Friday, May 31, 2013

Last Minute Spring Cleanings

Okay, I know that technically, it's already summer. I know that you're already wearing flip flops, grilling out, getting sunburned...


I know.

But — assuming this post goes out when I want it to, and that you read it RIGHT when it goes out — it's still May. To me, May feels pretty springy, so I'm not going to feel to bad about bringing up spring cleaning. To make it even more acceptable, I'll tell you that this isn't even hardcore spring cleaning. This is last-minute, easy-peasy, just-do-it-because-you'll-feel-a-teensy-bit-better spring cleaning. 

I've never really done much with spring cleaning, partially because I've never before had a house in springtime, but also because it seems really intimidating. This year though, with the impending baby and whatnot, I got waist-deep into spring cleaning, and while I did find some of it to be very labor intensive, I also stumbled onto a few areas where quick purging sufficed. If you're looking to spring-clean something, just anything at all, before you run out of springy-May, why not try one of these often overlooked areas? Here are five, easy, maybe-you-hadn't-thought-to-clean-this items.



1.) Carry-ons. I feel like most women probably switch purses in the springtime anyway, so why not take a few extra minutes to clean them out as you switch. Lose the gum wrappers, gather loose change, reign in the bobby pins...get all that heavy junk out of there. If you've got a fabric bag, toss it in the wash overnight. If not, give it a quick wipe-down while it's empty. The same process can be quickly applied to diaper bags, gym bags, man-purses/briefcases...anything you carry with you can pick up clutter. Dump it out, lighten that load. 
2.) Cell Phones. You know it needs it. There are apps you don't use, pictures you took with your thigh, contacts you're pretty sure you've never met and never will...take a minute to clean it up. And then why not run it through the latest available update? 

3.) Computers. Ugh. These can go FAR too long without a good cleansing. Take an hour and organize some pictures. Delete an obsolete program. Store old files to an external hard drive and get them off your computer, because let's face it, you're not going to be revisiting that Classical Epic midterm paper any time soon.  Do it. It will feel sooo good! 

4.) Countertop. Keeping your horizontal surfaces dramatically clear will help your WHOLE house seem spotless...even if it isn't. Yet we're always shooting ourselves in the foot with this one because countertops seem like such excellent storage spaces! Fight the urge. Take a minute tonight and find a new home for your coffee pot/bread machine/kitchen aid/whatevermightbemosteasilyremovedfromyourcountertop. Even eliminating just one thing will help. 

5.) Closet. Did you see this one coming? Yeah. Spring is such a good time to get rid of some winter clothes, because the rest will go into storage (or at least will be out of use), and the beauty of them going into storage is that if you're anything like me, you won't have the slightest recollection of what your warmer wardrobe looks like when the crispy-ness of Fall warms around! Ergo, it won't bother you if that certain green sweater isn't there anymore. What green sweater? Oh I got rid of it last Spring? Hm. Can't picture it. 
To make this even easier, ask your husband to go pick out three things he didn't see you wear last winter. Don't look at what they are. Trust him. You'll probably never even notice they're gone. 

There you go. If you want to get in a little tiny bit of cleaning before the summerishness of June, take the next 10 minutes to an hour and knock out one of these. It'll feel good. I promise.

How about you? Any tips to share? Anybody off to get in some last minute spring cleanings?

2 comments:

  1. So this is the first spring that we've actually owned the house we live in and I made a conscious effort to spring clean. And even with the chaos of the wedding, I went through our whole closet and packed away anything that was classified as winter or was even slightly the wrong size. My closet was about half as full.

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    Replies
    1. Felt good, didn't it? Like the kind of thing you really wanted to show off...even though you know nobody else really wants to see it...

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