5 Spring Cleaning Mistakes Experts Say You Need to Avoid — These Pitfalls Will Cost You Precious Time and Reverse Your Efforts
Before you continue (or start, no judgment) your seasonal reset, take a look at what these professionals have to say
Let's be honest, spring cleaning is a time-consuming, sweat-breaking, confrontational time of year. But the results of a home that feels satisfyingly tidy make it all so worth it. That is, if you do it right and don't fall prey to some of these common mistakes.
Things like decluttering items before your spring clean, but after organizing your home, forgetting to set up an exit strategy, ignoring neglected spaces, stopping short and aiming for an absolutely perfect finish are holding you back.
So, here's why these mistakes are reversing your efforts and how to amend them.
Article continues below1. Organizing First, Decluttering Second
DO INSTEAD: Always cull your collection of items first and figure out storage ideas and organization methods after.
Cathy Orr, professional organizer and co-founder of The Uncluttered Life, tells me that one of the biggest spring cleaning mistakes you can make is not decluttering before cleaning and organizing your space.
"If you fail to declutter, you are just moving your stuff around. You have to let go to have less to clean and organize. I always recommend sorting boxes for things you want to trash, donate, and relocate," she says.
"Then, take everything out and wipe down the area you just decluttered. Decluttering room by room is always job number one. There's no way around it."
Cathy Orr is a master consultant in the KonMari Method®, featured in Marie Kondo’s Netflix series 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' and 'Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo'. She also applies techniques from Marie Kondo’s books, including The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Spark Joy, and Joy At Work. Her training was completed with KonMari in Los Angeles in 2019, and she served as a panelist during KonMari’s November 2020 Virtual Certification Course, sharing her insights to assist others. While she holds the title of a certified master, she views it as just one element of her holistic and comprehensive approach to decluttering and organizing. To her, organization is a systematic method to simplify life, reduce waste, and save both time and money.
2. Lack of an Exit Strategy
DO INSTEAD: Figure out an efficient exit strategy for the items that need to leave your home, and make it easy to follow.
Hester Van Hien, professional organizer and founder of Tidylicious, tells me that once you’ve decided which items to let go of, your unwanted items must leave your house as soon as possible. Forgetting to make an exit strategy or overcomplicating it will only deter your efforts.
"You should make sure it's easy and quick to get things out of your home. If it’s too complex or time-consuming, these unwanted items might never actually leave your house or only at a very slow pace. In this way, you won’t get to enjoy the benefits of your spring clean," she warns.
I find that the post-it method is a helpful precursor to help you keep track of what needs to go where. But as for what to do next, Hester says: "Donating to charity is fairly simple, and there are now also organisations that can collect charity items from your home. Selling items can be very time-consuming, so this is not always the best way. In theory, it’s a great idea to pass certain items on to people that you know, but one charity drop is often easier than arranging several collections with friends and family."
Hester Van Hien from Tidylicious is a home decluttering and organizing consultant based in London. She uses a methodical approach to transform homes into calm, clutter-free spaces. Hester did her training with Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo, who developed the KonMari Method®. Aside from working 1:1 with clients in their homes and online, Hester can also be booked as an expert speaker. She has done talks at the Ideal Home Show and Home, Life & You (previously Clean & Tidy Home Show).
3. Ignoring Spaces Out of Sight and Overlooked
DO INSTEAD: Make a detailed account of the areas in your home that are often left to be out of sight and out of mind.
"Another mistake people make during spring cleaning is ignoring areas that you rarely see or touch. This may include things like vents or baseboard. Also, remember to clean the areas that you rarely see," says Cathy.
"Alternatively, there are areas in your home that you use and touch all the time, like light switches and handles. Make sure these are cleaned well. They tend to get grimy and transfer to other surfaces in your home. A bonus is that they look good after they’re finished."
Decluttering your hidden storage, tidying the dead space between cabinet tops and ceilings, and paring back overlooked storage spots should be in your spring cleaning checklist.
4. Stopping Short or Scheduling Too Little Time
DO INSTEAD: Use dopamine anchoring to help you move through your spring cleaning with a sense of renewed motivation.
According to Hester, stopping your spring cleaning before you're completely finished checking off every to-do on your household cleaning checklist is a major mistake. "Usually clutter starts to creep back in at a much higher rate than when you’ve dealt with everything and everywhere in your home," she says.
"Clutter often attracts clutter, so when an area in your home is still a bit messy, it’s very easy to add items to that area that you don’t know where else to put, or to put items there when you don’t have time or energy to put them in their actual storage space."
So, if you can, she recommends trying to tackle every single space in your home, even if this takes a while. "In the long term, it will make it so much easier to maintain a clutter-free, organized home."
5. Overthinking and Aiming for Perfection
DO INSTEAD: Rejoice in small victories and take the process one step at a time.
Hester explains that overthinking the process and aiming for absolute perfection is another popular spring cleaning mistake. You might get wrapped up in decluttering your kitchen or organizing your entryway and lose sight of the big picture goal.
"If you get stuck on certain items and you're unsure of whether you still need or want them, don’t spend too much time on these things. If in doubt, it’s better to hold on and revisit these items later," says Hester.
"Just aim to get it decluttered to a certain standard. Then, as you go along your daily routine, you can keep on doing your best to improve little things here and there around your home."
Spring Cleaning Starter Pack
Color: Brown / Blue
From the collaboration between Papier and Damson Madder, this undated diary is just the kind of excuse to get your spring cleaning schedule on paper.
Quantity: Set of 3
After you're done decluttering, treat your open storage to these stylich woven baskets from Anthropologie.
Format: Paperback
Learn about the KonMari method and declutter your home efficiently with Marie Kondo's guide to tidy spaces.
Color: Brown
Get yourself some stylish, handmade cleaning tools like this to make spring cleaning a little more fun.
Format: Hardcover
Nikki Boyd's 'Beautifully Organized' will help you sort your living spaces out so you're living in an aesthetically pleasing Pinterest board of a home.
Quantity: Set of 3
Plain glass jars are great for hidden storage, but I recommend going with something a little more fun (like this stunning trio) for organizing items on display.
Taking this process bit by bit is the best way to make actual progress in returning your home to a tidy and healthy environment. And since it's easy to get overwhelmed in the clutter, I recommend making a plan based on your personality.
Should you be following the maximalist guide to spring cleaning, or do you need a more minimalist approach? And for more advice on curating and maintaining beautiful living spaces, sign up for our newsletter.
