Nothing says spring better than spending all day inside cleaning your apartment. But have you looked under your couch recently? Spring cleaning is a necessary evil and with a thorough cleaning, you'll feed the sparkly goodness of springtime throughout your place. Besides, an occasional cleaning is good for the security deposit.
Before Starting
A little preparation prior to starting your spring cleaning will save a lot of time and energy later.
Dig out the grungy clothes. Find something you won't mind getting dirty. A pair of rubber gloves would also be good.
Do a quick inventory of your cleaning supplies. Get the missing item(s) prior to your cleaning day instead of finding out at the last minute you don't have any window cleaner.
Put together a bucket of cleaning supplies that you can take to every room. Having everything with you saves time from making multiple trips to the cabinet under the sink. Also, grab two garbage bags. Use one for garbage and use the other to store things you're not certain you want to keep but that are still useful and can be donated/given to friends/sold.
Turn off the TV and unplug the phone. The more focused you are, the sooner you'll be done.
Organize the clean. List each room and clean it thoroughly before moving onto the next one. If you compartmentalize your apartment and break up the task of spring cleaning into smaller chunks, like "clean living room," it will be more manageable and less overwhelming.
Open some windows! Let the fresh air come in and remove that winter funk from your place.
While Cleaning
Play some fun, high-energy music.
Don't be sentimental. If you haven't used it in a year, pitch it or donate it. Be ruthless. Dusting is much easier when surfaces aren't cluttered with Hello Kitty memorabilia.
Gather up things you don't need and give them to charity or sell them at a springtime yard sale.
Progress through each room in a constant direction. You'll save time by not criss-crossing the room or end up cleaning the same spot twice.
After Cleaning
Huzzah! The cleaning is done. But you're not quite finished. You have to put back all the stuff that you moved to help ease the cleaning process. Keep a few thoughts in mind:
If you use an appliance less than once a week, put it in a cupboard. You'll be amazed at how much counter space you can reclaim. Do the same for cookbooks you rarely use, or find a nice cheap bookshelf to put them in.
Move your stuff around. Take pictures and move them to another table, or another room. Moving your things to new locations can give your apartment a "spring renovation."
Now that you've finished your cleaning, go outside!