It’s that time of year again at Arcadia Run: spring-cleaning! The snow has melted (hopefully), the days are getting longer, and warm weather is right around the corner! Spring forward into cleaning your apartment home with our one stop spring cleaning checklist, covering everything from supplies to lists to what to do first (and what not to do). We want to help make spring-cleaning as painless as possible for you, so check out our tips below!

Plan of attack: Make a list of the rooms you want to tackle, and in what order, before you get started. If your roommate is helping, the best idea is to divide and conquer. Assign each person a room and focus on your room before helping someone else with a larger space. If you are cleaning by yourself, give yourself a realistic timeline to get everything done.

Supplies: Figure out the supplies you will need to clean each room and if you need extras. Pick up larger quantities of items that you will get used up faster, such as paper towels. For larger items such as vacuums, determine who will need it the most and let them use it first. Tip: Try to use as many cleaning items as you can before they run out and you need to replace them. If you have small children, be sure to keep all cleaners out of their reach.

One thing at a time: Work your way around each room by focusing on one thing at a time, for example, start with cleaning your stove, then move to the fridge, then cabinets, etc. If you know that you REALLY need to organize your cabinets, start there! Taking care of the item that gives you the most stress right away will make you feel even better about spring-cleaning.

Keep, Toss, Donate: Almost everything you are going through during spring-cleaning, such as clothing, shoes, or even small pieces of decor, can fall under one of these three labels. Clothing items and shoes that you have not worn for the last year can be donated (no, you don’t really need that denim skirt from college) and some miscellaneous clutter can be tossed. Keep things that you know will withstand some wear, but toss those grimy sponges and dish towels that have seen better days. Getting rid of space-eating clutter will leave your apartment home feeling light and organized!

Wash: Now is the time to wash everything, and we mean everything! Wash all of your bedding, including duvet covers and blankets. If you are donating any clothes, be sure to wash those as well. For those who are going an extra step and organizing their closets/drawers, when in doubt, wash it again. If you read our last blog, you may have already washed your dishtowels and bath towels, but if not, don’t forget about your smaller linens!

Disinfect: We won’t get into the gross details about all of the germs that inevitably float around, but they get everywhere, including inside your apartment! Pay special attention to places in your apartment home that you touch often, such as doorknobs, remote controls, faucets, and the refrigerator door handle. Rubbing those down with a disinfectant wipe will reduce your chances of getting sick or breathing in allergens, and no one wants to be sick when spring comes around!

Take your time: Don’t stress about getting everything done at once. If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a break. Figure out what you WANT to get done, and do those things first. Save some smaller tasks for later or even another day. Going at your own pace will make cleaning less stressful and give you a chance to do a thorough job, instead of rushing through everything.

These are just a few of our spring-cleaning ideas, and feel free to add yours to our checklist! For more information about our apartment homes, visit Arcadia Run online.