How to Make Spring Cleaning Fun (Tips & Hacks)

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It’s that time of year again – time to break out the cleaning supplies and give your home a good scrubbing! Spring cleaning can be a chore, but it doesn’t have to be. 

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In this post, I will show you some tips and tricks on how to make spring cleaning fun, and while it is not necessarily the new year, calendar-wise, there are many aspects of the coming of spring that indicate new times and, in some cultures, it does signify the new year.

 Much like bears that hibernate all winter, even if you were still busy, you were likely more sluggish during those winter months, and now the time has come for you and your cubs to clean the cave so you can go out with renewed motivation! Let’s get started!

What is the purpose of spring cleaning?

Some people may think that spring cleaning is just a pointless tradition, but there is actually a purpose behind it. Spring cleaning is an opportunity to get rid of all the clutter and chaos built up over the winter. It’s also a chance to give your home a fresh start for the new season.

The goal of spring cleaning is to help you reset for the better weather ahead and to clean up the buildup of things that have likely occurred during the stressful winter holidays and due to just staying home more often during the cold months. During the winter, we deal with everything from holidays, potlucks, the daily grind of our work and school schedules, and most times. Children are off from school for a while during the winter. 

This means not only is there likely an accumulation of stuff from you staying home more, but all of that is multiplied by the things your children have as well. These are all great reasons to get the whole family motivated to cleanse and freshen up their spaces so that everyone can start the new season off right. It should be a fun experience to look forward to each year.

When should I start spring cleaning in 2022?

Spring cleaning can really start whenever you have the time. However, the official first day of spring is March 20^th for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, which is also when the Spring Equinox occurs for us. 

The spring equinox is when the sun shifts position to the equator line, and the Northern Hemisphere is tilted to welcome warmer weather and longer daylight. The equinox is usually the catalyst for most spring cleaning as it is the most official form of spring’s arrival, and it is a good way to keep up the routine. 

Starting your spring cleaning and decluttering during the equinox is a great way to really start fresh for those longer daylight hours. Though realistically, it will take much longer than a day to clean everything you want to, and that is normal! You can use the beginning of spring’s date to begin your cleaning officially, and since March 20^th, 2022 falls on a Sunday, you could even block off that weekend to begin, and by Sunday, you will have accomplished at least a portion of your cleaning. 

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The easiest way to get yourself involved and motivated is to use the off-time before the weather gets too beautiful to resist. That way you and your family won’t be tempted to take a day trip instead of doing your spring cleaning. 

This brings me to my first spring cleaning tips, block out a couple of weekends early in the spring so that you and your family can all pitch in to cleanse the winter crud and clutter out and welcome that warm sunshine into the open spaces and clean windows of your house.

How do you get in the spring-cleaning mood?

Getting into the mood for cleaning can be a monumental task in and of itself for some of us, but there are plenty of spring-cleaning motivation ideas for every type of person out there, and we will discuss them all here! 

First, for all of us who may be looking at a metaphorical avalanche of chores to do during this spring-cleaning time, you can make a list breaking down the tasks into smaller, easier-to-manage ones. This method allows you to put your spring-cleaning plan into motion and to give yourself some relief from the overwhelming stress of looking at a house that may need a good bit of work this spring. 

This is a great way to get into the spring-cleaning mood because while you are breaking everything down into smaller tasks, you can start to envision just how great everything will look once those tasks are all complete! 

Another good way to utilize this method of getting into the spring-cleaning mood is to use a decluttering challenge printable. I love to use templates like these because they lay the groundwork for the entire process of cleaning and decluttering, and they provide you with a visual aid that will continue to keep you motivated. 

Turning spring cleaning into a fun game or challenge is also a great way to get others in your house in the mood to do some spring cleaning. Setting up small prizes for each task accomplished will make everyone more willing to join in, and give you something to look forward to, and push you toward those clean house goals. 

The prizes can be anything from an ice cream day. A get out of chore-free card, or a trip to your children’s favorite park or playground. You can also apply these small rewards to yourself by setting up small personal prizes of your choosing to keep you just as motivated as your family. Aside from the list-making, task splitting, and spring-cleaning game motivation tips, there are a few even simpler ones as well.

One great tip to get in the mood for spring cleaning is to let some light into your home. Light can metaphorically and literally illuminate the clutter and things you should have on your cleaning list. The sunlight itself and the good weather also can be a motivator of their own. More sunlight makes us feel more energized. The nice weather gets us up and moving. This way, we can redirect those usual urges into cleaning this spring so that your house is less cluttered and ready for those spring and summer activities and energies that will be running wild.

Why You Should Get The Whole Family Involved

Spring cleaning may be something that you are very passionate about, but maybe the rest of your family has not quite gotten on board yet. You may think that it’s no big deal you’ll just clean a few things and then forget about it, but it is very important to go ahead and work on getting the whole family involved in spring cleaning. 

Cleaning the house should not just be your job, your family has a role in making the place dirty, so they should also have a role in keeping it tidy. Another helpful post about getting the family involved in cleaning can be found here. You don’t want to have to do all of the household work yourself. It’s unfair and creates a sense of aggravation among family members. 

When everyone pitches in and does an equal share of their cleaning, one person is never weighed down by the pressure as much because the whole family is behind you helping out. This is the main reason the whole family should get involved. It helps to foster a household of responsibilities, tidiness, and a schedule that can create better habits for everyone. 

