Easy Spring Cleaning Tips for the Busy Mom

by | Home, Organization

Overwhelmed by spring cleaning? Here are my favorite easy spring cleaning tips for even the busiest mom! Get started with these simple ideas!  Keep reading for a different perspective that will help take the stress off of traditional spring-cleaning!

I  LOVE  A  CLEAN  HOUSE.  I mean, I REALLY LOVE A CLEAN HOUSE!  Just ask my husband and kids…(or maybe don’t)…because my mood can sometimes be altered by the state of our house.  However, as a wife, mom, and teacher, the thought of spring cleaning absolutely overwhelms me.  So, today, I’m sharing some easy spring cleaning tips that are actually feasible and actually work, even in the middle of a busy household.  Actually, I think this is a different way, entirely, of approaching traditional spring cleaning.

If you’re anything like me, a fresh perspective on this topic can be helpful.

Being busy is not a badge of honor, however, and I really am trying to work on that area of my personality.  I think I’m getting better about not being so out of sorts…if things are at least tidy, I feel a lot better.  When I started teaching full-time, on top of my other responsibilities, some things just had to be let go of, to be perfectly honest.

So on any given day, you’ll find dust bunnies in the corners, spots on the floors, and smudges on the shower tile.  If you’re looking for a spring cleaning blog coming from someone with a pristine house, I’m not your girl.

However,  I also get the strong desire for a clean home, paired with the reality of a busy lifestyle, and how the two don’t always connect very well.  So…

How do I start spring cleaning my house?

There are many checklists and cleaning systems out here that a lot of people find really helpful. I have to be honest and say that I’m not a fan of cleaning systems.  Over time, I’ve found the products that work best for our home and that is going to look and feel a little (or a lot) different for everyone!  To hopefully help you, I have linked up the things that I keep stocked in my cleaning closet, but you’ll want to substitute with whatever products fit your preference and needs!

At the same time, I do love a great checklist and usually work better with one, so I’m offering a freebie, printable list for you today, HERE!

Did you print your list?  Okay, let’s get started!  I’m going to share my top two tips for spring cleaning.

Get ready for it…earth shattering. (Haha!)

How do you clean your house when you’re busy?

Here is the order we are going to follow for tips that I find helpful for making spring cleaning work in our home and family:

  1. Consistently keeping spaces tidy
  2. Declutter frequently, not just at scheduled times
  3. Develop routines that are actually feasible for you
  4. Daily cleaning goals
  5. Weekly cleaning goals
  6. Monthly cleaning goals
  7. Bi-Annual cleaning goals
  8. Other home maintenance
  9. Getting kids and family involved
  10. Lots of grace for yourself and flexibility; there is not a specific set schedule you have to follow for “spring” cleaning

Easy Spring Cleaning Tips for the Busy Mom

How do you spring clean without getting overwhelmed?

NUMBER ONE TIP FOR SPRING CLEANING

 

“Spring Clean” all year long.

Now hold on…that doesn’t sound easy or fun or exciting or simple at all!  However, it really works and it really is less stressful.  For example, with teaching full-time, I cannot spend an entire day deep cleaning the kitchen.

What I can do, though, is schedule in a few hours over the course of a week to make sure the kitchen is in tip-top shape!  So for deep cleaning and large organizational tasks, I schedule them out over time.

What do you clean first when spring cleaning?

First of all, keeping up with the basics on a daily basis will make “spring cleaning” much less overwhelming.

Secondly, before I feel like I can really clean a space, I have to tidy and declutter it.  Doing this regularly (daily, when possible) keeps everything a lot more manageable!

Keep Up with Regular House Cleaning, DAILY

 

    • Every single day, our family does the following:
    • Wipe down bathroom counters and sinks
    • Spray daily shower cleaner
    • Wipe down kitchen island, countertops, and sink
    • Vacuum kitchen and main living space.  THIS vacuum is our favorite because it is easy to move around and shares a battery with our other cleaning tools.
    • Tidy all spaces and put things away where they belong
    • See THIS POST or THIS POST for organization ideas; I’m a stickler for “a place for everything and everything in its place!

Now that my kids are old enough to help, these things are part of their daily chores and of course, my husband and I carry our share as well.  On most days, none of us spend more than 5-10 minutes a day doing any cleaning.  However, it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE!

Keep Up with Regular House Cleaning, WEEKLY

 

Every week, I like for the following list to be done.  Now, I’ll be the first to say, that every possible chance, I hire someone to help out for the weekly cleanings.  We are fortunate to live in a college town and there are always great college students looking for work.

At the same time, I’ll also be super honest to say that there are weeks when I’m not able to get someone to help and choose to spend my weekend time doing other things than cleaning.

So as much as I would love for our house to be cleaned every week, and while that would be the goal, it is safe to say that this happens 2-3 times a month, rather than every single week!

This is an area that I had to really take pressure off myself and am learning to be content with a “reasonably clean house” some weeks!

