Dos and Don’ts for Spring Cleaning

Ok folks, so here’s my confession: I HATE cleaning! I know hate is a big word, but ummm…yeah, I HATE cleaning. I hated cleaning up back in the day when the mess in my house was all mine, so you can imagine how much more I hate cleaning up after 3 more people!

So this brings me to my point – it’s time for Spring Cleaning and there’s absolutely no getting around it. It’s such a time and energy consuming project, I know, but there are some ways to soften the blow just a bit and get your Spring Cleaning done more efficiently and with minimal scarring.

This year, I’m proud to announce that I am an official ambassador for Mean Green Cleaning Supplies. Mean Green is the #1 Heavy Duty Cleaner in America, with some of the toughest products for tackling all of your cleaning tasks both indoors and outdoors. In studies against other national brands, Mean Green consistently leads the pack on tough grease, grime, soils and motor oil… and does it for a lower price.  For someone like me who really does not enjoy cleaning, I can appreciate that it does the job well the first time, which cuts my time and effort in half!  

Here are some Dos and Don’ts for Spring Cleaning

DO:

Make a list ahead of time of your biggest areas of focus, while also breaking down some of the smaller tasks within. For example, “Clean the closet: pack up old winter clothes, organize the shoes, color code all blouses (yeah right!).” As you get these tasks done, be sure to cross them off your list and give yourself a pat on the back for your accomplishment.

Dress the part
Yes, don’t think that cleaning in your pajamas will make you feel any more motivated. Actively, get yourself dressed in your old sweats, t-shirt, bandanna, etc. so you really feel ready to clean.

Get your music playlist ready
Get that iTunes or Pandora station ready with whatever music you know will keep you motivated and having a little more fun with the task at hand.

Use quality products

As I mentioned before, time is precious and there’s nothing worse than having to do the same job over and over again because the products you are using aren’t efficient.  Mean Green works double time to get the job done right the first time. 

Prepare for allergies
If you suffer from allergies (especially dust), be sure to take your allergy meds beforehand and make sure your home is ventilated so you’re not taking in all of the chemicals (toxic or not).  Along those same lines, you’ll find that many of the Mean Green products are also made with non-harmful, biodegradable ingredients.

Research
I had a reader recommend this book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing  for some Spring Cleaning tips. I haven’t read it yet, but if you have, please let us know your thoughts!

DON’T

Take unscheduled breaks.

Before starting, establish when you will take a break and for how long and stick to that schedule. Likewise, you can pick out a point on your list where you will take that break. Either way, unscheduled breaks will inevitably throw you off your motivation for Spring Cleaning, so don’t do it!

Keep your phone easily accessible.

I don’t know about you, but my phone is easily the most distracting tool I own and if it’s within 3 feet of me at any given time, I will be tempted to grab it and go on Facebook or Instagram, or play a game, or whatever. Put the ringer on if you’re worried about missing an important call, but otherwise, keep it away!

Overwhelm yourself

As great as it would be to get it all done in one afternoon, sometimes that’s just not realistic.  Feel free to divide the tasks over a few days or even weeks.  No one’s gonna die if your baseboards aren’t spotless today, so relax! 

Overspend on cleaning products

Good cleaning products can sometimes cost you an arm and a leg, but Mean Green is actually one of the strongest and most cost effective cleaning products on the market.  Their products work both indoors and outdoors which also saves you quite a bit on having to buy such a large assortment of products.  To see just how Mean Green can tackle even your toughest spring cleaning or everyday jobs, check out this graphic below:

Again, while spring cleaning may not be the most fun activity to endure, taking the right steps and using the right products help to make it less stressful and gruesome a process.  What are some of your dos and don’ts for spring cleaning?