Preparing your spring cleaning checklist is probably the last thing on your to-do list as you wait out the remaining cold winter weeks. However, there is tremendous magic and rejuvenation in a good, deep spring cleaning process. Transforming your space to be a cleaner, positive environment can have several benefits — and there’s no need to invest an excessive amount of money or time either.

From benefits such as better concertation, lower stress levels, and even help with common allergies, spring cleaning is a great way to improve your environment overnight. And with the COVID-19 virus still keeping many of us at home, our spaces should bring us comfort and ease, not the opposite.

If you require a reset this coming spring, here are a few different ways to simply and easily adjust the ambiance of your living space.

Rekindle the Joy of Cleaning

Many groan at the thought of spring cleaning. To be fair, the idea of cleaning and organizing a whole house or apartment in a weekend is pretty overwhelming and, frankly, stressful. Furthermore, most people would rather spend their free time doing something they actually enjoy.

Another reason why you might hate the idea of spring cleaning is you could be setting unrealistic goals for yourself. It’s important to keep in mind that spring cleaning doesn’t necessarily mean you need to Marie Kondo your entire life. If you can remove the pressure to have an over-the-top spring cleaning checklist, the easier it will be to take the first step and start knocking out tasks.

Some useful resources can help with setting more practical spring cleaning goals. Some worth keeping in mind include:

• Motivation: From the smaller tasks like sweeping to the big ones such as cleaning out your garage, it’s possible to accomplish everything you want if you know how to stay motivated. Of course, that’s often easier said than done. Consider curating a motivating cleaning playlist with your favorite songs to switch on while you’re working. Also, try setting a specific starting and end date (with some wiggle room) to finish your checklist. And finally, another way to stay motivated that often gets overlooked — reward yourself! It might seem silly but knowing pizza or a night out with friends is waiting for you at the end of everything can often be the little extra push you need.
• Household Organization: Yes, it’s important to get organized before you organize. Remember, spring cleaning is about giving you and your space a fresh reset to invite more positive benefits such as improved sleep and focus into your life. This means clutter that exists simply to take up space needs to be addressed. Whether you invest in a storage unit or donate your items, organizing your things will help make you more productive and less stressed so you can continue hitting your spring cleaning goals.
• Room by Room: Whether you live in a 600 square foot apartment or a three-bedroom home, dividing rooms into their own separate checklists can, at the very least, give you a clear idea of everything you need to accomplish. More than that, though, it can also help make the tasks easier to manage. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a sprint, it can simply be a process. If you know you get overwhelmed easily when you see tasks flying down the page, try thinking of each room as its own project to spend time and effort on. Breaking everything down day-by-day, project-by-project can make the entire process less stressful, which means you’re more likely to check off everything.

Cleaning our spaces can result in some magical changes in our life, but cleaning can also be a huge source of stress for some people. Keep in mind that beating yourself up over not finishing everything undoes a lot of the hard work you’ve already put into your space. Remember, you’re working to have a more positive and comforting zone, not one of guilt and failure.

Address Common Allergens

Another magical element of spring cleaning is it can be beneficial to those with sensitivities, such as asthma or allergies. Millions of people across the U.S. have some sort of allergy, with dust mites being one of the most common indoor allergens. This means that it’s not unlikely that your space is contributing to your allergy symptoms and perhaps even making them worse. Allergies don’t just cause us to have a stuffy nose either. For example, if you’re a contact lens wearer, your lenses can become irritated if you’re regularly exposed to certain allergens. Due to the moist surface of contact lenses, it’s easy for spores and dust to stick to them when we rub or touch our eyes. And nothing ruins a cozy night curled up on the couch watching your favorite show quite like swollen eyes and painful irritation.

There are many ways allergens can be introduced into our house. Pollen can stick to things like your clothing and your pet’s fur when outside. This makes it fairly easy to track into the house, especially during the spring months. You may already be regularly wiping down known dusty surfaces, but this time of year it’s extremely beneficial to get into all the nooks and crannies. To help clearing these hard-to-reach places, it’s also worth considering purchasing a HEPA filter for your HVAC system or installing one on your vacuum. The HEPA filters are designed specifically to capture almost every size of particle in the air coming into your house.

Focus on the Elements

We’re all familiar with the four classic elements — air, fire, water, and earth — but how often do we consider them in regards to cleaning? Considering that the four elements each represent different aspects of life and the self, incorporating their power into your home can transform the overall energy of your space.

Generally speaking, air represents the intellectual and communicative self, fire represents passion and strength, water evokes emotion and wisdom, and earth represents stability and practicality. Depending on what kind of energy you need to pull from, there are some simple ways to create a better energy flow with the help of the elements.

• For your office, look for a small fountain or water feature that can sit on your desk and also provide a calming and soothing sound. You could also purchase an aquarium for your home if you’re able to care for fish and other aquatic pets.
• For your living room, try adding in earth elements like plants, landscape paintings, or crystals.
• Introducing better lighting throughout your home with lamps and even candles can help incorporate more of the fire element into your environment.
• Creating a space in your home to practice yoga or meditation can be a unique way to incorporate the air element. Yoga and the like often focus on the strength of our breath. Bring some incense into the space for additional air elements.

Spring cleaning isn’t just about getting rid of your stuff. It’s also about introducing elements and items that will make your space a more magical place to be.

As the faint signs of spring begin popping up, rejuvenating your home (and your mind) could be the thing you need after the past few months or even year. Luckily, now is the perfect time to start reviving your living space if you want. And remember, spring cleaning can be defined however you like. It’s all about making yourself feel better through acts of self-care and appreciation, giving yourself a healthy and organized environment to thrive in.

About the author:

Frankie Wallace is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She writes about a variety of topics, and spends most of her free time in her garden. 

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