The start of spring is when we revamp our living spaces by organizing closets, getting rid of clutter, and washing away all the dirt from a long winter. But how do you begin such a daunting project?
For all of you who approach any task as if it were a dissertation, the answer of course is: read a few books on the topic. To help you out, we've summarized a few of our favorite cleaning and organizing books to help get you started.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by Margareta Magnusson
In Swedish culture, there is decluttering process called döstädning, dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." It's called this because it's usually undertaken after the death of a family member.
In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, author (and artist) Margareta Magnusson, whose husband recently passed, takes döstädnin as an opportunity to share the Swedish tradition with others who need to clean up their own spaces.
Along with invoking much-needed humor when taking on such a task, and offering glimpses of Swedish culture, Magnusson provides the reader with solid and unique methods for putting some things in order and letting other things go.
Green Housekeeping, by Ellen Sandbeck
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air within homes is often more polluted than the air outdoors. With studies suggesting people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, it's important to consider what type of pollutants are released into the air of our homes.
Green Housekeeping shows that, all too often, the very products we trust to keep our homes clean contain toxins and antimicrobials that actually kill beneficial organisms.
While touching on a wide array of housekeeping issues, from preventing mold and mildew, to computer care, and avoiding electrical fires, Sandbeck reminds readers that the over sterilization of our environment can contribute to allergic and autoimmune disorders.
Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Organized, Clean, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day, by Becky Rapinchuk
In her most recent book, cleaning and home-keeping expert, and creator of the popular Clean Mama blog, Becky Rapinchuk provides a guide to maintaining a clean house and building lasting organizational habits.
The book offers step-by-step tutorials for hard-to-clean spaces, including a "7-Day Simply Clean Kick Start" and a "28-Day Simply Clean Challenge" to help transform cleaning into an effortless habit.
Simply Clean covers the basics and then moves into techniques for deeper cleaning and organization, including sharing her famous checklists, schedules, and habit trackers.
No matter how big your home or how busy your schedule, Rapinchuk's method can be customized to fit into your daily life—creating a cleaner, happier home in as little as 10 minutes a day.
Clean My Space, by Melissa Maker
Popular YouTube star, cleaning expert, and founder of Toronto's most popular boutique cleaning service, Melissa Maker, presents her lasting three-step solution to keeping homes clean, fresh, and welcoming.
Maker's method includes identifying the most important areas of your home; selecting the proper products, tools, and techniques for the job; and implementing new cleaning routines so that they stick.
This book includes some incredible tips and cleaning hacks, including Maker's own lighting fast 5 to 10 minute "express clean" routine, and techniques for taking the chore out of cleaning even the most daunting places.
As someone who has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in Instyle, Real Simple, and Better Homes and Gardens, Maker is sure to offer great advice when it comes to making cleaning your home a less dreadful task.
Spark Joy, by Marie Kondo
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo known for her best-seller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, brings more wisdom in her new book: Spark Joy.
Kondo's approach (known as the KonMari method) starts with determining which items in your wardrobe "spark joy". She says, "Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard the rest."
This new book is an in-depth, illustrated manual on how to organize, clean, and spark joy in your everyday life. Kondo has visuals for her patented folding methods, how to determine which clothes to keep, and how to organize them.
Make sure that as you follow Kondo's advice, you bag up and donate any used clothing to Planet Aid. Since that piece of clothing no longer brings you joy, pass it on so that it can bring someone else joy.
For more tips, tricks, and spring cleaning ideas, see the rest of our Spring Cleaning Guide!