Moving into the month of May, it’s finally starting to feel like spring is upon us. One of my favorite spring traditions is cleaning and reorganizing myself for the new seasons. Here are some of my favorite tips and tactics for an amazing spring reset.
- pick it up
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My biggest pet peeve, especially in my own room, are things that have been arbitrarily thrown on the floor. I can’t stand tripping over things that are blocking my walkways and hangout space. For me, this issue is furthered by the teeny-tiny living quarters, or the shoe box, that is my college dorm room.
So, anytime I start cleaning, I always begin by picking up things that are on the floor.
- throw it away
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Is there trash in your room?Â
After getting everything off of the floor, make a trash pile. Get rid of old pieces of paper, bottles, snack wrappers and anything else you don’t need. Recycle bottles, paper, cardboard and glass, and get the rest of the trash out of your living space quickly.
- wipe it down
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Next, whether with it’s with Clorox wipes, Lysol spray or just a cloth and water, wipe everything down. Clear off desks, nightstands, bookshelves and tables and wipe the tops and sides of them clean. This will help to alleviate dirt and grime from your space.Â
- donate it
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Take stock of everything you have in your living space. I like to reference Marie Kondo’s litmus test of “does it spark joy?” If whatever item you’re testing still brings you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, keep it. If it doesn’t, get rid of it or donate it to your local thrift shop.
- refill it
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Look at your pens, mechanical pencils, snacks, drinks and anything else that needs to be refilled. Take note of what you need, make a list and get your refills.
- make your bed
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Next up, it’s time to make your bed. Making my bed is a habit that I always try to start my mornings off with.
However, I inevitably fail at it about two weeks later. But I think it marks an important sign of a reset. It’s a new day and making your bed will set the tone for your spring cleaning reset.
- do your laundry
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I hope you stripped your sheets before making your bed. Now it’s time to do your laundry. Throw everything in the washer, so you can not only have a clean room, but also clean clothes, towels and sheets for the brand new season.
- sort by color
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Take the clean clothes and set them out, sorted by clothing type and color. Now, it’s super easy for you to put them away in whatever fashion you like.
My preference is to sort my drawers and the clothes in my closet by clothing style and then by color. I typically put them away as follows: dresses, jackets, pants and skirts and shirts and sweaters. Each of these categories is sorted by color: dark to light in the order of the rainbow, with neutral bookending.
- go grocery shopping
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Even though it might’ve been part of your refills to buy some new things, it’s always an important part of a reset for me to be able to go to the store and buy some new and fresh snacks. For springtime, I love getting fruit.
- buy flowers
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Lastly, treat yourself after a cleaning job well done, and buy yourself some flowers to decorate your space. They represent the freshness of the new season so well.
Happy cleaning.