As the school year hits the five-month mark and spring has finally started to roll in, I know we are all in desperate need of a good spring cleaning. If you are anything like me, you have accumulated an absurd amount of stuff since moving into your dorm last August and are not sure what to do about it.
Here are five tips to help kickstart your spring cleaning that will leave you feeling refreshed and organized heading into spring break.
- get rid of past holiday decorations
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My biggest source of clutter is holiday decorations. Being an out-of-state student who loves to decorate for holidays has been quite a struggle.
Underneath my bed is stuffed with Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day decorations that I have no other use for. While I do not regret buying the decorations, because I loved having them up, they have been a huge source of frustration for me as I have tried to figure out what to do with them.
If you are like me and can not just take a quick trip home to unload some clutter, I highly recommend using spring break to your advantage. I am driving back up from Illinois with my parents, so I can send them home with a carload of holiday decorations and get my under-bed storage back.
Decluttering is such a big part of spring cleaning and holiday decorations are an easy way to make some big progress.
- bring home winter clothes
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On a similar note, spring cleaning is a great time to switch out heavier winter clothes for more spring-appropriate attire. Be careful when choosing what to bring home though — Pennsylvania’s unpredictable weather means you never know when the temperature will drop back below 30 degrees.
However, you can not go wrong by downsizing your sweatshirt collection. Let’s be honest, we are all wearing the same rotation of sweatshirts anyway.
Bringing home some of the sweatshirts you might not be wearing as often, or even a winter jacket if you have multiple, frees up some space in a tiny dorm room.
One of my favorite tricks for determining which sweatshirts I can do without is to turn all of my hangers in one direction, and then as I start wearing them and washing them, to put them back with the hanger facing in the opposite direction. I have found this to help me visualize what I wear and it makes it far easier to decide what to take home.
- Clean the spots you forget about
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Just because you can’t see the dust doesn’t mean it’s not there. I am great with keeping areas like my desk, rug and closet spotlessly clean, but some areas tend to fall by the wayside.
One of those is the top of my closet. The only thing up there is my air purifier, but it gets so incredibly dusty up there. That area is definitely on my list for spring cleaning this year.
Even though I might not be seeing it, just knowing all areas of my room are clean puts me in a much better headspace.
Another area I am focusing on for spring cleaning is my mini-fridge and microwave. Thankfully, I have not had problems with those spots being dirty, but it can’t hurt to give them a good and thorough wipe-down.
Keeping food spaces clean is a great habit to start and maintain this spring cleaning season. A few more places I often find myself neglecting are wiping down door handles or light switches, but small things like these can make a big difference when trying to refresh a dorm (as well as prevent you from getting sick during these spring months).
- organize organize organize
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When I say organize, I mean organize. I am talking closet, desk, drawers, shelves, underneath your bed and anywhere else you might need to. As we get closer and closer to the end of the semester, having your space organized will help set you up for success in exam and project season.
Coming back from spring break to an orderly room will put you in a great attitude to get back into an academic mindset.
I have noticed my clothes drawers are what get the most unorganized. I might consider trying out a new organization technique or getting drawer dividers to help those drawers stay orderly for longer.
Spring cleaning is a great time to try out new things to help you find what works for you regarding organization and cleaning. A great place to look for some of these ideas is TikTok or even Pinterest because you never know when you might find your new favorite cleaning hack.
- switch things up
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Whether it’s adding a fresh bouquet or switching out the posters you have hanging up in your room, adding some newness can help break up the monotony. Spring cleaning is meant to welcome the new season with a fresh and clean space, so bringing some new excitement to your room will do exactly that.
As the weather warms up too, try opening your windows or even trying a new essential oil in your diffuser to allow fresh air and new scents into your space while getting rid of the stuffy wintertime air. This will also help liven up your space and contribute to the reset I desperately need this time of year.
I also will always recommend decorating for the holidays. With Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter coming up, a few small decorations can boost your mood and help you keep a sense of time.
Spring cleaning can be as simple or in-depth as you want it to be. It can be an overwhelming process, but the results at the end of it are so incredibly worth it.
I am personally planning to do my spring cleaning right before I leave for spring break so I can come back to a fresh and clean room. It’ll make the transition back to school after the break so much smoother.
Turn on some music or your favorite show, and get cleaning!