Spring has SPRUNG! And with it, all the fun spring things. Namely, spring style, spring allergies, and spring cleaning galore. We talked a little about spring style here and here. Spring allergies are here full force; turns out, I actually ended up having an emergency trip to the eye doctor yesterday morning, because my eye allergies turned into a full-on sore ON MY EYEBALL that left me feeling like a branch was under my eyelid, unable to open my right eye. #cute. Now, finally, time for some spring cleaning – a full-blown Saturday project (or really, whole-season-long project) in our household.
Before we bought a house, I’ll be honest: my spring cleaning was minimal. As in, non-existent.
…Maybe I should give myself some credit.
I at least went spring shopping to freshen up the closet. 😉
Really tho, I swear you get a house and BUHBAM, you’re a grownup. With grownup responsibilities. And grownup *bills*. Oy. It’s stressful.
While we moved into our house last April, this spring is really the first time we’ve ever had to embrace “spring cleaning.” I mean, when you first move somewhere, everything is spick and span and I would HOPE there’s little tidying to be done. 😉 Now that we’ve had a year to clutter the place up, time to get serious about spring cleaning once and for all.
- Brace yo’self. To take spring cleaning to new heights, you’ve gotta be ready to embrace the dust, gunk, and crap on a spiritual level. This is important. And worth it. I’d recommend sitting alone among your clutter for a hot sec, to really feel the anxiety that comes when you let too much ish pile up (quite literally). Feeling motivated yet? Works like a charm. 😉
- Jam to good music! I’m allllll about a good jam session, whether that’s for a killer workout or a killer spring cleaning sesh. Might I recommend my “Get Shit Done #werk” playlist for the occasion?
- Pick up yo’ products. Wholesale, of course! I make a pitstop at BJ’s to start each season strong. Work hard, live hard, play hard…clean hard. Ain’t nobody got time for 52 trips to the store when you inevitably need more of
somethingeverything. BJ’s has SO MUCH STUFF inside. Actually, they have everything. Grab enough for you, your mom, and your mom’s best friend while you’re at it. Wholesale shopping is my new addiction, especially since I’m all about saving time (+ $$$) so I can focus on important things like going on walks with my hubby to get ice cream, and figuring out how many gallery walls in my house I can make before I’m considered “extra.” Wholesale means you can get *all* the products you need – for maybe weeks at a time! – while also saving money. #BlessUp- Mr. Clean – Ladies, this guy really does it all. 😉 Really tho, between the Magic Eraser to all sorts of all-purpose solutions, you’re covered. Anything “all-purpose” is fine by me!
- Bounty – I spill things. A lot. I start with my coffee. Lord knows I can’t finish my cuppa joe in the morning without needing to microwave it at least two times, cos this girl has to do #AllTheThings and gets distracted waaaaaay too easily. Then, inevitably, in the rush of flying to the kitchen to microwave something and not feel like a dingbat for continually failing my ONE New Year’s Resolution, I splash coffee somewhere. Guys…I’ve already found coffee drip stains ON MY WALL. How does this happen?! So there’s that. Then, there’s wine. And every other thing I’ve spilled in between. It is V important to clean spills up effectively…without requiring an entire roll of paper towels to make it happen.
- Handiwipes – Handiwipes are stronger + hold up better than paper towels, so they’re good for tougher jobs that need more muscle and scrubbing behind them.
- Windex – Clean mirrors, countertops, glass stovetops, clean glass on framed photos and artwork, etc. Nothing is worse than dirty glass!
- Car cleaners – Get rid o’ all that winter, vacuum inside, wipe down your interior + windows. Treat yo’self to a car wash while you’re at it.
- Febreze – Never fails. When you’re done wiping, scrubbing, spraying and clearing, make sure your rooms are left smelling fresh.
Related Post: 5 Cleaning Hacks using Bleach (for Millennials with no time!)
- Use gloves to avoid cleaning products on skin (+ also protect your manicure, cos priorities). P.S. You can actually shop BJ’s online, so you can get all the benefits of wholesale shopping without ever leaving yo’ couch. And the shoppers said amen! Check out their *entire* online cleaning products department right here.
- Take pillows outside to bang together and help remove dust. Think about how icky it is to be laying yo’ face down on cushions that are harboring dust + dirt…no bueno! Bang ’em out to get rid of the loose debris that can gather from everyday living, then give them a nice lil’ fluffing before setting them back in their rightful spots.
- Shake dust off blankets and throw rugs (do that outside, too), then wash per manufacturer’s instructions. I was SHOCKED at the difference this made to the cute furry white rugs in my office; literally, they looked *brand spankin’ new* after a good shake outside.
Related Post: 14 Ways to Spring Clean Your LIFE
- Use a Swiffer or long handle duster and stand on a step stool to get ceiling moldings – somewhere you tend to ignore! The gross truth: One day last summer, shortly after we had gotten all settled in, we turned our master bedroom ceiling fan on…and dust actually FLEW OFF OF IT. Ratchet, to say the least. Give a simple wipe-down to everything up above – just make sure you’re using something to catch any falling dust, lest it end up all over your bed. #LessonLearned
- Dust wall hangings and gallery walls. You’d be surprised how much dust can gather on something flat on the wall – but it’s SUPER noticeable. A quick wipe-down does the trick!
- If your vacuum has a small brush or nozzle attachment for a hose, use it to really clean out nooks and crannies of furniture and edges where carpeting meets the wall. This is another super noticeable and oft forgotten hot spot for dust + dirt. Your vacuum likely can’t reach into the edges and corners effectively on its own, so this is where it’s trusty hose piece comes into play.
- Go through + clear out old newspapers, magazines, junk mail, etc. and get rid of anything not useful or needed just taking up space and collecting dust. Are you really going to read that Teen Vogue from 2012? Or that StyleWatch from two Junes ago? …please don’t. Get the latest + greatest on newsstands to stay up to date, or read your favorite blogs 😉 – declutter the rest!
- Rinse + repeat that process with closets, towels, linens…
- …and makeup! In case you’re like me and still have makeup from the 8th grade in the backs of drawers, it’s time to stop that madness STAT. Here’s the ultimate spring cleaning timeline of all of your beauty products + makeup. Pleasepleaseplease for the lovelovelove of yo’ beautiful face, stop using expired products! You only get one skin. You can get infinite products. It’s not worth it!
- Store things properly. That is, only the things you’re keeping after you’re done with the annual spring cleaning purge! FYI, BJ’s also has a great storage + organization department, so stock up on containers while you’re stocking up on cleaning products + snacks. Live by the motto that there’s a place for everything, and everything has its place.
- Treat yo’self to fresh flowers when all is clean and sparkling. Cos you deserve it!
Related Post: Spring Clean Your Makeup Bag (When to throw what away!)
Have you done your spring cleaning yet?
I’d lovelovelove to hear how it went…our house is getting full-on TACKLED this weekend (before we head to the Jazz Fest!), so plz send prayers + coffee. Also…do you shop at your local BJ’s??? If so, I wanna know what you’d recommend snagging on my next run. Wholesale shopping lends itself to some killer deals in bulk, so send any/all inside scoops.
P.S. There are less than 48 hours left to enter to win $1,000 CASH, which I KNOW you know you’d lovelovelove.
**Thank you to BJ’s Wholesale Club for sponsoring this spring cleaning post. As always, all opinions and thoughts presented are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Coming Up Roses!