From the Blog

Spring Cleaning Tips

New Pioneer Food Co-op April 4

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Spring is here and you know what that means: warm weather, birds chirping, flowers blooming, and of course, a good old fashioned spring cleaning. We've got plenty of tips to help make the process a smooth and (dare we say) an enjoyable one.


Create a Schedule

Whether you're planning on powering through your home in a day or weekend, or you'd rather break your cleaning up into smaller chunks, creating a schedule will make sure that you hit all the areas that you want to hit and nothing gets forgotten. Once everything is written out in front of you, you can work on grouping like tasks together to help keep you focused.

Things to consider:

  • How much time (and energy) you have and what is most important.​​​​​​
  • Do you prefer to go room by room or task by task (decluttering, deep cleaning, dusting, vaccuuming, etc...)?
  • Are there things that you've been wanting to tackle, but haven't had time or you find overwhelming?

For larger projects:

  • Set aside 20, 40, or 60 minutes a day to break up tasks into smaller daily chunks. You can do this for a day of cleaning as well. Give yourself time limits for completing areas so that you don't become overwhelmed by a single task.
  • Are you frequently strapped for time? Identify things that make you feel better when done weekly and tasks that can be pushed to biweekly, monthly, or a yearly plan.
  • Are there areas that are a one and done cleaning project? These are spaces and tasks that have longevity and are low maintenance.
  • What are your top buildup zones? Think high clutter and cleaning areas. Try addressing these daily so they don’t become overwhelming. 

Create a Playlist

Who said that cleaning has to be boring? A good playlist full of your favorite songs is a great way to help make the time fly by. There's nothing that can get happy feelings flowing quite like when a favorite song comes blasting through your headphones.


Clear Out Clutter

Beyond your typical scrubbing, dusting, and wiping, now is the perfect time to identify areas of your home where clutter and junk seem to accumulate. Set aside time in your schedule to go through those sections and sort items into different categories like trash, items to give away, items that belong elsewhere, or items that will stay where they are. Once that's done, organizing the space should be a snap.

8 Types of Clutter You Can Get Rid of Today

  1. Plastic Grocery Bags 
  2. Receipts - anything that isn’t a high dollar or important item
  3. Paper Clutter - manage paper with these 4 categories: recycle it, file it, take an action (things to mail or pay), time will tell - holds things up to a month or two before tossing.
  4. Outdated Pantry Items
  5. Packaging and boxes you thought you’d need in the future. (chances are you won’t)
  6. Instruction manuals to things you know how to use. In the off chance you need to look something up - you can always search online.
  7. Extra sets you don't need or use.
  8. Clothing you aren't wearing/doesn't fit/is worn out - donate or recycle the fabric.

Use Sustainable and Clean Products

As one of the most important parts to a successful spring-cleaning effort, effective products are key. Often times many products include harmful ingredients that don't even work like you want them to. When it comes to your spring cleaning, we recommend picking up Crystal Forestry cleaning products at your local New Pi.

These products not only get your surfaces clean but are created using safe, non-toxic ingredients (perfect if you have pets or children around) and sustainable packaging.


Establish a New Routine

Spring cleaning provides a great opportunity to develop new ongoing cleaning habits. While this larger effort helps you start back at zero, this new routine can save you time down the road when next year's time for spring cleaning hits.

Start a Habit of Micro-Cleaning - things you can do in 10 minutes a day.

  • Organize 1 drawer a day
  • Throw in a load of laundry
  • Wash dishes on the counter 
  • Tackle 1 small pile of paper
  • Brainstorm or research a new system for organization in one small space that feels messy (think closet or drawer)
  • Wipe down surfaces - in a bathroom, kitchen or other high traffic area.

While we might not be much help with the actual cleaning part of your spring cleaning, we can certainly help make it easier. Follow along with these simple tips and your home will be breathing and sparkling in no time.

New Pioneer Food Co-op About the Author

New Pioneer Food Co-op

New Pi is a food co-operative, owned by over 35,000 members, home-grown in Iowa. We welcome everyone to our store, regardless of membership, and focus on local and sustainable food solutions. New Pi has strong roots in Iowa City’s local food community, and continues to partner with local growers, food, and sustainability organizations to enrich Linn and Johnson County communities.