If you’re like me, life and motherhood have felt a little overwhelming for the past few months. The holidays are always crazy, and then we had a very cold winter, and my family experienced never-ending weeks of fevers, colds, and flu. Now that spring is here, I am determined to beat this feeling, achieve some practical spring cleaning goals, and clean up my mom-brain a bit.
Let’s refresh ourselves and our homes with 15-minute spring cleaning ideas to bring us little bits of spring joy and inner peace!
1. Find a Pay It Forward Group
First things first: we all have too much stuff. The toys pile up, and clutter stops us from feeling peace in our house. Most towns in Westchester County have a “Pay It Forward” group, so I highly recommend finding yours and joining. When I post anything from toys and books to shoes and clothes, another parent in the neighborhood will respond and pick up the item from my house within 24 hours. It is a great way to declutter without feeling guilty or having donations pile up in your home for weeks.
2. Clean One Drawer
We all feel this: you, your child, or your spouse go to dress a child, and the clothes picked are too small or not in season, and this moment adds stress to the morning routine. Don’t do every drawer and make it an overwhelming task. Pick one drawer and sift out the items that are too small or warm for the spring and summer.
It will only take about 15 minutes, even if you have to refold everything. This quick task will save you from the constant “Mom!” when the kids get dressed. I also highly recommend folding clothes the “Marie Kondo” way, in thirds facing up, so everyone can see every shirt rather than stacking them upright—life-changing.
3. Put Away the Winter Clothes (Do We Dare?)
We dare! It is getting warm! We don’t need the snowsuits, gloves, and boots taking up space and in our way daily. Get a cardboard box, label it “WINTER CLOTHES,” and move it out so you can see all your lovely spring jackets!
4. Make a Designated Date Night
We need more time with our partners. Pick a date night, even if it will be a month from now. Schedule a babysitter, or put it on the calendar that you will have an at-home date night after the kids go to sleep. Make it special for yourself: hair, makeup, whatever you must do to change the normal routine and have an hour with your partner.
5. Find a Summer Babysitter
There are a lot of great older teenagers and young adults who come home from college in the summer and make ideal babysitters. These young people are usually energetic, fun, and flexible. If your child is attending camp and you are comfortable with a young adult picking them up, it is a great solution to find a college student home for the summer that is available to bridge the gap until you get home from work.
I recommend finding your Westchester town Facebook group and posting about your family’s childcare needs. Usually, the parent of a young adult who wants to earn some money over the summer can respond, and you can check off “childcare” for the summer. Even if you just need a date-night babysitter, using local community parent groups is great for this.
6. Prepare for Next Year’s Taxes
How are the taxes due so fast every year? How do we promise to get them done sooner next year, and it never happens? Take a folder and write TAXES 2026 on it. Put it in an obvious location, and next year (aka in a few months), when the documents start coming in, just throw them in the folder so you don’t have to start scrambling through a pile of paper next year.
7. Schedule the Appointments Now
Ok, this may take 30 minutes, but make all the dentist and doctor appointments you know you and the kids need for the rest of the year. Even if you have to move them later due to work or sports schedules, the reminders will be set, and usually, the appointments can be changed relatively easily. Doing this will prevent you from wondering when your kids last went to the dentist and if you have the updated physical and vaccine forms for camp or school.
8. Order New Sheets and Comforter
Nothing feels better than walking into your room and having a made bed that looks beautiful. It sets the tone for your day in the morning and brings you to a peaceful space at night, even if the rest of your room is a mess. Treat yourself to a new set of sheets and comforter.
9. Refresh the Junk Drawer
It never stays neat, but ordering small organizers and revamping that drawer to make it more efficient will help you later.
10. Pick Your “Present of the Year”
How many times have you gone to send your kids to a birthday party and realized you forgot to order a gift? We don’t need the added stress of running to a toy store, getting a gift card, or finding cash for an envelope. Every year, I pick my “present for the year” for any birthday party my son attends. I keep one extra, so every time he goes to a party, I have it on hand, and I reorder the same one every time. It saves me a lot of time and last-minute running around.
11. Start a Show and Do Your Laundry
As the laundry routine became daunting, my husband and I developed a little evening routine after the kids went to bed. We started a TV series, and I would bring up all the laundry that needed to be folded so we could do it together while getting to do something easy that we enjoyed together. It sounds silly, but it did help me with the task I least enjoy.
12. Get Pictures Off Your Phone and Print Them
I have thousands of pictures of my kids on my phone, and I constantly tell myself I need to print them or make them into a photobook, but somehow, I never get around to it. Take 15 minutes to send just 100 photos to a pharmacy to print. Use the coupon code, and it should be about $20. Get some frames and refresh your home with pictures of the love and joy you bring your family.
With the warmer weather and sunny days, it’s a great time to reset and do spring cleaning for yourself and your home. Identify some 15-minute tasks you can accomplish to bring some peace to your mind and your family this spring!
