Life

Spring Clean Your House In Just One Day

by Chrissa Hardy

Spring cleaning doesn't need to take an entire season — or even a week — to complete. In fact, you should be able to thoroughly spring clean your house in just one day. As long as you gather all the necessary cleaning supplies ahead of time, and rely on your gut when deciding which clutter to toss versus what to keep, the actual cleaning process can be relatively quick and painless.

By the end of that day, you will feel relieved, accomplished, and most importantly, physically spent since you will have used almost every muscle to make your space look shiny and new. Because if you see this as more of a workout rather than just an annoying chore, you can shift your mind into a state of stamina. Once this happens, you won't even think about how much cleaning sucks. You'll just be zeroed in on moving through each room as quickly and efficiently as possible. And doing it this way might even make spring cleaning kinda sorta fun. Weird, right?

So, toss some antibacterial wipes and rubber gloves in your holster, throw on a scrubby tee and leggings, and get cleanin.' Here's how to declutter your space in less than 24 hours.

1. Fuel Up With Coffee

Very few people can wake up and be immediately psyched to clean the house. So give yourself a caffeinated boost in order to get this task started.

2. Turn On Some Music

You rely on music to get you through your cardio workout, right? Well, a day of spring cleaning can require the same amount of energy as a run or an hour on the elliptical (maybe even more), so let Kesha's pop brilliance be your guide.

3. Map Out Your Cleaning Path

Before you start scrubbing any surface, make sure you've got a plan of attack ready. Start in the kitchen, then move to the living room, then the bathroom. This will keep you from randomly jumping back and forth between rooms, and will make the day go by faster when you can see which areas of the house are already done.

4. Stay Hydrated

Don't let your drive to finish cleaning get in the way of hydration. Make sure you're constantly chugging water, otherwise you'll eventually get tired, dehydrated, and a headache will keep you from finishing this chore.

5. Recruit Your BFFs

If you have multiple floors in your house, or your clutter situation is borderline hoarder status, then you might need an extra set of hands (or two) to clean up your space. Plus, if your friends are there, it's way more fun.

6. Dance While You Clean

It's the same concept as "whistle while you work." This will distract you from the boring and tedious task at hand, and will make the time fly right by. Plus, everyone looks adorable doing it.

7. Take A Proper Lunch Break

You might feel inclined to skip your midday meal and get the cleaning done as soon as possible, but much like hydration, your body needs to be refueled in order to keep pushing. So slow it down, take a break, fill up your belly, and then resume.

8. Use Those Muscles

You've got 'em, so use 'em. And you'll probably need to anyway, if you want to make that stubborn shower-wall scum disappear.

9. Declutter With Your Gut

Your gut is wise. It knows how you really feel, and what you truly want. So when going through your closet or any other cluttered up area, listen to it. Don't give yourself time to ponder over whether or not you'll wear that old dress again. If there's any doubt, then the answer is no. Toss it!

10. Push Through The Nostalgia

Nostalgia is hard to ignore. Especially when you're going through tangible items that are directly linked to your most cherished memories. But if you want to minimize your mess, and get rid of all the things you know you'll never use again, then you should get rid of the majority of your nostalgic keepsakes. Items are just things. You won't get to take them with you once this life is over. And your memories can be preserved without them. So keep the memory, and toss the item. Or maybe sell it and at least make some extra cash.

11. Bring In The Spring

Once your house is clean, add some extra "fresh" to the already fresh and clean scent by getting some spring flowers and new plants. Winter is dead, and it's time to embrace the new life sprouting up all around you.

12. Reward Yourself On A Job Well Done

When your spring cleaning is finally complete, treat yo self to a nice long bubble bath, or a mani pedi. Not only because you worked your butt off and totally deserve it, but also because you'll remember how you rewarded yourself when it's time to do it again next year, and the task won't seem so daunting.

Image: Paramount Pictures; Giphy (12)