, and you may be surprised by how smells and dust have been able to cling to fabrics. A good day of airing out will bring a renewed freshness and vigour to your home. These areas, like your living room carpet or those pillows always crammed in the couch, can beeasily overlookedday in and day out, but visitors to your home can pick up on neglected areas and lingering odours in a way most homeowners can’t, and dealing with these areas can have an impact on regular guests and potential buyers. So let those pillows and comforters hangout in the wind, and give those hidden-away areas (think under the sink, any closet or corner with kitty litter or pet food, and any surprises lurking under the bed) a chance to breathe.
Think about Hiring a Pro
Most spring cleaning can be done by yourself - a weekend set aside with a stockpile of rags and a few key cleaning products can go a long way to make your place sparkle and shine. But if you find yourself already overwhelmed with family, work or other personal obligations, getting a little help from a trusted and insured cleaning service can save you a weekend of hassle and leave with a beautiful and clean space where you can put up your feet and enjoyyour new shiny space without all the sweat and swearing that might be necessary to get it that way. Plus, a professional who comes to clean your home often takes less time to do the work since they don't have the emotional attachments that can make cleaning your own home drag on for longer than necessary. If you choose to go the pro route, ask family and friends for their recommendations or search through local review sites like Homestars to help you pick a company that will leave you happy with their service. And if you are thinking of selling your home, now would be a good time to talk to a realtor about what areas they recommend you pay some attention too. What a waste of time it would be to focus hours on scrubbing your floors and walls, only for your realtor to point out that little polishing of your front porch or a coat of paint on your closet doors will make a bigger impact. Either way, whether selling your home or just wanting a cleaner and healthier space for your family, a solid spring cleaning will have you reaping the benefits for the rest of the summer.
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