10 Mini Projects to Jump Start Your Spring Cleaning

Around here the sun is shining and most days it's above 40 degrees. It is so awesome to be able to go outside and not have to worry about the snow. We get out as fast as we can every morning and only come back in to change out wet clothes, grab a quick lunch, and a few bathroom breaks. That means that NOTHING is getting cleaned, organized, or anything else inside. Also I have NO incentive to actually BE inside but, it needs done. So if you are in a cleaning slump like I am here are 10 mini projects to get you started.

1. Organize your cleaning supplies- If your cleaners are a mess, bottles are half empty and there's stuff covered in gunk take a few minutes and sort it all out. If you have 6 bottles of the same thing poor it all into one bottle instead of several. Make sure you have the appropriate cleaners where they will be used. Carpet cleaner is not going to do you a lot of good in the kitchen and drain cleaner would probably be more appropriate under a sink than the hall closet. How are you going to get into cleaning anything when your cleaners themselves are a mess?
2. Patch it up- In our house it seems like holes show up every where. Took down a baby gate? Hole one. Replaced the towel bar with a different style? Hole two. Someone fell off the bed and hit the wall during a tickle fight? Hole 3. Moved the picture frames around? Holes 4-12 Pull out the spackle and fill those in. Even if you can't paint right away at least you are half way done, right?
3. Touch it up- Pull out a can of paint and touch up those nicks, scratches, dings, and get it taken care of. It's quick, easy, and will make a world of difference. Take a sanding block with you in case anything needs smoothed out first. 
4. Get it out- Through out the week set aside all the things that don't belong in your house. If it goes to the library, the donation drop off, a friends house, or anywhere else that's not your house put it all together. Designate a time to bring everything to it's rightful home. 
5. Trash it- Get a big bag and go through any place in your home that you know trash accumulates. If you know you have a bunch of holey socks, over used tooth brushes, containers with missing lids, ruined non-stick pans, dried up nail polish, dishes that are chipped, empty shampoo bottles, chewed up children's books, decimated dog toys, expired food, or anything else trash-worthy just do a sweep. Clear out what you can, don't worry about organizing it all or labeling it all. Just get the trash OUT. 
6. Project list- Write down all the projects that need done that you have the supplies for or that would be easy/cheap to acquire. Keep your list someplace where you have easy access to it so you can add to it or take it to the store so you know what you need when you get there.  Finish these projects before you get started on others. 
7. Room by room- Find a source that you like and print out or copy a to-do list for cleaning each room or area of your house. This can come from a book, a blog, a shop, or even just from memory. Where ever you get your list from separate it into a list for each room. Place each room's list in that room so you can see it when you are there. 
8. Plan ahead- If you know you are going to be needing a new item for a room start a little book or list  where you can keep all your measurements and specifics on what you are looking for. Need containers to fit under the sink? Write it down. Looking for a console table that's more proportional to your room? Write it down. There's not much more discouraging than proudly hauling home a find only to realize that it's not the right size, shape, or color. 
9. Consolidate- Put all the same cleaners in one bottle, toss dvd cases and put movies in a binder or file system, properly stack bowl, pans, and containers. Store bough packaging can be a huge space waster. Get rid of the fluff that takes up so much unwanted space. This doesn't require any picking or choosing, just putting like with like. Pick one area and breath in your new found space. 
10. Take it slow- Pat yourself on the back for each project you complete. Step back and really enjoy that light switch that is now finger print free. Look at your beautiful sink with no dishes inside. Smile to yourself when you think of how you are going to be the crazy lady at a yard sale that pulls out her measuring tape to scope out a perfect find as you check your handy measurements you've already taken. Think back at the end of the day to each little thing that you DID do and try to focus on that rather than what you did not get done.