Spring Cleaning tips with Jillian Harris

Interior decorator, star of Love It or List It Vancouver and expectant mother, Jillian Harris and Mr. Clean, want Canadians to clean smart not hard this spring.

1. Congrats on your baby news! What are you most excited about? What are you most looking forward to?

Thank you! Actually, I’m just so curious. I’ve heard a ton of advice, from “Your whole life is going to be better” to “You’re never going to sleep again” and everything in between. Justin and I have such a crazy life and we kind of live our lives our own way, we make our own rules so I’m just curious. I’m totally open to how this baby changes my life, and I’m going to wait and see what that means when this baby comes. 

2. With spring cleaning on the minds of parents right now, what tips can you offer families when it comes to getting started?

I remember growing up, I love the way my parents approached cleaning. It turned me into a total clean freak and I love cleaning now. So for families my top tip is to start with a basket or a hat, write down rooms or chores that need to be cleaned, then have every family member pick from the hat. In my family, once everyone had their room or chores, we’d race to get it done and it was more fun that way. And if we did extra chores during the week, we’d get rewarded with a little something. So as a kid it was a great way to learn how to work hard for a reward. That’s what I love about Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser. Not only does it make cleaning easier because it can clean so many different things, but it also helps eliminate so many other tools you used to need to get a great clean. 

3. When it comes to renovations, how do you recommend families tackle them together?

I think one of the best things that my co-host Todd (Talbot) said was to budget realistically and to budget for your stay away from home (hotels and meals, things like that). It’s stressful enough to balance everyone’s schedules, work lives and a renovation so budgeting for that time away from your reno site is definitely worth it. 

4. What’s the best cleaning advice you’ve ever been given? Do you have a favourite room in the house to clean?

My mom always says, “Don’t get overwhelmed – just start with one room at a time.” I’ve always thought it was such great advice because I would tackle everything that needed to be done in that room and then move on to another. I love cleaning our bedroom only because I love that feeling once you have fresh sheets on, and the windows are open and you crawl into bed…nothing beats that!

5. What is the most rewarding and most challenging thing about working on Love It or List It Vancouver?

The most challenging thing for sure is the budgets. I think a lot of the time people have an unrealistic idea of how much their $50,000 or $100,00 will get them. At the same time they’re always happy with the end result, and even if they move because they’ve found an amazing house, they get emotional and really love the new changes. The thing I love most about working on the show is working with Todd. He’s literally become like my brother. He gives me relationship advice, and now parenting advice. When I’m having bad days he always tries to cheer me up. When he’s having bad days I’m there to cheer him up. We don’t let each others egos get too big. It’s really great to have that sense of family outside of your own family.