Spring has ‘sort of’ sprung in the UK, which means we will have a couple of weeks of nice weather here and there. It’s certainly important to make the most of the weather at the moment, getting outside in the sun whilst it lasts and soaking up a bit of vitamin D. But if, as you’re reading this, the sky has clouded over, make use of this time you have inside to do one thing: spring clean.
Start with your wardrobe: We’ve had a particularly long winter this year, but it may finally be time to start putting the big warm coats away and swap them for something lighter. In my room, my winter coats hanging up takes up quite a bit of space, so putting some under your bed and replacing them with your lighter, more spring-appropriate coats will instantly make your space seem less cluttered. In your wardrobe and drawers, empty everything out onto the floor, and make three piles: ‘keep’, ‘maybe’ and ‘get rid’. Put the keeps back into the right place and then sort through the maybes: these will often be pieces you haven’t worn for a while, but which have sentimental value, or things that don’t quite fit. Try to be brutal – the chances are, if you haven’t worn it since you last cleared out, you won’t wear it again. Motivate yourself in doing this by setting yourself a reward scheme: for example, for every five items you give away, you can treat yourself to one new thing. Most importantly, don’t throw anything away – give it to your friends to sift through, and anything left over can be taken to a charity shop.
Once your wardrobe is clear, it’s time to move to your surfaces. Again, take everything off them, and put them on your bed or the floor. Now it’s cleared, you can clean it – get a cloth and some cleaning spray and wipe them down. If you’re tidying your desk, think about what is on there that you don’t need – I used to have a big organiser on my desk, but it took up so much space and I just ended up putting random bits and bobs in it, so it wasn’t actually organised at all. I replaced it with a much smaller pencil pot, where I just keep the essentials, so my desk now looks tidy and is an inviting environment to sit and work at. With bookshelves, sift through your books – are any library books that you keep meaning to return, or ones you used last term that you no longer need? Get them out of your room – return them to the library or, if your old textbooks are in good condition, try selling them: students will appreciate the cheaper rate, and you will appreciate the extra bit of cash.
Now your desk and shelves are sorted, get out the hoover. It is the most boring, but probably the most effective part of making a change to your space. Go over the floor, and then take off the floor brush at the end and use a smaller head to go right into the corners, where you never normally hoover to get all the cobwebs and dust. Move your furniture around a bit to make sure you get everything.
Finally, the bed. It’s probably overdue anyway, so change your sheets. If you have some bright coloured bedsheets, blankets, or cushions, get them out and decorate your bed – if you have a small room like mine it is actually quite a big space in the room, so making it look nice will make a big difference.
Try to do these steps all in one day, so it doesn’t drag out and actually make your space and mind uneasy due to the clutter you will leave in not doing it all in one go. You’ll be amazed by how much a clearer space impacts you mentally – clearer space = clearer mind.
Happy cleaning!