DISCLOSURE
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Every year, I see people dive into spring cleaning. You make these huge lists of things to clean in the hopes of setting yourself up for success for the rest of the year. And while I do see the value in some spring cleaning, in some ways I think it’s another way that we can make ourselves feel bad about the state of our homes by not doing “enough”, compared to what we think others are doing. In that spirit, here are five questions I’ve been asked about spring cleaning recently, with tips that you can use all year round. My goal is that they help you simplify your season, not make it more complicated.

I should note that if you’re new to the blog, some of the questions in this post are about cleaning vs. organizing. I don’t usually talk about cleaning topics because it’s not my specialty, but what’s spring cleaning without a couple of actual cleaning tips? So here we go...

1. What is the best way to store off-season clothing?

I was asked recently which I think are better to store your off-season clothing: shrink bags vs. boxes. I gave the same answer as I always give when asked what the “best way” is to organize anything: There is no “best way” to organize.

Instead, I suggest asking yourself other questions about the space you’re going to organize. Are you short on space? Do you really need to make use of every inch? If so, using shrink bags could be a great option! That said, if you have plenty of storage space - feel free to skip the extra step of using shrink bags. The goal of all organization systems is to keep them as simple as possible. You always want to create a system that is easy to maintain and easy to find what you need when you need it - that’s it!

2. Should I take more than a week to do my spring cleaning?

Listen, I am not a fan of this whole sprinting to get everything done in a couple of days situation, whether it is decluttering your home or spring cleaning. I think that it’s much more sustainable to do a little bit at a time vs. trying to dedicate days or weeks to make it happen. If you try and spring clean too much over a week - there’s a really good chance that you’ll be feeling over the project by Day 3.

When it comes to spring cleaning, know that there is always more that you can do. There are so many blog posts and articles dedicated to long lists of projects to tackle. Instead, I suggest to clients and students that you tackle it this way instead:

First, think about how much time you want to dedicate to spring cleaning
Make a list of the things you would like to do (making sure the list makes sense compared to how much time you have)
Just do that. Don’t let the “Complete List of Spring Cleaning Projects” or other people‘s lists make you feel like you’re not doing enough.

3. Which is better to keep your closet fresh - potpourri versus cedar?

Instead of thinking about this from a scent point of view, let’s think about it from a problem-solving point of view. Are you looking to create ambiance in your storage space? In that case, the great thing about potpourri is that it’s customizable, so you can choose a scent that speaks to you. That said, if your issue is actually more about keeping moths away, then cedar is going to be the way to go.

If there’s a funk smelling up your closet, then you’re gonna wanna bring in the big guns - baking soda and vinegar. I love vinegar for its de-funking (ok - that might not be a real word) properties. For example: if I have a towel that has gotten funky-smelling, I soak it in vinegar for a few hours before I wash it. When I’m washing things like my shower curtain, I’ll add vinegar to my laundry load, as well as baking soda. It will be worth it to figure out what exactly is making your space smell funky. If you can run it through your washing machine with vinegar - awesome. If not, remember that baking soda also does wonders to fight odors. You can use the same trick that’s popular in the fridge and have an open box of baking soda in your closet to absorb odors. You can also sprinkle some in your shoes to fight odor as well.

4. What is the very best all-purpose cleaner?

As I mentioned above, my specialty is not in cleaning, so just note that this is not coming from a cleaning expert. That said, over the years I have made money cleaning houses (occupied) and apartments (between residents) so I can share from that point of view. When I was a housecleaner for an agency, I had to stock all my own products, and was told by the owner to “just get the Dollar Store cleaner” - so I’ve used everything from budget to commercial grade. I have found that budget products work just as well as many others. Right now in my house, we are using Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner. It kills 99.9% of germs, has a fairly pleasant smell, and I have used it in really tough (aka dirty AF) situations, and it’s worked GREAT. You can find it on your next Target run!

I’m also a fan of Clean Cult products. I started using them last year when it was really hard to find hand soap in stores. We’ve used their laundry detergent pods, hand soap, and their dish soap and they all work really great. Click on the image below to save up to 25% on their bundles.

5. What are your tips for hosting a garage sale?

This is a very honest answer that I give to clients and students all the time: I don’t feel that garage sales are the right answer for every single person - it really depends on your financial situation, and how much time you have to dedicate to it. If you’re in debt and you have more time than you do money, then a garage sale could really be a great way to make some extra money. In addition, I’ve found luck posting items on OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace (in place of a garage sale).

If you are very short on time or you’re not hurting for money, I would suggest being incredibly selective about what you’re taking the time to sell. If something is valued less than $10 or $20, think about if it will be worth it to you to sell. Oftentimes, it’s to sell a couple of higher-priced items online versus going through the trouble of a garage sale where you may or may not actually make any money.

I’ve heard many stories where people organize a garage sale (and even pay somebody to help out) and end up making only a bit of money… or even are in the hole after paying for assistance because the garage sale didn’t earn what they hoped it would. If you don’t feel that it’s not worth the hassle (and again, you don’t need the money), you’ll be better off donating the items that you no longer use, want, need, or love.

Remember that spring cleaning doesn’t just need to happen in the springtime. Anytime is a great time to make a plan for your home. Personally, I only add a few tasks to my list for spring cleaning, like switching over my seasonal wardrobe. Instead, I prefer to take on deep cleaning jobs as I feel they need to happen, versus setting aside huge chunks of time to do a year’s worth of deep cleaning. That works better for me personally, but you’ve got to do what’s right for you.

Happy Cleaning & Organizing!