Whether you love cleaning or hate it, it’s always nice to take a deep breath in a freshly cleaned condo. Here are some of our favourite tips for getting there.

1. Take advantage of the time change

When clocks spring forward and the sun lingers just a little longer in the sky, take advantage of bright weekday evenings to break up your cleaning chores and save your precious weekends for going out. Who goes out to a show or party on a Tuesday, anyway?

2. Open the window while you clean

How often do you actually open that one tiny window or balcony door that you’ve got? Open it up, let some fresh spring air in, and take in the sounds of your neighbourhood.

This is also a great chance to practice a few minutes of mindfulness – what do you hear? Children playing in the park? Wine glasses clinking on a patio? Streetcars dinging? (Why do they do that, anyway?)

Let your mind get caught up in the sounds and smells of your area.

Woman sitting on her bed, looking at a pink sweater and deciding whether or not to donate it.

3. Donate in one big go

This might sound like a big task, but taking all your donations/consignable goods out in one go means fewer Uber rides if you don’t have a donation centre within walking distance.

Some buildings have donations bins in or near the garbage collection room in order to save you that Uber ride. If your building doesn’t have one, you can reach out to your property manager to request one. First, you should see if others in your building would like a donation bin by asking on your building’s Facebook group. That way, when you reach out to your property manager, you can tell them that you’ve asked around and multiple residents would like to see this happen.

4. Dry clean your fall and winter coats

Now is the perfect time to dry clean your fall and winter jackets that can’t be thrown in the regular wash. Why? You’ll definitely forget about them over the winter until the very first day that you need them when it gets cold out. Plus, they’re about to get stored away, and it’s best to store them when they’re clean so they don’t get each other grimy or smelly.

5. Don’t forget to clean your storage locker

And while you’re storing those coats away, don’t forget to take a good look at your storage locker. It could use a good dusting, couldn’t it?

Are there any spring/summer seasonal items you’d like to bring to your unit now? It’s easier to grab them now, before you store away your fall/winter items right in front of them.

While you’re down there, are there are fall/winter items still stored away that you didn’t use this year at all? If so, consider donating or consigning those items.

6. A little room spray goes a long way

Ah yes, compact spaces win yet again. It just takes a couple sprays to give a typical 1-bedroom condo a thorough olfactory reset.

Try to use natural essence sprays if you want to stay extra green and extra health-conscious.

7. Fill some balcony planters for extra freshness

It’s no secret that we love plants. And one of the best things about spring is that you get to choose how to dress up your balcony with fresh new greenery!

Most herbs are super simple to care for and will save you some money at the grocery store. Plus, throughout the season you can prune a little extra and dry it out to use all winter long. Just grab a bunch, tie the stems together at the bottom, and hang the bunch upside down until the herbs are nice and crispy.

Flowers can be tricky to keep alive in small containers, but if you’ve got a really green thumb, go for them!

Tall grasses or skinny hedges are handy if your balcony could use a bit of extra privacy.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Condos