The change of seasons from winter to spring can bring a huge boost to your mood. Extra sunlight, a little more heat, and days spent outside instead of trapped on the couch … it can feel transformative.

It is this transformative nature of spring that also prompts us to do a big spring cleaning around the house. A big clean out will transform your life when it gets rids of more than a year’s worth of clutter and trash.

A major spring cleaning weekend is an intense and quick way to roll up your sleeves and tackle the months of clutter that have been holding you back this winter.

Plan it out

Before you get going on your project, you will want to have a plan. Ask yourself these important questions:

• Do I want to tackle the whole house? Or just a single floor? Or will one room be enough?
• Who will I have available to help me and what will we need – a truck? A dumpster?
• What cleaning supplies will I need, and do I have them?
  • Bucket
  • Sponges and mop
  • Towels
  • Puddy knife
  • Cleaning liquids
  • Gloves
  • Trash bags
• How much time will it take to get the results I want?

Budget

You will want to consider your budget for this work. What can your budget afford, and how much better will it make you feel?

$50 – a few friends, supplies you already have, and a couple pizzas and beer at the end of the day.

$150 – for the new homeowner who has a lot to get rid of and few supplies, but who still wants pizza and beer for the crew

$500 – for when the cleaning will merge into something a bit more, like painting or remodeling

>$500 – remodeling with a lot of removal, including dumpster rental, and enough sponges for multiple people to be working on the same thing at once

Inventory

Take inventory of the things to be sold and then sell them using Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, or freecycle depending on what they are and the likely taker.

Remember, everything you sell is something you don’t have to take to the curb or throw in your dumpsters.

Finally, if you can’t sell a decent and working item, you can donate it to St. Vincent DePaul or other local charity. Letting those items have a second life feels good too.

Start

The important thing is to start early and enthusiastically on the appointed day. Nothing gets you moving like already being on the move!

Plan out the process based on the space available. Are you cleaning everything out in one sink? Clean that room last – no sense cleaning it twice!

Want an early win? Start with the easiest room and mark it finished as quickly as possible.