I don’t know how the term “Spring Cleaning” started, but sure enough every spring I am ready to get into action. I get excited just thinking about throwing the windows open, letting the fresh air in, blasting some music (Shania throwbacks, anyone?) and getting work done. Spring is the perfect time to freshen up, declutter and overall brighten up your home around you! As a WAF, this need feels heightened after a few moves, a few more boxes in the garage/attic/laundry room😖and of course, the ever-looming PCS possibility! We wanted to give you a little guide and hopefully some motivation to get to cleaning in the most efficient way!
PURGING.
What a dreaded word. The nature of moving as many times as we do in the military leads us to living in many different types and sizes of spaces. Home décor alone can vary drastically from Dover, DE to Del Rio, TX. If you have not heard of the KonMari method, welcome! KonMari was created by Mari Kondo and is “a new approach to decluttering based on Japanese values in order to surround yourself with items that spark joy” (KonMari.com). The basic, basic way I have known to utilize this method is by picking up or touching an item in your house and if it gives you happy fuzzies inside (I’m sorry, I can’t even take myself seriously sometimes) then you can keep it. If not, say “adios!” Obviously there are someee things that you will run across that you will have to discuss with your partner and some stuff that you will just never be able to get rid of (why do they have 3 bins of cadet uniforms?!) but this will give you a major head start! I personally have had boxes in my garage since we moved to WA in 2015. Do they give me joy? Absolutely not. So why do we feel the need to hold onto them?! I swear, before this move, they will be GONE.
Hi, my name is Jen and I am a recovering clothes hoarder. “But I will totally wear that if I have like a hoedown or PBR date in the next year!”…the last hoedown I went to was a sorority function in college and I have only been to the PBR one time (thank you Krysta B!). Y’all, we can make every excuse in the book for why/when/where we will wear that shirt from 5 years ago but the likelihood of that happening is slim to none! A few years ago, I learned this awesome trick to easily purge my closet and I do it every year now! Right now, go to your closet and turn around all of your hangers so that they are facing backwards. This is not necessarily a quick purging trick, but it keeps you on the right track! In a year, each piece of clothing that still has a backwards hanger HAS. TO. GO. Styles and trends change so frequently, if you did not wear it this year, why would you wear it next year? Once you have gathered your old clothes, you can either 1. donate them 2. try to sell them to a consignment shop or 3. sell them on Poshmark (or other online consignment). The best part of purging your closet is that it leaves room for new clothes😅 (I know you were thinking it too!)
CLEANING
Alright, now that we are through the heavy stuff. Not a checklist person? I am with ya! My favorite tip I learned from @gocleanco was to start in one corner and work clockwise around the room. Finish a whole room and then move on. And y’all know I can’t talk about cleaning without mentioning the CleanZoom mop! If you love mopping or hate mopping – either way, this is truly the mop you need! It fits perfectly in my hall closet and doesn’t hardy take up any space at all.
I talked about this on my IG stories a while back but I have been on the hunt for the perfect mop for A WHILE. Where we live now has almost negative storage so I needed a powerhouse (hello 100 lbs, furry dog) that was also compact enough to not take up too much room like my previous mops! The CleanZoom mop fits the bill. I am able to easily break it down each time and store it all together in my front coat closet – although it would even fit under the sink! It’s so cool with an insert for your dirty, flat mop head that wrings out the gross water as you slide it in and out of the mop bucket, so you start fresh each time! I use it with…wait for it…a few teaspoons of powdered tide and let me tell you, I’m disgusted in myself every time…
We have made y’all an easy checklist (have I been married to the military too long?) to keep your newly organized home neat, clean, and PCS ready all year round! Don’t worry my Type B friends, don’t let this overwhelm you on the regular. But if you do need a way to stay organized – refer back to this! If you notice, the daily tasks are fairly quick and simple because as you do them each day, they take no time at all! Also, we have left the deeper stuff for Saturdays because after a long day of work or running around with kids activities, who has time to dust the blinds?! Feel free to screenshot this, save it to your phone, or print it out an hang it on your fridge as a daily reminder!
