The Easiest Spring Cleaning Task is Also the Most Important

Spring cleaning feels like an overwhelming project. As clear as the moniker is (we’re cleaning… during spring…), deciding that you’re going to take on the task does nothing to instruct you on what to accomplish, or how you’re going to get there. So while you might have a line on your to-do list to “Do spring cleaning,” it’s going to be impossible to begin without a plan.

So that’s what we’re going to do today, on day two of our Spring Cleaning program, so you can put away the scrub brush for one more day. All you need is a notebook or your phone.

To take your big, amorphous goal of spring cleaning your home and make it something clear, tangible, and most importantly, start-able, we’re going to simply make a list of things you want to clean this season.

During this 10-day guided class, we’ll be hitting some universal hotspots—like the windows, closet, and bed—but you probably have unique things around your space that you want to deep clean. So start by walking around your home with a notebook or your phone—make sections for each room—and begin jotting down things you want to address.

Here are a few examples of things you might note:

• Scuffs around the front door’s knob
• Pills on the sofa fabric
• Dusty blinds in the bedroom
• Dirty, pollen-covered patio furniture
• A drain that’s not draining as fast as usual

In addition to the things you notice on your walkthrough, you might also want to add some hidden deep-cleaning tasks to your list, like running a self-cleaning cycle on the dishwasher, or moving the refrigerator to sweep behind it. There’s a checklist of 29 different spring cleaning tasks in our full Spring Cleaning guide that could be worth flipping through to make sure you’re not neglecting any part of your home that’s important to you.

Keep in mind, this list isn’t a to-do list you need to get to the bottom of before June. It’s a way for you to visualize all of your cleaning goals so you can prioritize the most important ones. When we’re finished with this program, you’ll probably have a dozen things already checked off that list. Then, you can carry that momentum on to the next most important things, and the next, and the next, with whatever time you have to give to your home right now.

Speaking of momentum, one great way to stay committed to the task at hand is to tell someone else that you’re doing it. So in the spirit of (digital) connection that we all so need right now, part two of today’s “make a plan” assignment is to tell someone else that you’re Doing Some Spring Cleaning. Mention it in your happy hour FaceTime session when someone asks what you’re up to. Or email this article around and ask if any of your friends or family want to join you and keep each other encouraged (Hi, friends and family! The person who sent you this must think your home is a mess—just kidding!).

We’re all in this together, and the most important thing is just getting started.

• You can visit the 2020 Spring Cleaning page if you miss any assignments
• Download and save or print the Spring Cleaning Calendar
• Share your progress on Instagram or Twitter: #ATSpringCleaning
• Join the The Apartment Therapist Facebook group and catch up with fellow cleaners