Spring has officially sprung and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m loving the longer days, the bluer skies, and of course the sunshine…now only if the warmer temps would kick in (I know you know what I’m talking about). Honestly and all kidding aside there’s just something about the spring that makes me feel alive, happy and energized.
One thing that I look forward to doing with the arrival of spring is getting back outside after a long cold winter and finally being able to open up the windows to get some fresh air in the house. You know what else springtime means? Spring cleaning of course! Purging things we no longer need, organizing our messy piles of everything and anything that accumulated over the lazy months and getting into areas of the house that haven’t been touched in what seems like forever. It’s a lot of work and it can be a pain in the ass but once you have it done you can’t help but be in a better mood and feel great about your newly cleaned and tidy space.
If you’re anything like me you’re probably thinking, well…that’s all fine and dandy but what if I hate cleaning? Well, here’s a little secret for you…cleaning, isn’t on favourite things to do either, I know…shocker. Unfortunately the reality is that it needs to be done no matter how much it sucks. So, I’m here to figure this out with you. As a Mamma of 3 (ages 5, 3, and 1) you know how crazy and messy things can get so I’m going to share with you some tips, tricks and advice to help you keep things clean and smelling good and all while keeping costs down.
Here goes…
1. Tackle a bit at a time…
When you have little ones running around you need to be realistic and cleaning the house from top to bottom with them around will only stress you out and most likely won’t get your far. Create a schedule so you know that Tuesdays for example are bathroom days while Friday nights are reserved for vacuuming and washing floors (let’s get real we’re parents now and we’ll be home because hitting up the bar just ain’t happening anymore haha) and don’t forget to clean as you go (wash your dishes after you’re done eating, wipe down and tidy yup the kitchen once you’re done cooking, etc).
2. Make it a family effort…
You’re most likely not the only person living in your home right? Which means others are contributing to the mess and so it’s time everyone rolls up their sleeves and pitches in to help out. My husband absolutely hates cleaning the bathrooms so our deal is that I will do that while he takes care of things outside of our home. He’s also obsessed with loading the dishwasher so who am I to argue with him (it’s all yours babe 😉 haha). As for the kids you might think well they’re small, what could they possibly do to help? Let me tell you, there’s plenty! Have them do little things like tidy up their toys after they are done playing, putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, dishes in the sink after meals, etc. These little tasks will not only teach them responsibility but they will also love helping out Mamma and Papa.
3. Have fun…
We all know how exciting and thrilling it is to clean right? I’m clearing joking because we all know it’s not so why not do something about it. Open up the windows, let the fresh air come in and crank the radio. Music will always put a smile on your face and get you moving. Before you know it your dreaded task of cleaning will be a distance memory.
4. Make sure your tools are ready to go…
Before you load clothes into the washer, run the dishwasher or bust out the vacuum cleaner you may want to do some simple maintenance on them. Take the time to run a clean cycle on your washer/dishwasher and of course empty out and clean your vacuum cleaner. Over time things can get yucky and smelly and you don’t want that. Do a google search or check pinterest for some great ways to clean these appliances and trust me you’ll thank me down the road. This is a total must for every spring cleaning!
5. Get your shopping list ready…
Last but not least you need to make sure you have the right supplies on hand. It can get overwhelming when you hit the cleaning aisle at the store…so many products and items that’s it’s easy to drop money on things you don’t need so let’s make it simple. Let’s get you in and out with what you need and without spending extra money. Get yourself a mop (I love microfibre ones that allow you to remove the pad for washing purposes), a bucket, some sponges, rubber gloves, cleaning cloths (good quality cotton or microfibre are both great), and most importantly a great multi-surface cleaner. To get you in the spring cleaning zone may I suggest going with one of my new faves which is Pine-Sol’s NEWEST scent…Spring Blossom. I absolutely love it! It’s powerful enough to cut through grease, grime and dirt and it’s perfect for cleaning your entire home and making it smell amazing. Who doesn’t love the scent of a spring bouquet of Jasmine, Magnolia and Orange Blossom? Thought so 😉 ! This Pine-Sol multi surface cleaner can be used in the kitchen, bathroom and everywhere in between which means one product instead of 5…your bank account will thank you for it.
So there you have it….my tips, tricks and advice for getting you started on spring cleaning. There’s no better way to welcome the season with a clean slate and the spring blossom scent. Also don’t forget to check out the Pine-Sol website for more info and some fantastic How-Tos on killing those nasty flu germs, getting stubborn fabric stains out, tackling backyard toys to getting your shine stainless steel and much, much more!