Lauren’s Law: Three Spring Cleaning Tips

To put it lightly, I did not inherit the cleaning gene from my mom. She’s a modern-day Danny Tanner from “Full House.” Friends joke that you could conduct surgery in her garage. In high school, it was commonplace for my friends to catch her vacuuming the front porch.

As an adult, I’m envious of how organized everything is in her home. One example of many is the storage containers of toys that her grandchildren lovingly enjoy when they aren’t tucked away in closets. As the saying goes, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

Luckily, my husband is in my mom’s camp. Upon seeing his apartment for the first time when dating, I assumed he’d just panic-cleaned. Nope. Just its natural state. He’s also a wiz with bins and organization, plus he’s handy. I’m grateful for shelving he created in our garage and basement. And, I don’t know where we’d be without the shoe organizer he made. It keeps the shoes straight for daughters ages 1, 3 and 5. Before the shoe organizer existed, my oldest daughter needed an extra pair of fancy shoes for a preschool event. I packed one of her ballet flats and one of her middle sister’s matching shoes.

If you’re like me, cleaning and organization might not come naturally to you. Here are three no-brainer tips for improving.

1. Make it (at least a little) fun.

Before I begin organizing or tidying, I light a candle or play music. It tricks my brain that I’m almost enjoying this. Quality cleaning supplies or gear can go a long way too. I use a lavender-scented all-purpose cleaner. Bonus, lavender is renowned for its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere.

For my young family, our kitchen floors after meals look like a high school food fight broke out. My husband found a high-tech, two-in-one mop/vacuum. Sometimes, I wonder if he loves the mop more than me, and I’m OK if that’s the case because he uses it daily. Tip: buy the expensive cleaning tech on holiday weekends like Memorial Day weekend, Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Amazon Prime Days.

2. Purge where you can.

The amount of stuff a family of five can accumulate is honestly overwhelming. I’ve picked a room to collect items that we plan to donate, trash or sell. Facebook Marketplace has been an amazing tool for selling baby items, furniture and more. Stores like Savvy Consignment or Once Upon a Child are wonderful local consignment options to upcycle items while making some money.

Yard sales are another great option that most neighborhoods do in the fall and/or spring. If not, organize one. Two keys to successful purging are 1. Have a designated place like a room, closet or basement storage for keeping everything together. Then group based on where you’ll sell, donate to Goodwill, etc. 2. Keep up with this seasonally or at least annually because it can take on a life of its own.

3. Storage, Storage and More Storage

So important, I wrote the word three times. For the items you can’t bear to part with, seek a variety of storage options. Purchase containers or bins from places like Target, The Container Store or Ikea. When purchasing furniture, pursue pieces that have hidden storage options like ottomans that hold blankets or coffee tables with space for baskets underneath. Toy organizers with storage bins in our daughter’s closets have done wonders for us. One item that has saved me from losing my mind and art supplies is a stack of drawers that are labeled for scissors, glue, crayons and more.

In closing, it’s not easy to keep things organized and tidy. However, a little bit at a time goes a long way. Happy spring cleaning and keep fighting the good fight!

Lauren Burke Meyer is a Severna Park native who was inspired to write Lauren’s Law as a humorous play on the well-known Murphy’s Law adage: “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”