Whether or not we like it, spring involves one horrible, yet required, thing: cleaning. Groans, yells, crying. I know but suck it up. Not long ago, I spent some time cleaning up my entire room, and now it’s incredibly clean (imagine that). “The room seems bigger,” my dad told me. Cleaning isn’t just a way to get keep yourself from living in trash, it’s super bonus points for the parents/ girlfriends/ wife. Plus, you want to look good for potential girlfriends, right? So, take a deep breath and take a look at these tips for geeks. Then, just dive in and clean.

#1 – Ask your mom to help

(Note: Only do this if you live with your parents. You can try asking your girlfriend or wife, but usually this will only work for moms) Almost every mom loves to clean. And if your mom doesn’t love to clean, she will certainly love to clean your room. If you have one of those mothers that will not even clean your room, then use some rhetoric. I suggest, “but Mom… it will be a bonding experience, won’t it?” She’ll crumble like a cupcake. Having someone help you makes the job go twice as fast, plus you can slack off a bit, and it will still get down by the other person (your sweet, sweet mom). Be sure to thank her afterwards. The only warning here is to make sure you instruct her to never throw stuff away without your permission. If you have a bunch of papers on the floor, go through them and pass the ones you want to go in the trash to her, while you put the ones you want to save aside. Without supervision, moms can accidently throw away your homework or some other sensitive information.

#2 – Buy a duster and use it

These little babies are very cheap but make cleaning so much easier. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, and costs, so buy whichever fits your budget. While you’re cleaning your room go over almost any surface with them, and it will pick up dust and other gross things you don’t want in your room. This is so much better than using your hand! If you are on the super tight budget, a damp towel will do wonders. Just gently run it over any surface, and it will pick up all the grime since last year’s cleaning. A reminder, don’t forget that cloths and dusters, themselves become dirty. Make sure you’re not cleaning with a dirty towel. Your duster can be cleaned by going outside and waking it against the wall a few times. This will get all the dust out of it (better outside than in).

#3 – Clean your keyboard

If you’re like me, you’re keyboard is probably your most used item. It could possibly the grossest thing in your entire room. Most geeks overlook cleaning this, but don’t! Clean keyboards not only look nicer, they won’t gross out any people that come to use your computer. I have a confession to make. The first time I cleaned my keyboard, well, save it say I had to go buy another keyboard. Keep those babies away from water. I’ve found that the best bet is to use a Q-tips. Pop off your keyboard’s keys and individual rub them with the cue-tips. Rub vigorously if they are really grimy. Once you have cleaned each individual key, run the Q-tips through the keyboard itself. You’ll be amazed at what’s underneath your keys. Note: you might want to take a picture of your keyboard before disassembling it, so you can put it back together again correctly.

#4 – Clean off your computer desk

While we are on the subject of your keyboard, let’s expand out to your desk. Again, this might be an overlooked part of your cleaning. What you have to realize is how much affect a clean desk can have on a room. It balances the room, giving it a certain amount of professional-ness. A clean room with a dirty, paper-ridden desk, will not do. Use the duster/towel from tip #2 on your desk after removing all the items on your desk (you might even find a few bucks). If you have a multilayered desk, make sure to clean off the desk on the layers under another layer. Lots of dust accumulates here, and it may not look like it, but it’s gross as hell. For tight places with little room to put a duster in, try a handheld vacuum. After you’re finished, replace all your items onto your desk very orderly. This is your chance to make your computer set up look “schweet.” Which leads us to tip #5.

#5 – Reorganize your wires

Cables can be a mess. And if you’re not lucky enough to have a bunch of wireless stuff, you’re going to be bogged down by them. I find it useful to go through and unplug everything. Then rewire each thing so that they don’t get tangled up. If you have a whole bunch of cables that run from your computer to your monitor or any other group of cables, tie them together with a twisty (available in bulk for free at any grocery store). This will keep it organized and also help the tangling of cords behind your computer. Be sure to use a twisty and not those plastic clips. Twisty’s are great because they are super easy to get on and off. At school we use these clip things that you basically have to cut off with a scissors (not a very good investment).

#6 – Use bins to store cables and accessories

You can get these plastic containers for real cheap at Target or WalMart. They come in a whole bunch of colors and don’t detract much from your room. I have one and it’s next to my desk. I put all electronic junk in it. I have my portable dvd player in it, along with all the cables for my iPod, digital camera, camcorder and other stuff. It’s really quite useful. If I need to find a firewire cable, or a mini-USB to USB cable, or a mini-RCA cable, I know exactly where to look.

#7 – Sort your computer manuals

Buying a computer, you get handed huge amounts of documentation. You get thick manuals, reinstall discs, warranty papers, and a whole bunch of stuff. And that’s if you only have one computer. You can easily be swamped in computer documentation and discs. Add on manuals and CDs if you have any portable phones/iPods/cameras/etc. What I do to handle this is buy a couple expandable folders. These things are on the uber-cheap as well, and can be a huge time saver if you’re computer breaks or whenever you need to get to your CDs/docs. I have about 5 of them. I put all my Mac related stuff into one. My windows related stuff into another. My camera into another. And the other 2 for miscellaneous stuff. Going through and sorting your manuals and the like based on system into these folders might be a pain, but is so useful when you’re running around trying to find where your copy of Microsoft Office is.

And most of those are just for your computer junk. You have an entire room to clean. I know, but it will be well worth it in the end. I hope these tips give you a few pointers for help. Leave a note in the comments if you have any other ideas.