Spring Cleaning Tips For Teachers & Parents

Spring is the season of renewal, making it the perfect time to refresh your space, declutter, and create a more organized environment, both at home and in the classroom.

For parents and teachers, spring cleaning isn’t just about tidying up; it’s about setting the stage for a more productive and stress-free year.

Whether you’re managing a busy household or a lively classroom, our top spring cleaning tips will help you refresh your space while incorporating helpful planning strategies to keep you on track.

Ready to embrace a fresh start? Let's get into it.

Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming, especially if you try to tackle everything at once. Instead, try starting simple, with a structured approach:

• Write it down: A planner or journal is your best friend when it comes to breaking down tasks into manageable steps. Using a planner, you can easily outline your cleaning objectives, deadlines, and priorities.
• Prioritize by importance: Focus on high-traffic areas first, such as classrooms, kitchens, or living spaces, before tackling storage areas or closets that are bound to take more time. In your planner, try using different colored markers, stickers, or symbols to prioritize tasks. These visual cues will help you stay focused on what needs your attention first.
• Make a cleaning schedule: Besides breaking down your tasks into manageable steps, dividing them across days or weeks is also key to avoid feeling overwhelmed. For teachers, this might mean dedicating one day to organizing lesson materials and another to prepping and cleaning supplies. It's also a good idea to use a spring cleaning checklist to stay on track with your goals (more on this later).

Before you haul out the cleaning supplies, start by purging unnecessary items. This step is all about your specific needs and what you find essential in your space.

For instance, if you’re a parent, decluttering could involve:

• Sorting through your children’s toys, books, and clothes, and donating or discarding anything that’s no longer useful.
• Tidying up common spaces, like the playroom, kitchen, and bedroom, before you get into the nitty-gritty.
• Going through personal papers, bills, and documents, and using bullet journalling to categorize and keep track of important paperwork.

On the other hand, decluttering for a teacher will likely involve:

• Reviewing old lesson plans and teaching materials, keeping only what’s necessary for the next term.
• Organizing supplies; sorting markers, notebooks, and craft materials; and storing seasonal decorations in labeled bins.
• Decluttering your desk by sorting through old paperwork and updating your filing system. Using a teacher planner to streamline lesson planning is another fantastic way to eliminate unnecessary clutter and create a more organized and inspiring workspace.

Utilize The Power Of Lists: Why They Make Cleaning Easier

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to stay on top of your spring cleaning tasks is by making lists.

Whether you’re tackling a big household cleanup or organizing your classroom, lists are a surefire way to simplify the process, reduce stress, and (perhaps most importantly) ensure nothing gets overlooked.

Here’s why creating a cleaning checklist is so beneficial:

• Provides clarity: A well-structured list allows you to break big cleaning projects into bite-sized steps, making it easier to see what needs to be done.
• Boosts motivation: Checking items off a list gives you a sense of accomplishment and encourages you to keep going.
• Saves time: A predefined checklist prevents unnecessary backtracking and ensures a more efficient cleaning process.
• Reduces stress: Knowing exactly what needs to be cleaned (and when) can make a huge difference! It helps soothe that feeling of overwhelm and keeps you focused so you can tackle your cleaning with confidence.
• Encourages consistency: Regularly using a list helps establish long-term cleaning habits and keeps your space tidy all year round—not just around springtime!

How to make an effective cleaning list

If you’d like to start incorporating list-making, here are some of our top tips to get you started:

• Categorize by room: Divide your list into sections for different areas of your home or the space you want to clean out.
• Decide on your priorities: List urgent or high-impact tasks first, such as decluttering high-traffic areas or disinfecting shared surfaces.
• Make it fun: Turn your checklist into a challenge or create a reward system. This works especially well when you involve your kids or students.

Spring Cleaning Checklist For Home

If you're too swamped to make lists from scratch, why not use this room-by-room checklist to ensure no area is overlooked during your cleaning?

Armed with this list (or one of your own), you'll be able to get things done effectively in no time.

Kitchen

• Use a clean cloth to wipe down kitchen cabinets inside and out.
• Scrub the kitchen sink and remove stains with baking soda.
• Clean kitchen appliances, such as the stove, refrigerator, and microwave.
• Sanitize cutting boards with hot water and an all-purpose cleaner.
• Clean the gap between your wall and the stove, and consider using a stove gap cover to prevent crumbs from falling in hard-to-reach places in the future.

