It's Spring! Here's A Few Tips For Cleaning And Decluttering Your Living Space

For Atwater Village resident Laura Cowan, deep cleaning her home this spring means more than just decluttering and dusting off hard-to-reach spaces. It’s a fresh mind shift.

“I get sad in the wintertime,” Cowan said. “I think instead of the new year, [springtime] is more about renewing your commitment to yourself, your life and what you want to be.”

It’ll also be a time of deep reflection for her. She lost both of her parents and her father-in-law within the first few years of getting married and buying a house with her husband. Her house has become a storage area, full of random items they’ve inherited or kept from their past lives.

Now, this spring, she’s on a mission to clean her house up.

“I do a deep cleaning of my own feelings and emotions this time of year too,” Cowan said. “Sometimes in life, you're pushing things down the road. I just want to clear everything out, physically, mentally, emotionally.”

A season for cleaning

Cowan is one of several Americans who will embark on decluttering, dusting and disinfecting their living spaces this spring. According to the American Cleaning Institute study, 87% of Americans feel like they’re at their mental and physical best when they have a clean home.

Plus, it's allergy season. Dust in one’s home could contain allergens like dust mites, pet dander and mold. And with all the rain we’ve had, blooms are in full force with Santa Ana winds and spring breezes likely blowing pollen through your window.

But where to start? We all know it's a good thing to give our living spaces a big, deep clean once or twice a year. But it can be overwhelming. Where to begin? How to fit it in a busy schedule? What supplies to get?

We’ve got you covered with tips from some pros and a few resourceful Angelenos who responded to our social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Six tips for spring cleaning your house or apartment

Start small

Arjun and Nancy Mehta are the owners of a Molly Maid cleaning franchise in L.A. and they say they see an uptick in clients during this time of year because. As the days get warmer, people open their doors more, invite people over, and want to have a clean home.

But, they warn, don’t do too much at once.

They recommend starting with a smaller room like a home office or a den, rather than the kitchen or the bathroom so that you can feel accomplished at the end of the day.

“Do it section by section,” Nancy Mehta said. “Don’t try to tackle it all in one Saturday where you’re going to get your day completely destroyed by cleaning.”

Use a microfiber towel

Whether it's dirt, pollen or pet hair, dust and particles accumulate everywhere.

“There is something about the combination of a microfiber towel and a little bit of water. Water on a microfiber towel that traps the dust,” Nancy Mehta said.

If it’s been a long time, she recommends using a combination dish soap, vinegar and water to get rid of more stubborn dust.

“You want to try to eliminate the dust so that it doesn't go up in the air and come back down,” she added. “The microfiber towel is more of a trapper than anything else.”

Don't over-rely on chemicals

Laura Cowan said her husband has respiratory issues which has caused them to stop using almost all chemical cleaners. Some products release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause chronic respiratory problems, along with other health issues.

“Baking soda, vinegar, hot water, biodegradable, just everyday soap all do about 99% of what you want and need,” Cowan said. “Tea tree oil with a little alcohol in a spray bottle makes it a nice alternative.”

Clear out the clothes

South L.A. resident Teja Smith said spring cleaning gives her a peace of mind, especially as a busy millennial with a social media agency. Her first target is her closet.

“Spring cleaning to me is getting things out of your main areas and putting things in storage, which is a great way to bring back wardrobes and get yourself excited about certain items back in your house,” Smith said.

She takes time to declutter and refresh twice a year in the spring and fall. Her tip? Ask yourself: Have you worn that lately?

“It’s really just a non-tedious process of realizing what I've worn in the last six months and realizing what I either need to wear or move,” Smith said. “If it still doesn't get used … then it goes.”

Give yourself some grace

Cowan said she struggles with setting high expectations for herself, but the process of spring cleaning can be reassuring when you are overwhelmed with life. There is also a lot of emotion that goes along with “letting go” of things that may have sentimental value or bring up memories.

She said it’s important to ask yourself questions like: Is this particular item serving me? And is this helping me get to where I want to go?

If it feels like a lot, she says to give yourself grace.

“If you're doing this for the first time in a long time, it can be intimidating and scary,” Cowan said. “Something is better than nothing. Only you know what it was supposed to look like. Just do it because it makes you feel good.”

Go slow and take the time you need to process the “letting go” of things.

After decluttering, where to donate

Here’s one last thing that might seem overwhelming, but doesn’t need to be. At the end of all your clearing out, you might have a pile of things — clothes, sports equipment, homewares — that you might think is too good to throw out. Or maybe you just want to avoid adding too much more to our brimming landfills.

Regardless of motivation, here’s some options to consider for passing on all that excess stuff without tossing in the trash: donate, consign, recycle.

Donate

There is always the Goodwill or the Salvation Army, which will take gently used items for donation almost any day of the week. But there’s plenty of other spots to consider as well. Just be sure to call ahead before dropping stuff off.

• Alexandria House in Koreatown offers supportive housing for women and children who are experiencing homelessness and trauma
• Los Angeles Mission serves people living on Skid Row
• Downtown Women’s Shelter exclusively serves women and gender diverse people experiencing homelessness
• El Nido Family Centers serves low-income families in need across L.A. County
• Miriam’s House is a sober living home for women and their families. 
• Habitat for Humanity accepts gently used appliances and furniture 
• San Fernando Rescue Mission Alliance provides shelter to families experiencing homeless and recovery services to men experiencing homelessness and living with substance abuse issues, as well as job counseling support
• Out of the Closet Thrift Store helps raise funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS, and provides free HIV testing
• Animal shelters and animal rescue organizations typically accept hand-me-down towels as well as gear like leashes and harnesses

Consign

If you have an unworn or barely used dress in that closet of yours and would like to make a little money back on that purchase, consider a consignment shop, which will offer to sell it for you for a piece of the profit.

• Trove in West L.A. accepts clothes, accessories and housewares that are in good shape based on a seasonal basis and other demands 
• Gift of Garb in Silver Lake is a little more high end but if you’ve got that Gucci belt collecting dust in your armoire, see if you can resell it
• Left Bank is not a traditional consignment shop but, similar to Crossroads, this shop will buy or trade clothes in exchange for money or store credit 
• Rebag specializes in designer purses and will buy, trade or consign that Louis Vuitton you just don’t use anymore (as long as its in good shape)

Recycle

If you’re conscious about the environment and want to find a way to get rid of things that may not be in decent enough shape to donate or consign, you could check out Ridwell. You need to get a membership but, for a fee, it will pick up your old threads — as well as other items — each month. You put your recyclables in a bag, and the workers get the bag right at your front door.

Locally, there's also the Suay It Forward program at Suay in L.A. where you can buy a $20 recycling bag in exchange for $20 in store credit. Fill up the bag with unwanted clothes and fabrics and drop it in their bin.