Spring Cleaning Checklist:: Home Restock Edition

A friend recently posted on social media asking what Spring Cleaning tasks we take on and it got me thinking about what I do. I mainly try to deep clean room by room, throwing stuff into donate or toss bins as I go. (Do those donate bins live in the trunk of my car for weeks or months at a time? Yes, of course they do.) There are lots of posts out there about how to tackle a messy home, but I thought I’d share a few other “spring cleaning” things I’ve done over the years that you may find helpful, even if they aren’t actual “cleaning.”

Since this is the time of year we are usually seeing a tax refund, I like to use a chunk of it to do a big annual restock on things around the house I tend to forget about replenishing until they run out. It’s no secret that I’ve got a passion for a well-stocked pantry, but that gets my attention all year long. So this time of you, I like to focus on three main areas: the laundry room, the bathroom, and our “hub.”

The “Hub”

Let’s talk about the hub first. We have an antique dresser in our foyer that acts as the veritable hub of our home. It’s where things that need to go with us in the mornings wait for us and where the mail gets opened when we return. It’s where we keep flashlights, batteries, a few tools like screwdrivers and pliers, stamps and envelopes as well as some general office supplies like pens, Post-Its, staplers, and tape — it functions as a kind of “junk drawer” of sorts, even though our official junk drawer is in the kitchen. One cabinet houses a charging station that keeps portable chargers fully charged and ready to go and charging cords and cables within easy reach. Another cabinet keeps the small rotating holiday decor pieces I use on our interchangeable WELCOME sign at our front door. One drawer keeps disposable ponchos, extra pairs of sunglasses, lip balm, and travel-sized bottles of sunscreen, lotion, hand sanitizer — things that you don’t typically think of until the moment you need them when you’re heading out the door. I try to pick up these types of items throughout the year whenever I happen to be in Dollar Tree or tack them on to Walmart or Target pickup orders, but spring cleaning is a good time to take inventory and refill those items I may not have paid attention to in a while, like batteries and stamps. While you may not have a dedicated “hub” in your home for all of these things, chances are you still have them stored somewhere. If not, maybe now is a good time to organize them into designated spots for easy access when you need them.

The Laundry Room

The next spot I focus on restocking is our laundry room. Our laundry room is where I keep all our cleaning and laundry products, extra paper products (tissue, paper towels, paper plates, and plastic cutlery), garbage bags, electrical products (surge protectors, extension cords, etc.), as well as items like backup filters for our fridge and a small bin of 3M Command hooks and stickies for various decorative uses throughout the year. I also store candles for around the house here (I usually buy candles in bulk when Bath & Body Works has a good sale). I am horrible about remembering to buy filters for the house, so I buy one or two at a time and keep them in the laundry room. When I take one out to use it, I immediately add another one or two to my Amazon cart — but spring cleaning is an excellent time to stock up! This is also the time of the year that I reorder stickies for my Command Hooks and any specialty cleaning products, like washing machine cleaner and new mop heads. I also reorder the big jugs of outdoor cleaner my husband likes to use.

Our Bathroom

The last place I focus on is our master bathroom. I keep a stash of toilet paper and cleaning products in there as well, but I usually count those in with the laundry room restock. The main products in here that I like to replenish are toiletries, our first aid supplies / medicines / vitamins, and outdoor-related items like sunscreen, aftersun, and insect repellent. I have several labeled bins and plastic drawers in our bathroom closet that keep these items well-organized, but it’s always good to periodically go through each one to throw out anything that’s expired and make a list of what you need to restock. Things like air freshener, Poo-Pourri, and cotton swabs also go on the list. I also include any items for our diaper bag and in our emergency kits in our cars (like first aid supplies and sunscreen).

While it isn’t your typical spring cleaning, my home restock is so valuable to me. I love the peace of mind that comes with knowing my family is prepared and taken care of.

BONUS

Ever since I’ve had kids, this is also the time of year I try to catch up on printing photos that usually live on my phone to use as gifts (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, etc.) and update my frames around the house. Photo sites like Chatbooks, Mixtiles, Shutterfly, and Walgreens offer great deals around this time of year.

What things do you like to do during Spring Cleaning?

Joey Yearous
Joey is a New Orleans native, Dominican alum, and LSU grad who joined the ranks of motherhood in the summer of 2019. She and her Colorado born-and-raised husband, Phil, left their Mid-City apartment for a house on the Northshore about ten days before they welcomed their son, Sam, into the world. A short 19 months later, their daughter Sloane arrived and their caboose Nicholas completed their family 17 months after that. Though she’s always had a passion for writing, it’s her work in whole-home generator sales that pays the bills. Her 3 kiddos keep her busy, but when she’s got a free moment, you can find her cooking, trying new restaurants, and listening to true crime podcasts. A consummate Pinterest fanatic, she’s always looking for her next DIY project or recipe to try. She believes good senses of humor and random acts of kindness make the world go ‘round.

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