Spring Cleaning - Shed Edition
Spring is the perfect time to clean out your shed! It isn’t too cold or too hot, the bugs aren’t out in force yet, and you will be thanking yourself the entire summer whenever you go to retrieve a lawn mower or tiki torch.
You don’t need to have a big plan to make a vast improvement. Just pick a day and grab a few supplies:
Broom & dustpan
Cleaning brush (or whisk broom)
Garbage bag(s)
Gloves and a mask (the dust and grime are real!)
An old towel or two
If you have a little more time, add:
A garden hose with high-pressure sprayer attached
Cleaning spray and paper towels
As I said, you don’t have to have a plan - just a beautiful day:
Start by pulling everything outside. Don’t overthink this step…just get it all out into the sunshine.
Next, sweep out the interior, from top to bottom. And I mean literally starting at the top and working your way down. Dust falls, so don’t start low and then get the ladder…your lower shelves will just get dirty again. You will need a stiff whisk broom or cleaning brush to get into the corners and sweep out the cobwebs and other critter detritus.
Now, clean off the things you brought outside. Depending on the available time and number of items, you may only have time to quickly sweep or wipe off the dust. However, a spray-down with a hose will make quick work of the dust, webs, and grime.
By now you have naturally identified those items that are no longer any good or you definitely don’t need any more. Do not put those back in the shed!
Put away the items you are keeping. Group like things together when you can. Keep the things you will need soonest or most often in an easily accessible location.
Get the trash and recycling where it needs to go. Set aside donation or freecycle items and make a plan to take care of them within the week.
After a well-deserved shower, make a list of the things you noticed while you were in the shed. You probably saw some things that need to be taken care of, like blocking a mouse hole or patching a leak. And, you probably identified additional shelving, hooks, or bins that would be useful in keeping the space more organized. Put those on the calendar for another day, when you can plan ahead a little.
And now, bring on the outdoor activities, because there will be no need to dread the shed!