It’s finally getting nice enough out to leave the windows open for an extended amount of time! The sun is shining and there’s no better time to get your spring cleaning done. Before you put on those yellow gloves, I do have to ask you if you have a game plan. Do you know what you’re going to clean? Do you know what you’re going to donate? It might be a good idea to come up with a game plan first so that way your cleaning process doesn’t seem daunting. I’ve compiled a list of books to help inspire your spring cleaning and get you on a game plan that will make the process seem easier than it has in the past.
Now because I personally haven’t read many of these titles, I’m getting a little help from the publisher’s and author’s synopses of the books.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to her acclaimed KonMari Method, with step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. She also provides advice on frequently asked questions, such as whether to keep “necessary” items that may not bring you joy. With guidance on specific categories including kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, hobby goods, and digital photos, this comprehensive companion is sure to spark joy in anyone who wants to simplify their life.
Natural Solutions for Cleaning & Wellness: Health Remedies and Green Cleaning Solutions Without Toxins or Chemicals by Halle Cottis
Transform your house into a toxin-free home with this valuable and practical guide. Halle Cottis goes beyond using vinegar and baking soda and provides powerful recipes to clean your entire house from the inside out. With ingredients such as salt, rubbing alcohol and castile soap, you can create indoor cleaners like the All-Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner, Powder and Liquid Laundry Detergent and Streak-Free Window Cleaner; and outdoor solutions, like Natural Garden Pesticide, Heavy-Duty Grill Cleaner and Screen Cleaner.
Real Life Organizing: Clean & Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day by Cassandra Aarssen
Learn how to organize your home, simplify life and have more time for the things you love. Organizational expert Cassandra ‘Cas’ Aarssen, the guru from YouTube’s ClutterBug channel, reveals her tips, tricks and secrets to a clean and clutter free home in just 15 minutes a day. Aarssen, spends her time organizing other people’s homes, teaching college workshops on organization, and creating weekly videos and blog posts. Cas offers diy Pinterest type tips to people like you who are interested in how to get rid of clutter and how to organize your home.
The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker
One of today’s most influential minimalist advocates takes us on a decluttering tour of our own houses and apartments, showing us how to decide what to get rid of and what to keep. He both offers practical guidelines for simplifying our lifestyle at home and addresses underlying issues that contribute to over-accumulation in the first place. The purpose is not just to create a more inviting living space. It’s also to turn our life’s HQ–our home–into a launching pad for a more fulfilling and productive life in the world.
The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Guy in a Store by Cait Flanders
In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy—only keeping her from meeting her goals—she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year.
The Year of Less documents Cait’s life for twelve months during which she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt.
A Year To Clear: A Daily Guide to Creating Spaciousness in Your Home and Heart by Stephanie Bennett Vogt
With all our best intentions and rich resources, why is it so hard to slow down, simplify, and care for ourselves? Why are we so afraid to let go?
In A Year to Clear, leading space-clearing expert Stephanie Bennett Vogt takes you on a journey of self-discovery, letting go, and transformation. Each of the 365 lessons–organized into 52 weeklong themes–offers daily inspiration designed to release stress and stuff in ways that lighten, enlighten, and last.
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana White
While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can’t purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is a home that is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.
In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mind-sets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. Then, in her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out–for good!
Who Knew? 10,001 Household Solutions: Money-Saving Tips, DIY Cleaners, Kitchen Secrets, and Other Easy Answers to Everyday Problems by Bruce Lubin
Whether you’re cleaning house, cooking a meal, improving your appearance, or fighting a cold, this indispensable guide will help you with natural and simple solutions to your daily tasks requiring only basic—and inexpensive—items with multiple uses that you should always keep on hand in your home.
DIY Cleaning Products: Natural Homemade Cleaning Recipes for Toxic-Free Living by Gloria Tucker
DIY Cleaning Products:
Natural Homemade Cleaning Recipes for Toxic-Free Living
You are ready to start learning about how to take the toxins out of your home and replace them with all natural, toxin free, and effective cleaners. This book will walk you through:
How it is more economical to make your own cleaners
How you can improve the health of your family and your home by using all natural cleaners
The tools you need to make your own household cleaners
The essential oils and other natural ingredients you will need to put your cleaners and detergents together
How to use your new cleaners