10 Spring Cleaning Hacks That Will Save You Time and Energy

Ahh spring. Fresh air delights our senses. Bright green leaves and buds start popping out all over. And the urge to make our home a sanctuary of peace and life hits anew. Spring is a season of fresh starts and our houses need the airing out and clean feeling that is in the rest of the world.

Back in the days of the pioneer women, spring was a chance to finally get outside. The laundry could be on the line instead of by the fire. The women of the house would scrub the floors inside while the little boys (or the women) would beat the rugs outside to get rid of all the dust and dirt. I’m so glad I don’t live back then. I enjoy my vacuum and laundry room!

But even modern-day spring cleaning can be time-consuming and a lot of hard work. Here are my top 10 spring cleaning hacks to save you both time and energy.

Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Set a Timer

It’s easier to do anything when you have a defined time. Not only do you count down the time, but it is easier to work without distractions.

One of my favorite cleaning apps, HomeRoutines, has stayed on my phone for this very reason. It’s a great app and the routines are very helpful, but I love their timer the best. Click the button, clean for 15-minutes, and then hear the triumphant trumpets signaling a job well done.

Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Start the Music

Mary Poppins taught us that singing will help us clean. In her song “A Spoonful of Sugar” she sings:

We keep a couple of different cleaning playlists handy. One of them is a dance-mix and the other is upbeat fun songs. Both playlists help time and work move faster. (They also help with attitudes—mine and the kids.)

Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Let the Tools Work For You

I am so grateful I live in this modern age. We have so many tools to help us in our cleaning. Just think of the toilets. That’s one place where I am the most thankful for people who have created solutions that break down my hard-water deposits and erase the signs that I have four boys.

That being said, there are too many chemicals in our environments. The air within our homes can be filled with pet and pest dander, dust mites, mold spores, airborne chemicals, and natural toxins. I don’t want to add more when I clean.

When my youngest was a baby, I chose to treat his eczema naturally by figuring out what was causing it. In my quest, I eliminated as many chemicals as I could from our cleaning supplies—including everything that had an artificial fragrance. Many things don’t need more than a microfiber cloth and water. (ie: dusty surfaces, mirrors, floors, even countertops.)

I have some cheap microfiber (well, most of it has long gone bad and is in the garbage) some medium quality stuff, and some very nice Norwex microfiber. I find that the Norwex stuff works better and doesn’t give my hands the heebie-jeebie feelings that the cheap microfiber does. (I am not a rep.)

Spring Cleaning Tip #4: Drink Water (with Lemon) First Thing in the Morning

It’s not just your house that needs spring cleaning. In many traditional societies, spring diets are rich in bitter and astringent foods which help cleanse the digestive tract.

You can do a simple spring clean by starting each day with a glass of warm water with half of a lemon squeezed into it. (It has to be the actual lemon, not oil.) Not only does this reportedly aide in weight loss, but it also helps your digestive system. The enzymes, vitamin C, and lower pH are all beneficial any time of year, but especially when you are focusing on a spring cleaning. See this blog post I wrote for more water tips.

Spring Cleaning Tip #5: Fiber

A good spring cleaning wouldn’t be complete without dusting, right? You want to get that microfiber cloth into all the nooks and crannies to make sure everything is clean.

Fiber acts like that dusting rag. It gets into all the nooks and crannies of your small intestine and cleans it out. I often compare it to a toothbrush. Your gut needs fiber every day. The best way to get this fiber is by filling your plate with colorful fruits and veggies anytime you can.

Your goal should be to have at least one large, soft, easy to pass bowel movement each day. Fiber helps with this. Don’t let that nasty garbage build up in your body. Get rid of it at least once a day. In theory, a healthy digestive system will take about 24-hours to complete a meal. Some experts believe that you should have a bowel movement 24-hours after each meal.

Spring Cleaning Tip #6: Binge-Watch KonMari

Ok, so this one isn’t actually doing anything. But if you have Netflix and a pile of laundry to fold, turn on the show all about cleaning up. You’ll finish all inspired to clean your whole house.

There are a lot of books and blog articles and podcasts about cleaning and decluttering. You don’t have to binge watch the KonMari method to get inspired. I think Sorted: Freedom Through Structure was my favorite book on the topic. (Affiliate link)

Spring Cleaning Tip #7: Get the Kids Involved

Every Friday my house gets cleaned.

This year for school, each kid is memorizing a huge chunk of scripture. (They’re doing all five chapters of the book of James.) Every Friday, they recite all that they have learned so far. This takes a long.long.time.

While one kid is reciting, the others clean. They have a contest to see who can clean up the most. The younger two easily take 20-30 minutes to get through their scripture passage which gives the older two a LOT of time to clean. They are awarded bonus points for vacuuming to increase the incentive to get the floors all the way clean.

This is our weekly routine, but also applies to spring cleaning. Don’t do it alone. You don’t live alone in your house, you shouldn’t clean alone either. Get the kids involved. The first couple times they do something it might take a bit more of your time as you instruct, inspect, gently re-instruct, and then inspect again (and again.) Eventually, this will save you a ton of time, though. It also has the added bonus of helping your kids gain skills for life.

Spring Cleaning Tip #8: Epsom Salt Bath

Not only can soaking in a bath be relaxing for your mind, it can help clean your body if you add some Epsom salt to the water. The Holistic Health Herbalist says:

Simply soaking in a hot bath with 2-3 cups of dissolved Epsom salts can assist in removing harmful impurities from your body in about 10-15 minutes. In a nutshell, magnesium sulfate [aka Epsom salt] basically tells unwanted toxins to leave the party. But that’s not all! The benefits of Epsom salt don’t stop at the skin’s surface. Magnesium sulfate also strengthens detox pathways throughout the body allowing it to purify itself from heavy metals and other unwanted waste.

After a day of spring cleaning, relax in the bathtub and allow your body to detox and clean.

Spring Cleaning Tip #9: Power of Plants

The air inside most homes and offices is more polluted than the air outside. Plants help clean and purify the air! They act as an air filter and take out some of the toxins released by the fire-retardant chemicals in our furniture and flooring.

Plants are also good for spring cleaning your stress levels. Putting live plants where you see them frequently has been shown to decrease stress and increase emotional health. LifeHack states:

The presence of plants contributes to the general feeling of wellbeing, making people more happy and optimistic about life.

Spring Cleaning Tip #10: Trap the Dirt & Clutter

You just cleaned. Save future time and energy by trapping dirt and clutter before they cause more work for you.

• Use welcome mats outside and inside your doors
• Ask family and guests to remove their shoes
• Use baskets or bins where clutter tends to build up fastest
• Open the mail directly over the garbage bin to quickly discard all you don’t need
• For more tips on prevention and decluttering, check out The Art of Simple

The Best Way to Spring Clean

Just start. Seriously. Sometimes we get distracted by planning and don’t actually get around to doing the cleaning. So, right now, share/pin this post to inspire your friends, set a timer, turn on some tunes, throw open a window (if the weather is appropriate) and start freshening up your home.