So, along with learning how to make spring cleaning fun, you can also share that fun and togetherness with your family’s support. Spring cleaning will be even more fun when everyone in the family is involved, and it will go by so much faster with the additional helping hands. As I mentioned before, each family member can go t,hrough and clear out their own accumulations of excess toys, clothes, and other miscellaneous goods. Everyone can pitch in to clean up and reorganize common areas to create more room for activities in the coming warmer months. 

If the entire family joins in on the spring cleaning, then you can all feel a sense of accomplishment, and those in the house will now have a greater sense of responsibility to keep their space clean.

How do you make spring cleaning fun for kids?

Making spring cleaning, or any cleaning for that matter, fun for kids may seem impossible, but with these spring cleaning tips and tricks, you can be sure to find the perfect way to get your kids excited and involved in the cleaning process. As I mentioned above and will continue to expand on further down in this post, you can start by creating little games out of the cleaning exercises.

Maybe make it a challenge as to who can be the most thorough window cleaner or who can vacuum the fastest? Little challenges can spark a competition, at the same time as creating motivation to get involved with the spring cleaning. You could also make a contest between the children as to who can get rid of the most unused toys. 

If this takes a little more coaxing, you can tell them they can keep any money from a yard sale where their old toys will be sold. You can also have prizes for each finished spring-cleaning task, such as earning coupons for extra dessert, a day at the playground, or even a get-out of chore-free card. 

This is a good motivator as they can put in the work to clean and reorganize, all while earning things they will enjoy and use! This also allows you to teach them that hard work pays off in a real way by rewarding them after they complete their tasks and get rid of unused items.

4 Tips & Tricks to Make Spring Cleaning Fun

Make it a game among the family

Just like I mentioned above the best spring-cleaning tips on how to make spring cleaning fun include adding an aspect of friendly competition or prizes into the mix! Because let’s face it, kids, and even us as adults, are way less likely to do a task without solid forms of motivation. 

Which are what prizes, bragging rights, and other rewards offer to help the family have fun while cleaning for spring. Things like having coupons that can allow someone to get extra dessert, their choice of dinner, and plenty of other options which work for your family are great choices. You could even get fancy and create some sort of prize wheel to be used by the family members after completing a spring-cleaning task. 

There are plenty of ways to turn your spring cleaning into spring gaming and allow for loads of fun and motivation. Challenges among the family, like who can find the most items to sell at a yard sale, are also great motivators that help clear you of unwanted clutter that has been piling up since the winter months.

We all know that Christmas usually means a lot of presents, so spring is the perfect time to get rid of all of the old toys, clothes, and other items that are being ignored because of all of the new things the family gets during the holidays.

Use it as an exercise opportunity

If you and your partner are in need of some good old-fashioned exercise. You can use spring cleaning as an opportunity to accomplish that! Vacuuming stairs? Do a few squats with each step. Mopping or vacuuming the living room? Throw in a few lunges. If you are lifting and taking things out to donate or to put in a shed for yard selling, you can use that as a time to build up your arm and leg muscles.

Build some exercises into the cleaning regimen, and you can get home gym time and a clean house at the same time! This can be a helpful method for kids with high energy as well. If your kids are known to run around the house at full speed, give them a task that allows them to do that while helping you clean. Tell them to take small boxes to the designated areas for donation or selling and then give them smaller tasks like raking leaves or sweeping that they can use their boundless energy for.

Donate items

A great spring-cleaning hack that can make you feel happy and fulfilled, is using this time to donate to others in need. As I mentioned before, most of us think of the holidays as a time when we get an influx of new, sometimes unneeded, or extra items, but not everyone is so lucky. 

That is why during spring, you and your family can all work with each other to put together a donation box, or boxes, to send to a local salvation army store or other charity organizations which can distribute your items to those in need. While the holidays and most of the cold weather may be over, that doesn’t mean that people out there don’t still need everyday items like jackets, shoes, or even toys. 

Donating is a great way to give new life to your old and gently used items that you just don’t need anymore. Be sure to use this spring-cleaning time to go through and purge your entire house of excess items that you are not using, and by doing this, you can give those items a new home where they will be gladly welcomed. 

Even extra plates or pots and pans can be donated to soup kitchens or women’s shelters. If you aren’t using them, then put them to good use by donating.

Have a garage sale

As I have mentioned a few times; a yard sale is a wonderful tip to make spring cleaning fun! Setting up a yard sale may not seem thrilling, but trust me, selling your items and walking away with cold, hard cash will make you very happy and motivated to do it all again next year! 

You can get the whole family involved and have your kids get rid of their unused or ignored items too. This way, they can see how it pays off to get rid of their old items instead of keeping a bunch of toys they may never touch again. Teaching your children to get rid of things they don’t wear or use anymore if they have too many other options, is a great way to help prevent an attachment to material items and show them the value of recycling their old things. 

In the case of a yard sale, they could really make some decent cash from recycling their old toys and giving them a new life with another little boy or girl out there.

Spring Cleaning Can Be Fun For The Whole Family

I hope this post helped provide the motivation and tips to get up and get your family ready to enjoy spring cleaning to the fullest. Don’t forget to use these tips like making a template and progress chart of your cleaning so that you don’t get overwhelmed, especially if you have a larger or more cluttered house. 

Be kind to yourself and go through the process at your own pace. While you can start spring cleaning at the beginning of spring, that doesn’t mean all of the cleaning must be done by the end of that weekend. Above all, play to your family’s strengths. If someone likes cleaning the kitchen and someone likes cleaning windows, let them do that! If someone gets distracted easily, don’t let them be in charge of any sorting-related activities. 

You know your family well, and you also know how to motivate them properly, so don’t forget to make it fun and turn it into a game that will allow everyone to enjoy spring cleaning instead of dreading it.