Spring Cleaning Calendar JUST FOR YOU

As a busy mom, I love the free printable spring cleaning calendars that pop up this time of year. I’ll often print them out, full of motivation and ready to clean my house top to bottom. Then I end up skipping a day, then two, then four– and suddenly I’m feeling totally behind and my house is still un-spring-cleaned. What’s the opposite of winning? That’s me, when I try to use those calendars!

This year I decided to free myself from that guilt and tailor a calendar that works with our schedule. With the tasks I need to accomplish. On a timeline that allows for a little wiggle room in case I get derailed. A calendar that makes me feel less of a heathen, more of a spring clean maven. I AM SPRING CLEANER, HEAR ME ROAR!

{it’s almost 11PM. forgive me.}

The first step is printing out a free blank calendar for March (or April, or May, whatevs…)

Then, block off any big events or obligations or things that will keep you from getting your “clean” on.

Now. Make a list of all the spring cleaning tasks off the top of your head that you need to tackle. Those are probably the biggies, the ones you realllly need to do. Then go through your house and write down the other stuff as you see it, the nitty gritty tasks or the not-so-fun ones.

See those tasks? Now’s the time to prioritize! Number them in order from most important to least. Here’s a few things to keep in mind when prioritizing:

it’s important to clean top to bottom so that dust and dirt from things like ceiling fans doesn’t fall on your freshly scrubbed floors. The ‘top stuff’ should go in the beginning of the month and the ‘bottom stuff’ towards the end.
try to work around (or towards) events as needed. Have guests coming for a visit? You might want to prioritize freshening up the guest room. Consigning kids clothes? Cleaning out their closets would be a logical step a few weeks before the sale.
plan around how much time you have each day. Easy, quick stuff goes on days when you don’t have a lot of time (most weekdays, for me) and the longer tasks go on days you have more time (non-busy weekends)

Got them prioritized? Plug ’em into the calendar and hang it in a prominent spot. Now you have a DIY totally customized spring cleaning calendar that works for YOU and YOUR family. I still don’t do 100% of the tasks each day on mine, but I sure get more accomplished this way!

If you’re looking for some ways to tackle the chores you have, my latest blog post for Family Dollar has my favorite Spring Cleaning tips and tricks. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing. {I AM. Sadly, I’m totally into that type of thing.} 😉

Now go get ’em! What are a few tasks on your spring cleaning list this year? Which ones do you dread, and are there any that you enjoy?

And if you’re ready to try more natural cleaning ingredients, click the image below to get a free ebook for cleaning your home with vinegar