Cleaning can feel like a never-ending job, especially in a busy home where mess seems to appear within seconds. Whether you want to clean and declutter to move home or simply want to freshen the place up for yourself, We Buy Any House have provided some top tips to make things easier for you!
- Break the workload down
Every job is much easier with a plan, and your cleaning regime is no exception. It doesn’t all have to be completed in one day; in fact, it’s best to break it down and spread it out, so you don’t get overwhelmed and end up quitting halfway through.
A popular method is to take it one room at a time and outline a plan of what you want to do and when. Start small and work your way up to the bigger jobs, and if you find yourself getting stressed, step back and have a break. Decluttering can be a very emotional task, and rushing it will only make things harder for you.
If you know that you often struggle with cleaning and decluttering at home, set yourself little goals and build up from there. Start with the cupboard under the stairs that gets filled with junk or the drawers in the kitchen that don’t get used often, and when you see the difference, it will encourage you to move onto bigger spots!
- Take before and after pictures
This is a handy tip to track the progress you make, and especially if you’ve got a lot of cleaning to work through, it can be a great reminder to keep you motivated. These photos can be of a full room or a small area in one, but getting before and afters to compare will show you how much you’ve achieved and help keep you wanting to continue.
- Set yourself some rules
When you start a big project like decluttering, especially if you know that you like to collect things and that you’ve got a lot to sort through, it can be really helpful to put limits in place to keep you focussed on the job at hand. This tip is especially good if you’ve got a lot of –
- Old paperwork
- Ornaments with no real sentimental value
- More kitchen utensils than your household really needs
- Items of clothing that you don’t wear anymore
If you like to keep hold of physical paperwork ‘just in case’, you can keep virtual copies instead by scanning your documents and uploading them to your computer. By doing this, they’re all easily stored and can be accessed quickly if you need them. For any ornaments, kitchen items, and clothing, depending on their condition, you could donate them to charity, give them to your friends or family members who will use them more than you do, or throw them out if they’re no longer of any use.
- Get someone to help
Decluttering and spring cleaning can be a very difficult task, so what can really help you make progress is having some support to get you started. Try and have someone that you live with join in on the tasks you’ve set yourself, which can speed things up and have you feeling even more accomplished much faster. If you don’t have someone that lives with you that can help, you can team up with a friend who is also wanting to clean their home and motivate each other by sharing photos and the challenges that you’ve overcome.
- Set yourself time limits
For some homeowners, time isn’t an issue, which gives you more flexibility to take your cleaning and decluttering journey one day at a time until it’s all sorted. This isn’t the case for everyone, though, so if you do need to work to a timeframe, make sure that you plan it accordingly and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You don’t need to panic if you go over a time that you’ve outlined, but following a plan will help to keep you on track and see your progress continue to grow.
Decluttering and deep-cleaning can seem like a very daunting task, but with these tips, you’ll be able to stay in control and achieve your goals much more easily!