5 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning More Bearable

I know. It’s probably not the highlight of the season for most people. Not even on the top 3 list of what you are looking forward to - but also, it is what we make of it, right? Right. Spring cleaning can suck or it can be a way to refresh (reinvent?) your home for the new season. I choose to embrace it and if you do too, read on for some tips on how to make it more fun and productive!

1. Get the Family Involved

Weirdly enough, I look back on spring cleaning as a child with good memories. Proudly squirting the windows with Windex and dusting the furniture with an old cloth diaper. The windows would be open, my mom wiping down the walls and my dad outside washing the car in the driveway. My sisters vacuuming, sweeping, or doing the dishes. At the time, I’m sure that I pushed back just as most kids would - wanting to play outside with my friends. That’s what we did back in the day…play outside, riding bikes for hours and only coming in for meals. Or chores. I digress…

I’m sitting here wondering why I respond so fondly to these images, and the reason that keeps circling back is teamwork. I know that I enjoyed the feeling that we were all working as a team and that we could see the progress minute to minute as we were closer to our goal of time with our friends. The vacuum lines on the green shag carpet (70s baby!) and the smell of Pledge in the air… I still smile just thinking about it.

It’s easy to forget that one of the greatest gifts we can give to our kids is the gift of knowing they are needed. That they can make a difference. Let your family know that what they do matters and that you can use their help. Asking for some extra support to get spring cleaning chores checked off the household to-do list is not a punishment, it’s part of being a family unit. My tips below might help convince anyone that disagrees because let’s be honest - it will surely happen.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

2. Make a Cleaning Playlist

While I prefer listening to a podcast while I clean, the way to get the rest of my family involved is to play music. As a family, put together a playlist that will get everyone pumped to get to work! Let everyone pick their favorite energy-inducing tunes and make sure that it’s long enough for more than one cleaning session so you don’t get bored too quickly. Play it loud and proud - another celebration of teamwork!

3. Fancy Cleaning Tools & Products

It sounds ridiculous but bear with me here. I know I’m not the only one who gets excited about a new scented hand soap or a shiny new broom with no dust bunnies holding on (yet). Only buy what you need, but when you do buy, maybe try a new scent, color, or brand to switch things up. The newness will eventually wear off, it always does, but until then, it might be just enough to make someone in the house more apt to grab it and go. If you assign people in your household a specific task, consider letting them pick out the corresponding tool! If only they made purple sparkly toilet brushes…

4. Spread it out

Let’s be real. Nobody has the time or energy to get it all done at once. If you do - you are my hero! If you are like me, you will be more productive if you spread it out into manageable chunks of time. Just like the Clean Mama weekly cleaning routine, assigning a task to a specific day of the week or time of the day that works best for your family will ensure it is more likely to get done. If you currently have a cleaning routine, perhaps adding one task a day for a couple weeks is all you need to accomplish your spring cleaning goals. For example, Fridays are “catch-all” days for me. Over the last couple weeks I’ve used that time to work on wiping baseboards and walls, room by room. It is such a tedious task (but necessary!) that is less than enjoyable, but knowing I’m only doing one room and not the whole house is way less daunting.

5. Celebrate!

There is nothing more motivating than knowing there is a celebration at the end. Plan a party - big or small - to celebrate the end of this yearly project. Make a special dinner or invite friends over to show off your work! This celebration should be decided at the very beginning - perhaps when you and your family are creating your playlist. Make it something fun and memorable - better yet make it a tradition! Some ideas I’m loving are: road trip to a new town/hiking trail/etc., an outing like bowling, rock climbing or laser tag, planting a new tree or perennial, or a Memorial Day BBQ to kick off the summer. You know your family best so be prepared with some ideas to get them excited.

So there you go - 5 ways to make spring cleaning more bearable. Or fun. Regardless, I hope that you walk into summer with a little extra spunk in your step knowing that you have given your home a little love, bonded over family time together, and kicked off the summer with a celebration. Put your feet up and relax…summer is all yours.

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