Home and Office Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning for Your Home and Office

Blue skies, crisp breeze, and floral scents in the air – we’re now deep into spring. Mother Nature’s cues naturally rouse and inspire us to get moving with the promise of better times ahead. Keep that good feeling going with a fresh, clean start. Whether you’re working from home or in an office, a seasonal tidying session is a great way to jumpstart the season and reinvigorate yourself – mind, body, and spirit.

Tips to Spring Clean Your Workspace

Looking back over the course of a year, you’ll find that you’ve tackled countless projects. You’ve likely also eaten plenty of snacks at your desk, put off filing papers til “later,” and built up a stack of items you aren’t sure what to do with. Now is the time to get back to spring cleaning basics. Follow these solid tips for a fresh and clean workspace this spring:

• Do a quick purge: clear out drawers, cabinets, and storage bins to get rid of items that serve no purpose, are broken, or that you never use – old pens, outdated snacks, etc.
• Organize papers: sort through any lingering paperwork and file it into the respective folder; anything that isn’t needed can be shredded, recycled, or composted
• Deep clean: use compressed air to remove crumbs from keyboards and dust from computer vents, wipe surfaces with a disinfectant, and dust furniture and bookshelves
• Tidy surfaces: once things are clean, replace the things you use most to your visible workspace – less-utilized items can be stashed away
• Assess your space: make sure that everyday tools and a small garbage is easily accessible and that cords and tech are tidy and don’t pose any hazards; if you’re finding it hard to keep the floor clear, it might be time for a storage system overhaul
• Add storage: go vertical to make the best use of space; establish a labeling system for easy ID; store food or drinks in an airtight container; accommodate what you have now and leave a little room for growth
• Add inspiration: soften lighting, add a splash of color with a piece of art, update family pictures, hang motivating quotes or dynamic prints, bring in an easy-to-care-for houseplant, and generally spruce up your workspace décor

Now that you’ve created a clean baseline for your workspace, the next goal is maintenance. Regular, even daily tidying can keep things from getting out of hand and prevent the task from becoming overwhelming. Keep a container of antiseptic wipes at the ready to give surfaces a quick swipe at the end of your workday, putting dust, grime, food particles, and germs where they belong. 

Commit to the change and you’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment from the routine. You’ll be grateful to yourself for creating a workspace that contributes to your peace of mind and makes your job even a little bit easier. If you can’t dedicate a full day or weekend to cleaning and purging unwanted items, start small, one drawer or zone at a time. Every little bit will make a difference and motivate you to keep on going.

Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Home’s Interior

We’re in our homes most days, and sometimes all day. When clutter creeps in and misplaced items start to accumulate, it’s easy to get used to the situation. That’s especially true after a long day at work, whether from home or the office. With beautiful weather on the horizon now is the time to fling open those windows and give the place a purge and a thorough once-over. Check out these tasks to ensure that your home is spring ready:

• Work by rooms or zones: split up the overall task and make it seem more manageable with smaller spaces – especially helpful if available time and efforts are limited
• Make a list: for each room or zone write a list of items that you need to look through and purge – i.e. medications in the bathroom; gadgets and expired food in the kitchen; toys, games, and sports equipment in the kids’ areas; books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs in the family room; and any unused supplies, clothes, linens, etc.
• Set a goal: decide to get rid of 10 or so items from each room or zone to set a low bar and an easy goal that you can adjust as you go
• Use the four-box method: label four boxes – trash, donate, keep, and relocate – to help with sorting items, and then stick to those instructions
• Set a time limit: if you’re easily overwhelmed, decide on a predetermined amount of time to dedicate to tidying sessions

As you’re working through sections, ask yourself these questions if you’re having a hard time deciding what to keep:

• Do I use it? 
• Is it in good shape? 
• Can I get by without it? 

All too often our emotions or intentions can blind us, so it’s really important to be totally honest here. But there’s no need to shoulder this burden by yourself. Delegate tasks to other family members, even teaching children how to manage their own spaces if it’s age-appropriate.

Once you’ve plowed through items and set aside things to donate, take a fresh look at your home’s interior through the eyes of a new visitor. Take note of things that seem out of place or cluttered and keep fine-tuning from there.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home’s Exterior

Just like the interior of your home, areas outside can easily become bogged down by seasonal demands or the effects of weather and time. Spring is the perfect time to take a stroll around your property and use your objective eyes to see things as a visitor would. Then act on what you see – if things need to be tidied, touched up, or overhauled, plan and schedule to get that done. Check out these tips to help you get started:

• Remove debris: accumulated leaves, fallen branches, and other yard waste or project materials
• Wash, repair, and paint or stain surfaces: decks, sidewalks, walkways, stairs, patios, fences, siding, garage doors, windows, furniture, playsets, trellises, archways, pergolas, gazebos, etc.
• Clean gutters: pollen and newly fallen leaves clog gutters and can cause water or gutter damage
• Purge unused items: clear out unwanted, broken, or unused items from the garage, shed, or other out buildings and storage areas
• Care for planting beds: remove debris, weed, prune, mulch, and plan for the gardening season

After you make a list of projects, take a realistic look at your schedule. If you don’t think that you can handle tidying and improving things indoors, outdoors, and at the office, delegate some tasks to other family members and call in a professional.

Why Spring Cleaning is Important

In a work setting, tidying can increase productivity because you’re more focused on the task at hand, not on the next five tasks waiting for you after work. When you feel physically at home in a space it makes doing your job easier. And if you’re inviting clients or staff into your office – whether in person or virtually – an organized space gives a positive impression. 

At home, decluttering removes the sources of many common allergies, asthma, and other breathing problems. A tidy environment can also improve your ability to sleep soundly, knowing that there’s one less task waiting for you tomorrow. You can also get a quick handle on any pests that are trying to invade your home and remove hazards that could come back to bite should a fire or other emergency situation develop.

Spring cleaning can also clear out mental cobwebs. Decluttering can help to foster a grateful mindset, since you’re keeping the things you really treasure. It also can help you to acknowledge and appreciate the bounty you may have. Opting to donate unused, unwanted, and unneeded items is one way to carry on that good feeling and help others in the process. You’ll also be removing sources of stress and giving yourself a major confidence boost after a job well done. And who knows – maybe uncovering unused supplies will motivate you to get back to a long-forgotten but much-loved hobby.

Althans Supports You

This spring, as you’re busy tidying and rearranging, why not make a little time to update your home’s inventory. It’s also a great opportunity to get with your trusted insurance agent and review your homeowners policy. At Althan’s we know that life gets busy and responsibilities quickly pile up, so we’re here for you whenever you’re able. Together we can make sure that your life and home are protected, come what may. So get to that spring cleaning and have peace of mind, knowing that you have allies and friends at the ready. Here’s to renewal!