Spring cleaning may seem like a giant undertaking, but the benefits are profound. A clean home not only helps to keep your family organized and healthy; it also promotes a better mindset. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America indicates that the physical activity of cleaning coupled with the end result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Cleaning can also reduce fatigue and improve concentration.

Do you clean your home top to bottom, inside and out, every spring? When end of school approaches, do you get all the freshening completed before summer break or do you have the kids pitch in? Let’s make your life a bit easier with some tips and tricks to make cleaning less of a chore.

If you only have five or ten minutes to clean, do these three quick chores to make your home feel tidier:

1. Empty the sink and load the dishwasher.

2. Make the bed(s).

3. Tidy up the entryway.

These three items will instantly make your home feel less cluttered and give you a great jumping off spot when you can spend more time on a deep clean.

Now let’s get into the heavy lifting. Don’t feel like you have to get everything done in one day. You are super woman, but you’re still only one woman. Pace yourself and set a good schedule to make your home the best it can be.

The great outdoors is great, but let’s face it, the spring pollen season can seem like a massive hurdle to overcome. Try these tips to take care of the outside of your home:

1. Clean your doormat. Yes, even it needs the pollen shaken off and to catch even more debris from entering your home, add a fresh mat inside the house as well.

2. Wipe down your front door and freshen up your porch decor.

3. Clean your windows. Ugh! This chore is the worst. For best results, pick an overcast day and work in the shade. Cleaning windows in the direct sun will leave the windows streaky.

Now back inside! I chose a few items that maybe you haven’t thought about that will help you make your home sparkle and shine.

1. Wipe down your walls. Your walls even collect dust. Utilize a floor dust mop and a damp microfiber cloth to make going over your walls easy. And don’t forget to wipe down the door frames and baseboards (Secret tip- use a dryer sheet to clean the baseboards. They help to repel dust!).

2. Scrub your kitchen cabinets. Have you really thought about the abuse your cabinets take? The touching, spilling and grime from cooking!!! Use a mild degreaser to clean painted or stained cabinetry. Make the stain shine again with a good wipe of an oil soap or liquid scratch cover. You will be amazed at how much brighter your kitchen will look.

3. Dust the ceiling fans. Here’s another secret tip.... Use a pillow case! Simply slide the case over a fan blade, gather near the center of the fixture and pull toward you. This keeps all the fluff and dust inside the pillow and then you can throw the whole thing in the washing machine!

As a mom, a homeowner and a person who likes to keeps things clean, I could go on for days! I hope these tips help make chores less of a “chore”. Happy cleaning!!!

Stylishly Yours,

The Chelsee Sowder Design Team

‍