Whether your state has locked down everything you would’ve been doing right now, or you’re simply self-quarantining to help slow the spread of coronavirus, you’ve probably found yourself with a lot of…free time.
And since Spring has sprung, even if we’re not really able to get out and enjoy it like we used to, this might just be the perfect time for spring cleaning. Keeping your home tidy will help you feel like you’re still being productive during the quarantine and may help your home stay a little cleaner and more healthy than it would’ve otherwise.
With that in mind, here’s a few of our favorite tips to get started on spring cleaning this year, and a few areas to focus on during quarantine:
Focus on high-traffic areas: One of the easiest ways to fight coronavirus is to keep the areas everyone has to pass through clean and free of debris. Take a look at the areas your family spends the most time in, and work out a plan from there – do you need to wipe down your living room furniture more often after everyone’s done playing video games or watching movies? Do you need extra bathroom storage racks to store your cleaning supplies and toilet paper in a more organized fashion? Even during quarantine, if your kids go play in the yard or take the dog for a lot of walks, paying a little more attention to the entryway could help stop dirt and germs from getting tracked inside.
Go ahead and declutter: Right now is probably the most perfect time you’ll find to go full Marie Kondo on some stuff around your house. Particularly if you’re working from home, or have a room in your home you need to spend more time in, this is a good opportunity to take a look around and see if there’s anything in your house that no longer brings you joy. Kids can get in on the fun too – as attached as kids may get to some of their possessions, they’ll get used to the idea of donating or getting rid of a few things surprisingly quickly if they see it all piled up.
Keep a (reasonable) schedule: Whether you’re trying to totally clean the house or just keep up on some chores you were putting off before the quarantine, it’s important to keep a schedule that’s not too hard on yourself. Set a weekly routine for each given chore – vacuuming one day, dusting the next, dishes the day after that, and so on. Setting these routines and goals for yourself can help you feel more normal and scheduled, especially if you’re working from home or otherwise affected by weird job situations.
Only tackle the projects you’re equipped for: We’ve all seen the news reports about how hard certain things are to find right now, and it can really begin to affect your stress levels if you’re right in the middle of a project and realize you’re out of orange cleaner or something. Take inventory of everything you could use to clean and organize, from bleach wipes to wire shelving for the basement, and only try to tackle projects using stuff you have on hand until you can safely get to a store or make an order online for something you need. It’ll help stop you from getting frustrated and remove the temptation to pay way too much on Amazon for some disinfectant spray. (And, of course, if you do need more shelves, you know where to find us.)
One day soon, when everything gets back to normal, you can look back on your time spent indoors and think “well at least I got something done!”