7 tips to prepare your home for spring cleaning

Imagine the morning sun shining through the windows, a light breeze blowing through your curtains and a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table. But then you see the sunlight hit that long-forgotten corner, revealing the clutter and mountains of laundry. High time for some tidying up before the big spring clean!

7 tips from Helpling that make spring cleaning a breeze

Expert Roxanna Pelka from Helpling - the online platform for household cleaning services - has summarised seven tips to make the most out of spring cleaning your home.

1. Build up momentum and start where progress is quickly visible

We all know that once you get started, the job gets done much faster than we anticipated. Starting with areas that are easy and quick can help get you in the right frame of mind. Examples are bookshelves and worktops; anything that immediately catches your eye.

Roxanna’s tip: "Work your way up, room by room, or focus on specific areas you want to clear out today."

2. Continue in a structured way using these smart clear-out categories

Once you've gotten the worst out of the way, it's time to clear out. It’s best to create three categories for this:

• Things you really want to keep
• Things you need but aren't that important
• Things you can part with

The cleaning expert from Helpling, Roxanna Pelka, advises asking yourself questions like “When was the last time I used the item? What are the chances of using it again? Does the item make me happy? Do I already own the same or a similar item?”

3. Not sure where to store your belongings? Prepare three boxes!

To clean up successfully, Roxanna recommends setting up three boxes and labelling them "in use," "keep," and "can go." Put what you really use all the time in the “in use” box. "Can go" is either thrown away, donated or sold - depending on the condition. "Now, not only can you sell online, but there are also local opportunities in many areas to donate books, sell clothes and donate toys," says Roxanna.

Take advantage of this opportunity and clear out in a sustainable and non-profit way - this will motivate you to clear out faster because throwing things out can be very satisfying!

Get back your free time with Helpling!

4. The KonMari method

If the categories and questions for decision-making aren’t quite cutting it, why not try the "KonMari” method? The goal is to only keep the things that make us happy and bring us joy - everything else has to go.

Roxanna Pelka from Helpling explains: "If an item doesn't make you happier when you hold it in your hands, it won't make you happier when it's at the bottom of a drawer."

5. Mucking out with ease and creative relaxation

On the one hand, the major task of mucking out is much easier to do when we have a goal in mind - but also when mucking out itself is designed to be something enjoyable. "With a scented candle, good music or a podcast, decluttering can be both calming and therapeutic," enthuses Roxanna. Her tip: A scented candle with essential oils such as lavender, ylang-ylang or bergamot will have a stress-reducing and mood-enhancing effect, thus making clearing out easier.

6. The tabula rasa method

If you want to tackle the topic of mucking out sustainably, pack everything in a room into boxes. “Clear out all the cupboards completely and put everything in front of the room door. The next time you enter it, only take what you want to use at that moment,” explains Roxanna. The Helpling cleaning expert advises using this technique for four weeks. "By the end of the month, you'll have a much easier time deciding what to finally part with."

7. Keeping things tidy and creating regular places à la Marie Kondo

It is very important that after the big clean-out, each item has its home and that you get used to putting things back in their place when you no longer need them. Roxanna adds: “The regular space technology can also ensure order in a children’s room, because the children are introduced to the topic of tidying up and mucking out in a playful way.”

Voilà! Now you are ready for the big spring clean!

No time to clean? Helpling can help you out!

Don’t have time to do your spring cleaning? No worries, simply hire someone via the Helpling platform to do it for you! This online platform for household services enables you to find the help that fits your needs in just a few clicks, so you can go and enjoy those rays of sunlight while reading a book or going to the park with your friends. Click here to reclaim that free time!