With the changing of the seasons, it has become common practice to participate in cleaning out one’s spaces and possessions. After a brutal Minnesota winter, the task of tidying four to five months of chaos into a pristine and shiny spring cleaning job can be daunting. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan to complete such an intimidating task, the following five steps can help you begin your mission.

Step One: Plan of Attack. Before you can get to actual cleaning, figure out how you want to approach the task. This plan will look different for everyone depending on what they want to accomplish. Consider what you want to get done, how long each task will take and where you need to be to complete them. Think about what rooms, spaces or areas you’ll focus on. Another strategy to plan is to use tools to help you along the way. For ninth-grader Delaney Anderson, listening to music with her mom helps her get in the mood for cleaning. Anderson has been spring cleaning since she was 8 years old, and music has stayed a consistent aid throughout the years. “It used to be … stereotypical 2016 music, and now it’s whatever’s on,” she said.

Step Two: Springifying. This step involves getting rid of or cleaning out winter items to prepare your space and possessions for spring. “You keep a lot of stuff in your house in the winter … [it’s] kind of like dispelling all the winter out,” ninth-grader Dhru Chaney said. Ask yourself what items are used only in winter. Is it a bulky winter coat? A pair of boots? A shovel or sled sitting by the door? Items like these, used only per season, are the sort you can put away or organize because they won’t serve you much use in the coming months.

Step Three: You can’t sidestep the suds. Despite the fun that spring cleaning can provide, Chaney knows from experience that it can get messy. “I remember cleaning out … a really dusty cabinet,” he said. “It was pretty bad.” Unfortunately, for step three, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. Get your water, towel or whatever you use to clean. The American Cleaning Institute recommends cleaning by starting high and progressively working your way downward. Begin with things like ceiling fans, high walls or windows. As you go lower, you can move on to items like furniture pieces and the floor. This method of cleaning helps you stay consistent and direct as you clean. You can’t go down before you’ve finished the above level.

Step Four: Put it Away. Now that you have cleaned your space and removed all the winter items, it’s time to organize. Put items where they belong, sort things and add labels. Organizing helps all your prior steps feel neat and tidy. “Spring cleaning is the perfect time for me to reorganize my bookshelf,” junior Emmet Mena-Larsen said. “I love to organize my Smiskis. I often use them to decorate around my fish tanks.” You can be creative with this step: color-code, create fun labels or store items in unique ways. The opportunities to show your style and creativity while organizing are endless.

Step Five: Revel in your feat. You did it! After four steps of hard work, you can finally celebrate your accomplishment. You can walk through the room without tripping over miscellaneous items, you can see the floors shining clean and you can look out the window into an exciting, new spring.