Ready for Spring Cleaning? Make Your Checklist!

Spring is almost here! As with every year, that means it’s time to get your home and yard cleaned and organized after the long winter. In Calgary, it often feels like winter has never left us, but even one sunny day can be enough motivation for the warmer season ahead to get started on all the cleaning tasks needed to be done. 

While getting clean and organized always feels good at the end of the day, it can take a lot of energy and motivation to get started. Often, the number of tasks we know we need to get done can seem overwhelming. In cases like this, many of the activities we hope to accomplish end up not being completed, or we start something that we just don’t have the time or resources to finish.

This year, avoid falling short of your spring cleaning goals by creating an easy to manage checklist that will only ensure success. The key is to focus on breaking down the big picture tasks you want to do and breaking them down into easily-manageable activities that won’t take up an entire day. These activities should be easy to do in a couple hours or an afternoon and spread out over a longer period of time. This way, you can work towards one project at a time.

For example, if one of your spring cleaning goals it to organize the garage, don’t just leave it at that. There is so much involved in organizing and cleaning a garage, so try breaking it down into even smaller steps:

Organize the Garage

Declutter

• Go through all items currently in the garage.

• Sort through items (what is to keep, what is to donate, what is to sell, and what is to discard).

Cleaning

• Sweep the garage floor

• Spray out the garage floor.

• Wipe down any cupboards/containers.

Storage

• Create a plan for storing items.

• Purchase or re-purpose additional bins/shelves/hooks needed to store items.

• Put items away in their proper place.

Whatever your spring cleaning projects may be, breaking down everything that needs to be done can make the tasks more achievable and not so daunting. Plus, creating a checklist can also help you keep on track on what has been completed and what needs to be done so you don’t start a project without finishing it.

Before the season starts in earnest, take the time to create your spring cleaning checklist with everything you want to get accomplished. Even the most basic checklist can help make your projects simple, easy, and manageable!

10 Activities to Do at Home

There are many activities that can be done from the comfort of your own home. With everyone still encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, there’s no better time to pick-up a new hobby or activity.

Organize!

Getting your home organized is a process that can’t be done overnight. There’s no better time to dedicate yourself and your family to going through the organization process, whether it is one room or the entire house. Need some help getting started? Calm Order is offering virtual organizing services! Learn more here.

Learn a new language

Take some time to polish up your second language skills or learn a new one! There are different online classes or apps available for learning new languages, some of which are free or cost-effective (like these virtual courses). Practice your new skill while you’re at home or with family and friends over video call.

Host a tournament

It could be a board game tournament or outdoor sporting tournament, but if you’re at home with your family turn a one-time game night into a multi-day event! Pick a game that everyone can play and be sure to establish rules for the tournament before you begin to avoid any potential issues. Once you’re done, you can pick up a new game and start again.

Start a garden

With warmer weather on the way, now is the time to make a plan for an outdoor garden. If you’re new to gardening, take the time to do research on what plants and flowers would work best for your space, whether you have a large backyard garden or small patio garden.

Tackle a new puzzle or board game

Trying to figure out a new board game or complete a large puzzle can be a length endeavour, but there’s no better time to do it! Set aside a night on your own or with your family to read instructions and learn a new game or put together a difficult puzzle.

Get creative with arts and crafts

There are many easy crafts that can be completed with items found in your home. If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching tutorials for how to knit a new scarf or make your own interior decoration. If you do need supplies, try finding a local store that offers home delivery or curbside pick-up.

Clean your outdoor spaces

Make sure your backyard and patio are ready for the summer! Get outside and clear out any old leaves, grass and other foliage. Dust off patio furniture and pull out lawn decorations so you can have a clean and relaxing space outside.

Watch a new show

Review your to-watch show list and find a new series to start watching. If you don’t want to watch alone, consider hosting virtual show nights with family and friends and watching them together over a chat or video call.

Read a new series

A visit to the bookstore or library may not be possible but finding a new series to read isn’t! Browse through your local library’s digital collection and download a new eBook to read, or a buy a book online through your eReader. You can even start a virtual book club with friends and read a new book together!

Complete a home DIY project

There is always something to do around the house, so why not try tackling it on your own? Some projects require the work of professionals, but small projects like painting a room or putting together a new shelving unit for the living room are easier tasks that can be done on your own.

Tackle Your To-Do List!

With everyone required to stay home as much as possible, now is the best time to tackle the to-do list of tasks you’ve been meaning to accomplish for the past couple weeks – or longer!

Clean the Pantry

Start the pantry clean-up by pulling out all food and supplies stored there. Discard any food that has expired or turned stale and any supplies that are broken and can’t be fixed. Any items that haven’t been touched – and aren’t likely to be – but are still good and not expired, can be put aside to be donated when it is safe to do so. All items to be kept can be placed in a pile to go back into the pantry. Before starting to put items back, take a moment to quickly wipe down the shelves.

Organize like items in the “to keep” pile and put them back on the shelves together. For example, keep all spices in one area and all snack food in another. When deciding on where to place items, make sure the items used the most are kept on the lower shelves so they are easy to access.

Organize Photos

Whether they are printed or on the computer, take time to organize all photos into properly organized folders. Start by sorting pictures by year and then event or occasion. To be able to search and find photos easier, consider tagging them or renaming them with detailed descriptions.

For people with boxes of printed photos, consider taking the time to digitize your collection. Similar to the method above, try first organizing the printed pictures by year and then occasion. This way, when they’re scanned onto the computer they are already in some kind of order.

Complete Home Improvements

Take a look around the house and think of what small projects that you have been meaning to do but never got around to completing – like painting the bedroom, installing a new shelf, or hanging a painting. If you need supplies, try ordering them online and having them delivered if possible, to minimize the need to shop in-store.

For those who might not have a lot of experience with home improvement projects, consider looking online for tutorials on how to complete whatever DIY project you’ve been meaning to work on.

Start on Spring Clean-up

Spring is here, so why not complete your spring cleaning? From polishing the furniture to making the windows sparkle, there is no shortage of areas in your home that can use a bit of sprucing up. Get everyone staying in the household involved and assign an area or project for each person to complete.

With temperatures rising, get outside and start on your outdoor clean-up in time for summer. Organize and clean out your garage and/or shed and clean off your deck or patio. Consider uncovering or unpacking outdoor furniture and giving it a good dusting. If you’re planning a garden, you can take the time to take stock of your supplies and what you might need to stock up on before the season begins.