Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home

Spring has sprung! Most people deep clean their homes this time of year. After months of winter weather conditions and your home being sealed tight, spring is a welcome reprieve! It brings fresh air, warmer temps and new grass and flowers to our yards! If you are like many others, you are probably gearing up for your annual spring cleaning of your home or apartment. Following are some tips to help make the process a bit smoother:

Before you start the cleaning:

1. Set aside at least a week for a thorough spring cleaning. Work from one end of your house to the other. No need to cram the whole thing into one weekend. That’s enough to stress anyone out! Plan on one room a day.
2. Plan some easy meals for the days you will spend cleaning.  Consider using your slow cooker.  A crockpot full of stew at the end of a day of intense cleaning is a beautiful thing!
3. Begin by surveying and inspecting your home. Make a list of areas requiring special care in addition to things that need repairing or replacement. (this would be things that need attention beyond a good cleaning)

Getting down to the nitty gritty:

1. Remove the clutter in the room you are going to work in. Pile these assorted items up in a laundry basket for the time being. With the room cleared you will be able to proceed with your cleaning more effectively.
2. Remember to focus on one room or a certain part at a time. It’s easy to get distracted when working in one room at a time. Especially if you find something in the living room that belongs in the kitchen. This is where the “catch-all” laundry basket mentioned in step 1 comes in handy.  
3. Plan to spend plenty of time in each room. Kitchens, living room, bedrooms and bathrooms should all be given due attention. Besides washing the floors, wall and windows; you should empty out the cabinets and wash them thoroughly before organizing their contents. This may take time if your drawers are as cluttered as the average family’s are. Drapes, carpets and light fixtures must be cleaned, too. Any heavy furniture must be shifted for cleaning and maintenance of any inaccessible areas. 
4. As you clean, keep a list of any jobs you notice that need to be done around the house: little paint touch-ups or a pillow that needs to be mended.  Don’t get distracted by these chores during your cleaning, save them for when you are done.  (Or else you may never be done!)
5. Keep another list of things you notice you need.  Especially when you clean out your fridge and pantry, you will probably become aware of some supplies you are out of or running low on.
6. Involve your family wherever possible. This is their home too! Take the laundry basket that you’ve piled the “other stuff” into and have your family members sort through them. Toys, clothing, old receipts, unmatched chargers…etc. You may get a little resistance, but if you put on some great music and “dangle a carrot”, the overwhelming task at hand can be a little less daunting! ps – the “carrot” could be pizza delivery from the family’s favorite pizza joint for dinner!