Spring Cleaning and Organizing: Tips for Refreshing Your Dorm or Apartment

Spring comes around every year, and so does the urge to purge your house, apartment, and dorm. Whether you need to refresh your space or mindset, Spring cleaning can be a good opportunity to make your home feel lighter and more functional. This article will explore some of our best trips for refreshing your space. It’s time to de-clutter your catch-all pile, fold your clothes, and welcome springtime!

Start With a Plan

Before diving in, take stock of the areas of your apartment that need a deep clean, reorganization, or decluttering. Making a list with reachable tasks and goals for spring cleaning can spotlight what is or is not important to organize and clean. 

Divide your house into cleaning zones, where you can tackle one thing at a time and not everything at once. Maybe you need some supplies or upgraded storage before you can fully clean a space. When you make a plan, you can accommodate timing and your schedule to ensure maximum efficiency when cleaning. Don’t try to get it all done in one day!

Deep Clean Neglected Spots

Once decluttering is done, it’s time to tackle the hard spots—the deep spots that maybe only get cleaned once a year. Here’s where your plan and your list can come in handy because big tasks like this can take time. When tackling the dirt and grime, remember to start from the top and work your way down. Start with your dusty ceiling fans and top shelves, and work your way to desks, dressers, and eventually, your floors and floorboards. 

Try to tackle some of the frequently missed spots, including: 

• Under your bed
• Windowsills and on top of cabinets 
• Inside your microwave and stove
• Behind the toilet and sink

Organize Closets and Drawers

If you have a lot of clothes or shoes, organizing your closets and drawers may be one of the largest tasks at hand. Living in a state with four seasons can be beautiful and fun, but it also requires four different wardrobes. Most people, especially students in dorms, don’t have room to keep their clothing out year-round. Optimizing storage and sorting your wardrobe by season can help maintain cleanliness throughout every season.

If you find yourself with too many clothes, maybe part of your spring cleaning ritual can be starting a donation pile to refresh your wardrobe and get rid of what no longer fits, what you haven’t worn, or what’s out of style. 

Upgrade Storage

When you’re with minimal space, upgrading your storage can be the best option to utilize what you have. When floor space is the most valuable thing in your apartment, think up! The most underutilized space in your apartment is the open air between the furniture and the group or the ceiling.

 It isn’t always about buying another plastic organizational tub or having a drawer for everything; it’s about utilizing what you already have to make your life easier. Installing things like back-of-door hangers, buying taller vs wider furniture, and hanging floating shelving units can ensure you have enough room to fit everything you want in your apartment. 

Declutter and Minimize

Before you can get to the deep cleaning, decluttering is always the first step in your spring cleaning journey. Whether you have a lot of trinkets, decor, or clothes, it’s time to let some of them go. 

Embracing your inner minimalist is the easiest way to maximize your space and keep your apartment clutter-free. Take the Marie Kondo approach, which, according to her website, encourages “tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy”. This may not work for everyone, but it can be an easy and helpful way to decide what to keep and what not to. “People have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective, and forward-looking”. Adopting a less-is-more attitude can save you from having to figure out where to put everything and can keep your apartment functional and easy to clean, organize, and maintain.

Enjoy your Clean Space

After all the hard work, kicking back and enjoying your clean space is the best part of the cleaning. Adding your own fresh touches can elevate your apartment into the ideal springtime vibe. Swap out your heavy blankets for lighter ones, exchange your winter candles for spring scents, and consider adding more plants to brighten up the space. Whatever you do, enjoy your hard work and clean home.