Spring has sprung! Now it’s time to clean out the winter left-overs and lighten the load!

I’m just going to be totally candid with you here: one of the main motivations of this post is totally selfish. I practice what I preach and I need to practice spring cleaning…in a big way…immediately. So, here are my top cleaning tips/note-to-self:

1. Don’t go crazy. You don’t have to get it all done at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a good spring cleaning. Make a list of priorities and a plan of attack. Personally, I’m dedicating a whole day just to my closet. Sadly, it needs it and I’m not going at this task half-assed. It’s go big or go home. And we’re going big.

2. Go au natural. Slowly but surely, replace things as you need them with more natural products. This has been huge for me. One by one, when I’m out of something, (from household cleaning products to makeup, food to face-wash, sheets to shampoo to shower curtain, etc.) instead of just replacing it, I evaluate, read some labels, and do a natural upgrade. Eventually, you’ll have a natural collection of products you can really feel good about using.

3. “Springify” your closet. First, take out the winter stuff. Those chunky sweaters will clear up lots of room to replace with your spring and summer wardrobe. Then, it’s out with the old and in with the new. This goes for both winter and spring. As you put your winter wear away and take out your spring clothing, (in an organized fashion) go thru it one-by-one. If you haven’t worn it in a year, put it in the donation pile and don’t look back (note to self: don’t go thru donation pile with last-minute re-considerations. Begone. Good riddance. Ciao.) Once you’ve weeded through the closet and lightened things up, think about a way to best organize and get to it. This involves a little bit of careful consideration and individuality. Do what makes sense to you, establish a system you’ll keep up with, whether it’s by category, color, how you get dressed, or your own creative system. Then, keep it up.

4. Possibly most important to living a cleaner, neater, free-er life: De-clutter. The kitchen, the desk, the night-table. Everything is better when it’s simple, when you can find it. As soon as you get the mail, throw the crap (excuse my french) out. Go thru these spaces weekly to do a small clean-out before it builds and builds to justify a large, time-consuming, clean-out (due to losing something really important on the bottom of the pile…)

5. Lastly, enjoy it! Make your home feel like-new and embrace all of your hard work with a little reward. Fresh-cut flowers, a new pillow or accessory, fresh cleaning products, and open windows will fill your home with spring goodness and can make you feel reborn and rejuvenated.

One Healthy Breakdown: Ah, the magic of a clean house after a LONG winter hibernation!