{"id":58341,"date":"2017-04-06T11:35:36","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T11:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.doorsonlineuk.co.uk\/?p=58341"},"modified":"2018-02-07T13:50:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-07T13:50:25","slug":"spring-cleaning-tips-tricks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.doorsonlineuk.co.uk\/blog\/how-to\/spring-cleaning-tips-tricks\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is here! The clocks have lurched forward, and the sun has decided to grace us with its presence a little more often (albeit a little less often than we\u2019d ideally like), and the time for a little bit of spring cleaning is overdue. Officially so, in fact, as National Spring Cleaning Week<\/a> has already been and gone. If you haven\u2019t gotten started yet, you\u2019re already late to the game. But it\u2019s better to start late than not at all.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re not naturally inclined toward keeping things tidy, then it might seem that you have a mammoth chore on your hands. It\u2019s understandable, then, that you\u2019ve put the task off until now. But with the right guidance, there\u2019s no reason to delay a thorough spring clean any longer. Let\u2019s take stock of the practice of Spring cleaning, and see how we might best go about it. <\/p>\n

Why Spring Clean In The First Place?<\/h2>\n

Clutter isn\u2019t just an eyesore. It can also influence your state of mind. A study by David Tolin<\/a>, the founder of America\u2019s Anxiety Disorder Centre in Connecticut, has found evidence for what most of us already know: If you spend all of your time surrounded by discarded crockery, loose cabling, scrunched-up shopping lists from several months ago, and all manner of other miscellanea, then the chances are that you\u2019ll develop a sense of palpable claustrophobia.<\/p>\n

Tolin\u2019s study focussed on hoarding, monitoring participant\u2019s obifrontal cortexes. This is the part of the brain most concerned with decision making, and found a distinct correlation between activity here and clutter in the home. An untidy home really does lead to stress \u2013 and there are now magnetic-resonance images which prove it!<\/p>\n

As well as the stress, there\u2019s the social stigma attached to untidiness. You might become ashamed of your untidy home, and stop inviting your friends and family over. You might even have so little room that you couldn\u2019t host them even if you wanted to!<\/p>\n

By keeping on top of this throughout the year, you\u2019ll be able to keep the clutter at bay. But even the best of us are tempted to delay doing so, and so a little bit of dust and debris can quickly spiral upward into a mountain of it. Setting aside hours of your time to get things in order again can then prove difficult.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the annual Spring clean has developed into something resembling a ritual. By setting aside a few days to really focus on the task at the expense of all others, you\u2019ll be able to properly conquer it. What\u2019s more, if you make it a ceremony, you\u2019ll be better able to overcome any sentimental attachment you\u2019ve formed to those items that you really need to let go of and sling into the dustbin.<\/p>\n

Once you get going with your spring clean, it can even be fun \u2013 you\u2019ll get the satisfaction of seeing your home transform before your eyes into something more hospitable. You might even feel yourself getting less stressed as the process unfolds! Depending on how much ground you\u2019ve got to cover, you can either take an entire week to do it, or you can cram your work into just a few days.<\/p>\n

A List of Spring Cleaning Supplies<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re going to do this right, then you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019ve put together the necessary equipment before you get going. There\u2019s nothing more likely to make you abandon the task than getting to a crucial stage and then realise you\u2019re missing something essential. Before you get started, check to see whether you have the items on the following list to hand, before making a quick trip to your local supermarket and pick up anything that\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n