Happy New Year! Is one of your New Year’s resolutions is to have a clean and organized home? Decluttering and organizing your entire home may sound like a daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to start.
Join us on our 10 Days Of Spring Cleaning Challenge – it’s free! Sign up here.
You’ll be receiving 2 emails from us weekly, taking you through StyleMag article(s) detailing step-by-step methods and organizing secrets on how you can tackle each area of your home.
Download our spring cleaning challenge calendar here.
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
For a start, here are 6 tips to help you plan and prepare yourself for this 10-day home organization challenge!
1. Plan Out Your Schedule
Before starting on any home organization project, you need to plan out the days where you’re able to execute the tasks. Take into consideration the daily tasks you have – cooking meals or fetching your children from school. From there, note down the days that you’ll be doing the challenge on your calendar or planner so that you won’t forget.
Don’t forget to take your energy levels into account as well – choose the time of the day where you have the most energy.
Tip: Take a step further by planning out your meals during this time too! This saves you time and energy from staring into the fridge and wondering what to cook.
The night before the challenge, write out and review your to-do list. Jot down the tasks you need to accomplish for that section of your home – it’d help you feel organized and motivated to clean!
2. Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing This Challenge
Image source: Her World
People often get unmotivated to clean because they don’t know the reason behind why they’re cleaning. There are a lot of benefits to cleaning:
- Stress-free: Clutter induces stress in many people, and we don’t want to come home to a stressful place after a long day at work. Reducing clutter would create a happier home for you and your family!
- Hygienic and safe home: Create a hygienic, pest-free and safe space for your family – no clutter to trip over or harmful chemicals within your children’s reach. It’s especially important if you have family members with allergies at home!
- Easily find your belongings: All your items will have a home, so you no longer need to spend hours trying to find your necessities.
Living with only the bare essentials has not only provided superficial benefits such as the pleasure of a tidy room or the simple ease of cleaning, it has also led to a more fundamental shift. It’s given me a chance to think about what it really means to be happy.
Fumio Sasaki
Also check out on StyleMag: 15 Best Decluttering & Tidying Up Quotes To Inspire You This New Year
3. Have Your Tools Ready
Corral all the different cleaning tools and supplies needed for this challenge into a bucket or caddy. Have them ready by your side as you clean to save precious time and energy from having to walk back and forth every time you need a new cleaning cloth.
Some items to put in your cleaning toolkit:
- Rubbish bags or used grocery bags
- Microfiber cloths
- Cotton rags or old t-shirts
- An all-purpose cleaner (you can choose to make your own too!)
- Paper towels
- Scrubbing brush
- Disposable wipes
- Duster
Also check out on StyleMag: 7 Non-Toxic & Natural Cleaning Sprays You Can Easily Make At Home
4. Make Cleaning A Fun Activity
When it comes to cleaning, a lot of motivation is needed. The idea of spending hours dusting surfaces or scrubbing the floor isn’t as appealing as the idea of Netflix and chilling.
The thing is, cleaning doesn’t have to be a boring activity. Crank up some upbeat music to get yourself started and hyped while cleaning.
You can even download audiobooks or podcasts and play them in the background. Kill two birds with one stone – you’re cleaning while learning at the same time.
Tip: Get your entire family to help out in this home organization project. For your children, get them involved by teaching them what is expected of them in chores and allow them to choose their preferred chore!
Also check out on StyleMag: 8 Tips For Creating A Minimalist Home Even With Kids
5. Reward Yourself
Image source: FirstCry Parenting
Cleaning and organizing can be a tiring task, so remember to reward yourself! Don’t be afraid to buy that new book that you’ve been eyeing or get yourself the popular sweet treat that everyone has been talking about.
If you’ve enlisted the help of your family members, rewarding them would also encourage them to help in future home organization projects.
6. Take Care Of Yourself
As this will be a 10-day challenge, do ensure that you’re getting enough sleep and rest in between the different cleaning days! If you’re dealing with a dusty room, put on a mask and glove if necessary.
Cleaning can be exhausting, so don’t forget to hydrate yourself and keep some snacks nearby to keep your energy level up!
Now that you’ve read these tips, it’s time to prepare yourself for our 10-day Spring Cleaning Challenge! Join us on this journey to cleaning and organizing your home in time for Chinese New Year.
Sign up now, it’s absolutely free!
Share with us your before and after photos of your organized home – tag us on Instagram @style_degree with #springcleanwithSD. We’ll be giving away an Organizing Starter Kit of your choice at the end of the challenge to 1 lucky StyleFan!