However, my preference would be that the following things happen each week and I hope to eventually get back to this schedule:

Weekly Cleaning Goals

    • Bathrooms and kitchen thoroughly cleaned
    • Clean stove top
    • Wipe down appliances with stainless steel wipes (hyperlink)
    • Vacuum all rugs
    • Mop all hard floors
    • Dust: I use THIS to dust my vintage and chippy pieces.  A cloth and cleaner usually just push the dust down in all the cracks!  I use THIS for dusting regular surfaces!
    • Wipe down all light switches, door handles, etc.
    • Sweep porch areas
    • Wash sheets
    • One “extra” thing from the monthly list

Keep Up with Regular House Cleaning, MONTHLY

 

Again, I’m the first to say that these are goals and we definitely do NOT get all of these things accomplished every month.  But it wouldn’t get done nearly often enough if we didn’t at least set a goal for it!  By trying to do one of these items each week, it helps us to stay on top of things a little better too.

Monthly Cleaning Goals

    • Baseboards
    • Blinds
    • Vacuum under/behind movable furniture (I do not pull out our big cabinets!)
    • Use 4-in-1 cleaner on hard wood floors
    • Dust light fixtures (we don’t have ceiling fans, but if we did, those would be included with light fixtures)
    • Magic eraser on kids art table and desks
    • Check for wall and door smudges and magic eraser those too

NUMBER TWO TIP FOR SPRING CLEANING

 

Spring clean when it works for YOUR schedule!

With working full-time, it is nearly impossible for me to set aside a particular week each spring to do my spring cleaning.  Doing a little every day/week/month allows us to keep the cleaning under control.  I try to do some major organization each summer when we are off from school and then again in January when our schedule is a little more clear.

Actually, our “spring cleaning” typically doesn’t usually happen in the spring at all!  Instead, I try to get through the following checklist twice a year.

Bi-Annual Cleaning Goals

    • Clean out clothing closets: sort clothing, donate, toss, consign
    • Clean out kids’ toys: Keep, donate, toss, consign
    • Organize kitchen/bedroom/bathroom drawers and closets: keep, toss, yard sale piles
    • Refresh outdoor spaces: power wash, touch up patio paint, wash cushions, clean light fixtures
    • Wash windows and sliding doors
    • Wash furniture slipcovers (wash additional times if and when needed)

Goals for home maintenance/cleaning on an as-needed basis:

There are many other maintenance and general up-keep that we do on an as-needed basis.  For example, this spring, we are doing touch up painting on our interior.  We’ve been in our home for going on six years and it is definitely time!  I don’t schedule those things on a particular list anywhere; we simply try to fit them in where we can and when we really need to!

I am often asked how I keep our house so clean with all the other things I do.  The simple answer is that I try really hard to never let it get too bad.  Is it a perfect system?  Nope.  Does it always happen exactly how I’d like?  Definitely not.  Is it always a work in progress?  Absolutely!

Different seasons of life also require different cleaning styles and schedules.  With our kids’ ages, things get dirty unbelievably fast.  The flip side is that they are also old enough to help out.  So right now, it feels like we are constantly cleaning and keeping up.  I also know that in the blink of an eye, we will be sitting in a quiet home that stays more clean than we want it to, with all the time in the world to clean…an already clean house!

How often should I spring clean my house?

Again, this really depends on your schedule and what works the best for you.  By focusing on these daily, weekly, and monthly lists, as well as getting as much as I can bi-annually from that list, I find that it really spreads our spring cleaning out over the year.

At the same time, it feels a little more like two easy, manageable spring cleanings, rather than one overwhelming one which is also nice.

What cleaning supplies do I need for spring cleaning?

*Please note that brands and kinds of cleaners are definitely subject to personal preference.  Also, I am not brand loyal.  I often get whatever similar product is on sale! Again, just keeping it real for you!

Top two easy spring cleaning tips for the busy mom:

 

  1. Create daily habits for your entire family. Everyone feels better in a tidy, clean home.
  2. Fit cleaning into YOUR schedule. Most of us don’t have entire days to devote to cleaning.  Schedule out those bigger “spring cleaning” tasks over time, try to stick to your schedule, and offer lots of grace for yourself! 

The teacher in me must also say that I am a big believer in helping children develop a good work ethic.  Over 18 years of teaching, it is an area of emphasis that is slipping in our culture in general.

Our kiddos are far from perfect and we have to remind them all too often of their chores.  I don’t have adult children and I can’t say our theory will pay off.  However, my hope is that by learning the intrinsic reward of hard work, we will send out three young adults that give quality contributions to the world around them.

Running the vacuum after dinner or wiping down the table is a small thing…but I hope that it eventually leads to a much greater ability to be a productive adult someday.  Easy spring cleaning tips are a great way to get them involved!

Are you ready to do some easy spring cleaning?

You can CLICK HERE for my simple spring cleaning checklist!  I left lots of space for you to personalize it and add those things that are specific to your home and family needs.  At the same time, I hope it helps you to break down the tasks and make your cleaning a non-stressful, habitual part of your family life!

Now…off to check my own list and see what little task I can complete today!

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterestand Facebook!  

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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