Figuring out spring cleaning with the best hacks from TikTok
Spring cleaning season is here, and it’s never too early to start planning for it!
I get a lot of inspiration for cleaning on TikTok, so when the season rolls around I tend to go back through my liked videos and chip away at the to-do list.
I have broken it down into 3 buckets to provide a clear starting point; mental space, physical space, and tech space.
I highly recommend you set an intention for what you want to accomplish this spring to help de-clutter your space so that you can focus on the things that matter.
Cleaning your mental space
3 minute meditation
Our mental space can often be cluttered by to-do lists and life stresses resulting in our inability to focus. A great starting point for your spring cleaning endeavours is this 3 minute meditation to clear your thoughts and focus in on the tasks at hand.
Messes and incompletes
“Messes and incompletes” is a concept that I’ve heard from a couple of couches recently. It refers to things that might be messy, disorganized, or even tasks that are incomplete and ultimately take up space in your mind.
I find when you have a looming deadline, such as a vacation, having guests over, or going on parental leave, it gives you more motivation to check off those incomplete tasks. Take time to think about what has been on your to-do list for months and what still deserves to be on your list and is actually achievable. If you might not get around to some tasks before your deadline, that’s okay! I recommend checking out this TikTok “Running your household like a business using Asana” as it provides great tips on organizing your tasks to free up some mental space.
Prepping for upcoming travel
Booking trips for weddings or visiting family is one task that tends to pile up and can create a lot of mental clutter for me. If there is any travel you can be booking in advance I highly recommend taking the time to do so and get it off your plate. You can check out these great tips when booking flights in advance, including using Google Flights which helps identify the best dates and prices for your travel.
Cleaning your physical space
Declutter
Cleaning your physical space is often what we think of first when we think about spring cleaning. If there’s anything I learned from TikTok about spring cleaning, it’s that you must always first declutter!
Before you start, try to do some research on what local resources are available in your area i.e. recycling facilities, charities, humane societies. Get a bit creative and try to make your decluttering as sustainable as possible, even if it means having to drive a bit futher.
Take inventory of your house to see what might be lingering and could be repurposed, donated, or recycled. For example, I had a bunch of burned down candles so I cleaned the wax out of the jars to reuse or donate.
Take a look into your pantry. If there are items that you have not used in the past six months, it’s likely that you won’t use them in the next six months. Donate these items to those who might get better use out of them.
Similarly with beauty products, you might have ones that you tried and didn’t work for you. Donate them, or even give them to your friends at a dinner club!
Deep clean
Here are some example areas that may not be part of your regular routine that could likely do with a good clean:
Fans
Blinds
Under the bed
Changing the furnace or water filter
Door jambs
Anything going in or out of your house
Re-organize
One thing I learned from social media about re-organizing is to take everything out, clean the space, and put it back in an organized and functional way. Often by virtue of taking everything out and putting it back, you will end up organizing the space in the same activity.
Get stains out of carpet & upholstery
As a parent there are always little lingering stains on the carpet or couches, that despite cleaning will likely continue to return. But I am very excited to try out this sofa cleaning hack to brighten up the space and I plan to build this into my deep cleaning routine.
Clean outside
Cleaning your outdoor space will make you prepared for the warmer weather and you’ll want to be in that space even more. This can include deep cleaning your garbage bin, washing the outdoor upholstery, cleaning your barbecue, sweeping and power washing, and wiping furniture down.
Make your bedroom a paradise
I am excited to try out these tips to clean around the bedroom to make it a more peaceful place to be in, especially in a season of life such as parenting that can feel a bit chaotic. For example, do your sheets need replacing? What needs dusting? Do you need to clean out your closet? What little shifts can you do to make your bedroom a true sanctuary?
Cleaning your tech space
Physical Tech
Technology, both at home and work, for me is one that can get a bit out of control.
Take an audit of your physical pieces of technology and see what you can get rid of. For example, if you have any unused Apple products, take them back to Apple and they will properly recycle them for you. Take an audit of your cords and maybe even label the miscellaneous ones.
Delete
This would be decluttering things on your tech that you don’t need anymore, such as:
Unused apps
Old or duplicate photos (the GetSorted app is a great tool for this)
Duplicate contacts
Unsubscribe from email lists
Remove what is taking up storage in your cloud
Tidy
Organize your tech space to a point that is your minimum standard and is maintainable. Some things to tidy would be:
Desktop
Inbox
Downloads folder
Workspace
Cloud storage
Update
I haven’t thought to do this in a while but make sure all of your tech is backed up and check if your storage is at capacity. Also, update all of your apps and software across your devices.
Bonus: Spring cleaning in your career
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about spring cleaning your career. A good place to start would be to ask yourself:
What are the admin tasks you’ve been putting off?
Is your resume and LinkedIn up to date?
Does your workwear need refresh?
Spring cleaning of all of your spaces is ultimately about creating mental space so that you can live an enjoyable life and be more present. Hopefully this gives you some inspiration on how you can to tackle your spring cleaning this season and makes you more motivated to see it through!
From your podcast host Andrea
Andrea Barr is a certified career coach, strategist, and workshop facilitator. After establishing herself in the advertising sector early in her career, she made a shift to learning and development within the corporate world. As a new mother, she was struck by a lack of support for parents looking to find a balance between their career ambitions and family lives, and decided to fill that gap. Andrea offers support and solutions for parents who want to advance their careers without compromising what matters most: their families.
