With the arrival of spring, the urge to engage in some spring cleaning may be on the way, too. This does not have to be a daunting task, either. You can accomplish a fair amount of spring-cleaning tasks with only a few tools, but if you’re planning a down-and-dirty cleansing, you may need to make a few minor purchases.

The first steps for tackling any spring-cleaning job rests with supplies. But instead of going out and purchasing a bunch of cleaning products on a whim, take a moment to consider just how deep of a cleaning you want to attempt. If you plan on rearranging furniture, do you have a vacuum or broom capable of cleaning anything you find under the furniture? If you plan on deep cleaning the bathroom, do you have the right cleaning solutions for the tub/shower, walls, toilet, and sink? What level of dusting will you be attempting?

Handle With Care

If you’re going to be using any chemicals or solutions designed for deep cleaning, remember to use rubber gloves and maintain a clear flow of air so any fumes can be evacuated outdoors. If you’ve ever walked into a bathroom right after a deep cleaning and felt the fumes curl up in your nose, you can appreciate the need for air flow.

Also, if you have to reach tall spots on the wall, use a stepladder or a very sturdy couch when reaching up to clean. Unsecured foundations can lead to serious injury, even from only a few feet of elevation.

Simple Tricks

A couple of simple tricks to consider when spring cleaning:

Any dusting or wall cleaning should be done before moving on to the furniture and floor, otherwise you’re going to end up cleaning the floor twice from any of the dust and cobwebs you swipe off the walls and bookshelves.

First, turn off the ceiling fan. Then get a stepladder high enough to reach the fan blades. Pull the pillowcase over each blade, slide the pillowcase back like you’re pulling the carry case off a camp chair, and pull the dust and grime into the pillowcase. Repeat for each blade.

Good ventilation doesn’t have to be limited to bathroom cleanings. Part of the satisfaction of spring cleaning comes from the sense of cleanliness of a dirty home, and opening the windows and doors can be one of the quickest ways to achieve that sense of satisfaction.

If you’ve got one roommate or a full house of family members, get everyone involved. Throw on some loud music and get everyone to cleaning and straightening up as a team. In addition to getting the cleaning done faster, the shared experience can lead to a shared sense of satisfaction.

Hopefully, it will also discourage everyone from creating a new mess right after they finish, too.

A clean home requires constant care and maintenance, which can also limit the need for any future deep cleaning sessions. But no matter how clean your home becomes, remember to take a breath and enjoy it while you can.

After all, people live there, so it’s going to get dirty again. And that’s just fine. After all, if the home was perpetually clean, you wouldn’t have spring cleaning to look forward to next year.