Make a list, clean to music, turn it into a party
It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about 4/20 but about the time-honored tradition of spring cleaning.
Cleaning is a four letter word for most people, but it is an unfortunate necessity. Grimaces and bad attitudes aside, spring cleaning doesn’t need to be a causality-laden war waged against your house or apartment. With the right mindset and a few tips, spring cleaning can be fast, painless and maybe even enjoyable.
Tip one: Set aside a specific day for cleaning. If you jump right into it on a whim, you will be miserable and unprepared.
Tip two: Know what needs to be done. Go around to each room and write a schedule of duties down for them. To make cleaning more palatable, write in breaks as rewards for yourself that will give you something to look forward to.
Here is a sample schedule for the kitchen provided by Real Simple magazine:
For every room: 15-minute de-cluttering time
Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
Wipe down the counters (one minute).
Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).
Wash the dish rack (four minutes).
Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).
Empty and clean out the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).
Break (30 minutes).
Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).
Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).
Clean the inside of the stove (10 minutes).
Sweep and mop the floor (seven minutes).
Tip three: Don’t clean in silence. Have some music on in the background. Not only does it make time go by faster, but eventually you will slip into a rhythm with your cleaning and probably catch yourself singing or cleaning to the beat of the music.
Tip four: Make it a party. Get your roommates or friends to help with the cleaning. If it’s your roommates, they should be helping anyway, but promise friends to help them with their cleaning in exchange.
Tip five: In whatever room you work, save the floors for last. It does no good to clean the floors and then be marching all over them to clean the rest of it.
Tip six: Take a stroll down memory lane. Remember those photos from spring break or those old toys you loved as a kid but haven’t seen in years? They’ve found their way to the back of the closet and underneath your bed. Take time when you find these things to reminisce and laugh about them. It will make time go by faster, and make you anxious to ferret out other long-lost goodies.
Tip seven: When cleaning with chemicals, remember to keep a window open to keep the air breathable. If your mother never told you, NEVER mix bleach and ammonia; the combination creates a noxious gas that can kill you.
Tip eight: Take the opportunity to get rid of the stuff you don’t want anymore or have no more use for. Donate those items to an organization like the Goodwill or Salvation Army. No one can feel bad about cleaning when you’re helping those less fortunate than you.
Boulder-area donation centers:
Goodwill drop-off location is in the shopping center parking lot at 30th and Walnut streets.
Salvation Army drop-off location is at 1701 33rd St.
Savers drop-off location is at 695 S. Broadway St.
Tip nine: Extend the concept of spring cleaning to your body. Spring is the perfect time to step up your workout in time for summer, or get a new haircut. Use the time to “clean up” your body and you won’t dread the actual house cleaning.
Tip ten: Make it permanent. If your living space was a nightmare to clean then take spring cleaning as the time to organize and stay on top of the cleanliness. That way, spring cleaning won’t be so hard next year.
For more spring cleaning tips and room-by-room to-do lists, visit here
Contact Campus Press staff writer Cassie Hewlings atcassandra.hewlings@thecampuspress.com
