Weekend Projects

This Weekend: Don’t Forget These Manageable Micro Zones

updated Oct 13, 2022
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Are you just about to start your annual spring cleaning, poised to attack and refresh your entire home? We applaud your efforts! But if that’s not you, that’s okay too. Whether part of a bigger spring clean or on their own, concentrating on a few areas that are totally do-able, but equally worthy of attention this weekend will be worth it. Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress.

Want to Spring Clean with some support? Then sign up for our
2017 Spring Cleaning email list and we’ll send you simple, one-thing-at-a-time spring cleaning tasks. By the end of the month, you’ll be able to check all the big once-a-year things off your cleaning and maintenance checklist, in only 20 minutes a day for 20 days.

This Weekend’s Assignment: Tackle some smaller micro zones that will leave your home feeling cleaner.

Junk Drawer: Tackle that hidden spot where little things get stuck and linger until later used, relocated, thrown out, or recycled. It’s a random mix that will never go away completely. It just needs to periodically be reset.

Computer Desktop: If your digital desktop is barely visible past all the .jpgs and folders cluttering it up, free up space on—and hopefully speed up—your Mac or PC by getting rid of useless or duplicate files and organizing the rest.

Kitchen Countertops: No matter how much space and storage you have, clutter inevitably winds up on your countertops. Spend a minute putting things where they belong, or storing them out of sight.

Purses & Bags: For some people, purses and bags are just another junk drawer. If you’re guilty of carrying around a bunch of stuff, now is also a great time to remove everything and try to downsize your everyday load.

Pet Beds & Litter Boxes: If you’ve scooped the poop and the litter box still smells, give it a deep clean before refilling. Or if you’re a dog person instead, wash your pup’s bed and get rid of the dog hair.

Staircase: Clear your steps of shoes and miscellaneous stuff, and give them a good sweep or vacuum while you’re at it.

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Remember, as with all of our Weekend Projects, just do what you have the time and energy to do. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

  • Help motivate others by letting the rest of us know how things are going! Share your tips and photos of your Weekend Project work on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ATweekendproject.
  • Check out 2017’s entire Plan for a Healthy & Happy Home to access all Weekend Project ideas, so you can pick and choose what to do this weekend.
  • Download our April Home Checklist. It’s a free, downloadable, low-pressure list of things to try this month if you want to keep your life and home running like a well-oiled machine. Pick and choose what and how much you want to tackle, and have the satisfaction of crossing them off the list!