Living room

• Dust light fixtures and remove dust bunnies from under furniture.
• Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down surfaces.
• Vacuum carpets and wash windows using soapy water.
• Wipe down window screens and deep clean curtains and blinds.

Bathroom

• Scrub grout lines using a mixture of baking soda and warm water.
• Wash or replace shower curtains to prevent mold buildup.
• Wipe down mirrors, countertops and sinks with an all-natural cleaner.
• Disinfect the toilet and clean floors with a microfiber mop.

Bedroom

• Wash and change out the bed, linens, pillowcases, and mattress protectors.
• Declutter closets by donating unused clothes and organize your storage bins.
• Dust and wipe down nightstands, dressers, and ceiling fans.

Laundry room

• Clean out lint traps and inspect the fire extinguisher for safety, replacing it if needed.
• Wipe down the washer and dryer with a soft cloth.
• Stock up on cleaning supplies like detergent, dryer sheets, and stain removers.

Spring Cleaning Tips For Teachers

It's no secret that classrooms can get a little cluttered (and usually do). But, refreshing and organizing your space can make a huge difference in creating a positive learning environment.

Follow these simple steps to turn your classroom back into a clean, welcoming, and functional space:

• Declutter student work areas: Clear out outdated worksheets, broken supplies, and unused materials to create a fresh space for students.
• Clean the classroom tech: Wipe down your computer screen, keyboard and tablet with a soft microfiber cloth to remove accumulated dust, dirt, and fingerprints.
• Refresh bulletin boards: Replace all decorations and update boards with new educational content.
• Disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently: Wipe down desks, chairs, and shared materials with an all-purpose cleaner to reduce germs.
• Deep clean storage areas: Sort through bins and cabinets, toss expired materials, and re-organize your supplies for easy access.
• Check classroom safety items: Inspect and ensure that fire extinguishers and emergency kits are in working order.
• Wipe windows and window treatments: Remove all the dust from window screens and wipe down classroom blinds or curtains, which are the areas that accumulate dust the most.
• Organize your desk: Keep essential materials handy and store away clutter to create a more productive workspace.

Digital Decluttering: Refresh Your Digital Spaces

In today’s digital age, spring cleaning isn’t just about physical spaces; it’s also about tidying up your digital world:

• For parents: Delete unused apps, organize digital photos, and clean out your email inboxes.
• For teachers: Back up important lesson plans, organize your Google Drive or OneDrive folders, and unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters.
• For both: Set up strong passwords for online accounts and enable two-factor authentication for added security. Additionally, organize your desktop files, delete unnecessary downloads and browser cache, and update your computer's software for better performance.

Use A Planner To Stay Organized Year-Round

Staying organized isn’t just for spring—it’s a habit that can benefit your daily routine.

So, if you’d like that fresh feeling of a clean and organized space (and life) to last all year round, here are a few tips:

• Use a planner designed for working parents to keep track of your cleaning tasks, family, schedules, and work obligations.
• Teachers can also benefit from a structured planner that tracks lesson plans, meetings, and grading deadlines.
• Prioritizing tasks within a planner helps keep your long-term goals in check while breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Setting monthly mini-goals instead of waiting for next spring is another good idea, as it means a smaller cleanup each month rather than one big spring cleaning that needs a lot of planning and preparation.

FAQs

How do you do a proper spring cleaning?

Proper spring cleaning involves decluttering, deep cleaning, and organizing each area of your home or classroom. Start by making a checklist, gather your cleaning supplies, and tackle one room at a time.

What is the 20-minute rule for cleaning?

The 20-minute rule encourages tackling cleaning tasks in short bursts rather than spending hours cleaning all at once. Set a timer for 20 minutes and focus on one specific area. This method helps you maintain a clean home or classroom without feeling overwhelmed.

What month should I start spring cleaning?

Most people start spring cleaning in March or April when the weather begins to warm up. However, the best time to start is when you feel motivated to refresh your space.

Final Thoughts

While spring cleaning may feel like a big task, taking things one step at a time will show you just how manageable it can be. With our tips, a little effort, and by using a Plum Paper planner, you’ll be well on your way to a fresh, organized space in no time—ready to take on the rest of the year!