6 Spring Cleaning Tips: WHAT?! Spring? Yes It Will Be Here March 20th.

Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer.

Clean Room-By-Room

Approaching your house room by room is the most effective way to deep-clean your home at any time of the year, but especially in spring. Use room checklists as a springboard for deep-cleaning the areas of your home that really need extra attention. Feel free to skip items that have recently been cleaned and focus on areas that have been neglected all winter long.

Organize and Clear the Clutter

One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter that you don't need. Now is a good time to advantage of the natural spring urge to get rid of items that are weighing you down and begin fresh. Sorting your belongings into four categories: trash, give-away, store, or put-way—can also be effective as you begin the spring-cleaning process. Plan a garage sale or to donate items to good causes. Cleaning will be a lot easier when the clutter is gone.

Get the Family Involved

If you need a little help in your cleaning endeavors, get your family involved. Even the most unwilling helper can make a big difference in the workload. Don't worry: There are ways to deal with even the most reluctant helpers. Try throwing on some music or establishing a family reward as an incentive to get the work done.

Tackle the Seasonal Chores

There are some special chores that need to be done seasonally. We ignore them for most of the fall and winter, but now it is time to bite the bullet and get these things clean. Several of these chores only need to be done once or twice a year, such as window cleaning.

Keep Cleaning Products to a Minimum

The cleaning aisles of our stores are stocked full of products to help you clean, but the variety can be overwhelming. And dozens of cleaning products means dozens of cleaning products to clutter up your cabinets and closets. Resist the temptation to buy all these cleaning supplies; the real champions of spring cleaning are more basic supplies, such a good all-purpose cleaner.

Establish New Cleaning Habits

A good, thorough spring cleaning that includes the whole house is a great time to establish new on-going cleaning habits and it can also make the next spring cleaning a good deal easier. Simple 15-minute cleanup routines practiced every few days, each including a series of 1- to 2-minute chores, can make it remarkably easy to keep your home more tidy all year long. If you have kids, assign them simple cleaning chores and reward them as part of your ongoing house cleaning.