From organizing to cleaning and all of the decluttering to be done, March is the time to get your home in tip-top shape for the months to come. Start off spring cleaning on the right foot by tackling your interior with this how-to guide.

• Conquer the cleaning
  Start out by doing a deep clean of all major areas—the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms, and the basement—any places in your house that are used every day. This includes dusting the baseboards, wiping the windows, mopping the floors, and getting into those nooks and crannies that are often overlooked. Dust your lampshades (or change them out), clean the door frames, vacuum under the beds, disinfect appliances, and consider getting larger carpets professionally cleaned. While you probably remember to clean larger areas throughout the year, the often forgotten-about places accumulate the most dust and grime.



• Downsize and declutter
  Now is the ideal time to rid your home of things you simply don’t use or don’t need. Start by sorting what could be donated from what needs to be tossed. This can be applied to items such as clothes, shoes, toys, appliances, decorative knickknacks, and old mail—the list goes on. Go through each room and really take your time sorting, whether items are out in the open or not. Things you stuffed away in boxes and put at the top of your closet years ago are fair game, too. Consider whether what you are keeping holds any value to your life, and, if not, it may have better use in someone else’s home (or in the garbage bin, depending on its wear and tear).



• Reevaluate
  You’ve cleaned and decluttered, and now it’s time to sit back and relax, right? But don’t be so quick to call it a day. Maybe as you were going through your home, you noticed areas that could use some extra care. It’s common for people to want to redecorate or renovate a section of their home after doing a deep clean. Redoing the cabinets, painting furniture, adding moldings, or adding texture to the walls may all be the right move for your space.

Want to start organizing but don't know where to begin? Print out this Seven-Day Declutter Cleanse to help get a jump on cleaning and start your journey toward a more ordered home life.

Spread the spring-cleaning wealth with family and friends by sharing this simple guide.

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