Ultimate Spring Cleaning
Yesterday was our very first family Ultimate Spring Cleaning, which is like normal spring cleaning but with more yelling. 🙂 I kid – we actually didn’t yell at all yesterday, and the spring cleaning was – admittedly – kind of fun. Though, it was definitely made more fun because I persuaded Tim that we should head to Crate & Barrel to spruce up the place as a reward for our cleanliness. More on that later.
We actually split up our cleaning into phases, which I highly recommend. It helps to break down any large task into smaller pieces so you feel more accomplished at every stage. So, here is a brief description of our phases, and some pictures!
Phase 1: Purge
We moved in together in August, and were married in October. We had both also lived on our own for two years prior to moving in together, so not only did we have to merge all of our stuff, we also got lots of new stuff for the wedding. So, our guest room closet (and every other closet… and the laundry room… to be totally honest) became a holding ground for stuff we weren’t sure we’d ever need again, or couldn’t part with right away. In fact, this was so much the case, that I made #24 on my 30 Before 30 list to clean out the guest room closet. So, we started there – looking through old files, filing new things, paring down old things, and throwing a lot away. We also got rid of a lot of very old utensils (and some lingering yellow plates… don’t ask) by donating them. And I found two old computers from a LONG time ago that we recycled. And now we have space in the guest room closet and we have a place to put our Christmas decorations! Finally!
Phase 2: Organization
In Phase 2, we both did our separate organization. We organized desk drawers, kitchen drawers, bathroom drawers, china cabinets, bookshelves – you name it. We found all sorts of goodies and stuff we didn’t even know was there, which was awesome, and then we organized the hell out of it. Now, we can find things with ease. And this makes me happy.
Phase 3: Springy Decor
At that point, we headed to Crate & Barrel to spruce up the place. This probably should have been after the cleaning mania, but we got a late start (for which I blame Jillian T. 😉 ) and Crate & Barrel would have been closed by the time we were done cleaning, so this became Phase 3. We got all sorts of great stuff that helps make the place look new, without actually adding any large pieces. Here, I’ll show you!:
New pillows in bright colors!
Matching candles in bright colors! We moved the candle holders from the kitchen table centerpiece to the end table next to the couch with the new, bright pillows on it, which really ties the room together nicely.
A matching vase, which now sits on the breakfast bar where our fruit bowl used to be. We now no longer have a fruit bowl, which is doubly good: It was too big for the space, and we get bugs sometimes from leaving our fruit on the bar. I put a candle in this vase, and it looks really cool when lit.
This is now the centerpiece on our kitchen table. It’s a Waterford crystal bowl that we had sitting on our living room table (on which there is now nothing, which is nice) that I put (matching) green stones in the bottom of and put on a (matching) teal placemat. Score.
These are actually from Target, but the color scheme matched so well, I couldn’t pass them up! Multi-colored napkins and placemats. You know, for my next dinner party.
And, finally, a few new bathroom accessories. We know a few of you bought us our lovely bathroom accessories that we registered for for the wedding, and we liked those a lot better, but the “stainless” steel of those was not, in fact, stainless. We had two soap dispensers, and after the first one became totally rusted-over in a matter of weeks, we tried the second one, and the same thing happened. So, thank you to those who kindly bought us what we asked for. We just had to replace it because it was impossible to keep it from staining.
Phase 4: Cleaning Mania
In this phase, we cleaned like we’d never cleaned before. I took the dusting and the vacuuming. Tim took the kitchen and the bathroom. Needless to say, our apartment is SPOTLESS, disinfected, and there is not a speck of dust anywhere.
Phase 5: Pizza and Beer
Because every good project should end with pizza and beer.
So, that’s a recap of our very first Ultimate Spring Cleaning. I think it was a success! And, very feminist if I do say so myself. We split every responsibility up completely equitably.
What about you? Do you have any spring cleaning rituals or techniques you’d like to share?