It is nearing the end of August, and subsequently, nearing the end of those Winter months and the beginning of Spring. This can only mean one thing. Spring Cleaning.
Wikipedia defines Spring Cleaning as: "the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name."
Now, some of you (like me) will moan and groan and put it off for as long as possible. But hey, you could find those elusive socks that have been missing for months (go apologise to the washing machine) or that beanie that you were
so sure you had left at someone else's house. Yes, spring cleaning is a positive thing.
Spring Cleaning can be done multiple ways. You can make a whole weekend of it and go through your entire house, cleaning top to bottom, every room, every space and every cupboard, or you can do what I do. I choose what needs to be done the most and start there. That way, when I get into the swing of it, I'm more likely to continue, work harder, complete more and even have fun.
Recycle any unneeded bits of paper.
Spring Cleaning can be done solo or with others. Yes, cleaning can be a social event. So, if you work better with friends, grab your housemates or your partner or even your children and start sorting through that year's worth of accumulated junk sticking out of the desk. If you'd prefer to fly solo (you might work quicker that way) then that's good too, just pull up some canvas bags and start sorting out what you want to keep and what needs to be donated or thrown away.
Going through your belongings is not only a good opportunity to find what you once thought was lost. Through cleaning, you could find enough items to host a garage sale, donate to a thrift store, swap with your friends or just discard to make room for other things. You may not know how many unneeded brochures you have lying around or clothes that you may not wear and haven't thought about.
If you've decided to clean your bathroom and toilet, never fear, there's positives in doing that also. You may find half-used shampoo bottles that could save you a trip to the supermarket and you can use this time to safely discard any out-of-date medications. Having a pristine bathroom and toilet will also lighten and brighten the environment, so you can enjoy that bubble bath even more when you're done.
You can donate, swap or sell your old clothes that are still in good condition.
If you're going to go through your child's things, old toys and clothes are perfect to donate to thrift stores or even to another child that you know. Going through these things will also allow you to know what you or your child may need more of such as: more winter clothes, T-shirts, notepads or pens.
So before September comes and blesses us with Spring, set aside some time for Spring Cleaning. It can be more fun than you'd think.
