Spring is almost here and when I think of spring, I also think of cleaning. I think it’s that whole “spring cleaning” thing that jumps to mind. (It could also be because we have another cross country move ahead of us this summer.) Today, I’m bringing you a plan to get your home in order in just 28 days. It’s fully customizable and made to fit you and your lifestyle.
I have found that my home and me are happier when it is neat and organized. Our surroundings affect our moods, productivity, and overall happiness. Therefore, it’s important and helpful to keep them neat and clean. I don’t know about you, but my home isn’t as organized or neat as it should be right now. (Yes, I’m admitting it to the public. Remember – life gets messy sometimes.) So, I’m going to be dedicating part of March to getting it back in order. I’ve created the perfect system for it that I’m sharing with you today!
The steps are easy to follow and fully customizable to your home and schedule.
1. Print out the calendar.
The first step is to print out this calendar. When you print out the calendar, you’ll notice that the dates aren’t numbered (and the second version even has blanks for the days of the week). This is because you determine your start date.
2. Pick a cleaning day.
Now you need to determine which day of the week is going to be your cleaning day. I like to make Sundays my cleaning day in order to start the week with a clean home. However, everyone’s schedule is different and that is why I provided a calendar with the days not listed. You might pick a different day for your cleaning day.
3. Select a start date.
Pick a date to start the plan. Your start date needs to be on your cleaning day. This is very important for success with the plan.
4. Clean your house.
On the first day of the plan, you’re going to clean your house. I recommend following these easy steps for getting your house clean. At this point, we are not focusing on major projects or organizing anything. We’re simply putting things away and doing the basic cleaning tasks of dusting, sweeping, and wiping things down.
5. Make your project list.
As you clean your house, I want you to make note of things that you would like to improve or completely change. Maybe the medicine cabinet needs reorganized or your closet needs a purging. When you find one of these tasks, write it down on this project list. (That’s right – you’re getting two free printables today!) Write down every project you find – no matter how big or small. You can print out another sheet if you need it.
6. Make your plan.
Sit down with your project list and the calendar. Start assigning projects to different days. Think about your schedule and be realistic. If a day is super busy, make the project for that day small. The goal is to take advantage of free time to improve your home’s organization and happiness. Write your projects on the calendar and check them off each day when you do them. If you have more projects than calendar space, I recommend printing out another one and extending your plan beyond 28 days. Remember – everyone is different!
7. Revisit your plan each week.
Each week, you will repeat steps 4-6 on your scheduled cleaning day. Your weekly cleaning day is about getting in the habit to maintain your home. You should focus on getting things back in order rather than working on a new project. It’s also a good time to make note of new projects and to cross off completed projects.
I’ll be starting this plan on March 20th after I return from my trip home (it’s a little hard to clean from across the country!). Looking around me right now, I already see several projects that would be added to my project list. What about you? Do you have things that you know would be added to your project list?
