Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be boring. Photo credit freepik
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More hands on deck get the job done swifter
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A checklist makes the task less overwhelming
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Sing to amp up the fun
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Turn it into a game
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Everyone wants to be a winner
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Create your own decoration
I am feeling rather guilty. Chinese New Year is around the corner, so by the time you’re reading this article, the celebration might have been over, but nonetheless, you can apply these amazing tips for upcoming festivals.
I know…I know, I’m supposed to post this earlier, but I got caught up with other responsibilities. Anyway, let’s get back to this article. What do we normally do a few days before the festive season, apart from mentally preparing to answer “when are you getting married” courtesy of our favourite nosy aunty…or uncle? *psst check out our article on Five Ways To Emotionally Prepare Yourself For The Upcoming Family Reunion*
That’s right! Cleaning. I can mentally hear the collective sighs from our readers. I am not a big fan of cleaning. Well, that is an understatement. I hate cleaning. But thanks to Marie Kondo’s inspirational tagline, “Discard anything that doesn’t spark joy”, I am shifting my mindset because I have plenty to dispose of. Can I discard my nosy relatives? They definitely don’t spark joy”…Just kidding…#wink. Without further ado, here are some tips to make your spring cleaning enjoyable!
1/ More hands, less fuss
Bring more people while cleaning. Source: cafemom
Do you handle everything on your own when cleaning? Imagine having a mother to mop the house, a father to trim the plants and sweep the dried leaves in the hot heat, a little brother to hang the clothes, and you to wash the toilets. With the assistance of your family, the process looks easier.
As the saying goes by John Heywood, “teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success”. I stan Heywood’s quote! A few days before Deepavali, I will assign cleaning tasks to my family members. I get called bossy, but I am just getting the work done. Don’t expect me to do it by myself #sorrynotsorry. So remember, we can complete the task faster if we divide the workload.
2/ Checklist! Checklist
My saviour during spring cleaning! Mr Checklist. Source CravingSomeCreativity
Our lives are made easier by checklists, and drawing a line off a list makes your successes seem even more significant. I’ll write “wash the toilet,” “fold the clothes in the basket,” and “wash the dishes” on a piece of paper and start crossing off the things I’ve already completed. I feel on top of the world and really proud of myself at that precise moment when I cross the line.
Organizing the tasks into manageable chunks also helps me to do the cleaning much faster. I don’t know about you, it can get overwhelming if I don’t list the tasks down. My anxiety will be off the room! One thousand and one questions running through my head, “have I done this, have I don’t that”. That itself is more taxing than cleaning. The checklist helps to keep my overthinking head at bay.
3/ Sing, cause you can!
Sing while cleaning that dirty house! Source: chopra
“Cause baby you’re a firework. Come on show ‘em what you’re worth”. I clean my house while shouting the lyrics to the Katy Perry song, “Make ’em go, AAH, AAh, AAh.” Nothing compares to the great feelings I get when I put the song on the speakers and shake my body before cleaning. As we begin cleaning, it will be more enjoyable if my family joins me in singing and dancing around the house. I can comprehend the words to their favourite songs and find out what they are about. And certainly, listening to old tunes is annoying, even though my dad enjoys doing so.
4/ Cleaning? We were playing!
When I was younger, I disliked cleaning my room. It is definitely not fun! However, my mother has a fantastic idea for making housework enjoyable. She created an entertaining game for my siblings and I to play while cleaning. Thanks to my mother’s efforts to turn chores into fun diversions, the home has become more peaceful over time with fewer complaints. Here is a short list of games
- Bullseye – (using a tape mark the side of the room as bullseyes and sweep all the waste into the circle.)
- Freeze dance – (Each person will have a turn to pause the music and do so. As soon as the music stops, everyone must freeze and begin cleaning the space. Continue doing this until the entire room is tidy)
Stop! You are freezed. Source: parentmap
- Turn everything into a race – (Make anyone who finishes the tasks faster the winner. Competing with others gives so much energy to complete the chores.)
5/ And the winner is…..
“Who wants to clean today?” No hand will ever raise up. But if you give yourself or a family member of yours a reward in exchange for the services, there definitely will be hands up. Reward gives motivation or a feeling of satisfaction when we complete cleaning the house. And the best reward you will ever receive is compliments from your guests after seeing your clean and neat house!
6/ Do your own decoration!
A decoration you can do in your house! Source: make and takes
What’s a celebration without the decorations that remind you it’s a new year again! Have a discussion with your family on how the house should be decorated, and don’t be shy to do your own decorations. My mother always kept the adorable little animals I made with leftover papers, cartons, and plastic bottles on the television board. When visitors inquire about the decorator, I gladly reply that it was myself. The best part is, you don’t need to break the bank for good decorations! All you need is a clear vision, teamwork, some creativity and a lot of heart and you’ll be surprised how well your house looks by the end of the day! And trust me, your guests would agree too.
It’s a chore when you’re doing everything alone. But by breaking tasks and trying not to be monotonous during chores, cleaning time will be much more fun and rewarding, and it keeps the spirit of the festival alive! Do you have your own spring cleaning tips? Share with us in the comment. We love a good cleaning tip.
Looking for more related article? Check them out here:
Five Ways To Emotionally Prepare Yourself For The Upcoming Family Reunion
