How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buff

By Libby Kane for LearnVest

Read more about spring cleaning tips on LearnVest.com

The phrase “spring cleaning” evokes images of turning the house inside out, scouring every corner and banishing every last particle of dust.

But let’s be real: It’s hard to find the time for scouring, much less banishing.

And your time is valuable.

Keeping that in mind, we’ve put together the five cleaning tasks with the most impact — the most “bang for your buff,” if you will. (Although, none of them require actual buffing.)

To help you master this lean, mean spring cleaning, we turned to the experts.

Two Expert Tips

Historically, spring cleaning comes from the time before central air and heating, when windows were shut all winter and opened in the spring. “People couldn’t do a lot of their cleaning while stuck inside. Now, with proper ventilation, we can clean any time of the year,” says Melissa Homer, Chief Cleaning Officer of MaidPro. “Spring is just traditional.”

Before getting down to the nitty-gritty, she shared her expert tips.

“Don’t expect to blow through everything in a single weekend,” says Homer. “By the time Sunday night comes around, you won’t be able to even think about another sponge.” Instead, plan a set, limited amount of time each week for a month: “I always do Sunday afternoons,” she says.

Then, work from room to room. ”People are resistant to the idea of cleaning when they think they have to cover the whole house,” Homer explains. “Start with the rooms you use most.” Instead of vacuuming your whole house, finish everything in the living room before moving on to the next room. ”Then your living space will be cleaner, and the results will inspire you to keep going,” she says.

We all know the benefits of a clean, clutter-free home: Your life feels in order, and you feel primed to achieve your goals—all of them, not just the ones involving a mop.

Here’s how to get started.