Spring Into Action

Spring is right around the corner and traditionally it's the time of the year to organize, declutter, and spruce up your home, a home which for the last year has been not only a dwelling but an office and meeting room, a school (and probably a playground), a 24/7 diner, a laundromat, a fitness center, an entertainment spot, and a home spa-jk about the last one😉! Really though, your home has seen some things this past year, and it's well overdue for some TLC. It can be overwhelming to narrow down the gigantic whole home to do list, no matter if you have a suburban mansion or modest townhouse, but breaking duties down into manageable chunks can make handling the home cleaning chores all the more easier.  

I like to begin with the high traffic, high visibility, high touch places of the home first.  For example lets say the carpet in the living area is worn and stained, I would recommend a good steam cleaning followed a few days later by throw rug that adds protection and a bit of style to your space.  Another must clean thing is kids toys-I would make sure they get physically cleaned and then get them placed into a tote or bin when not in use rather than just pushed to the edges or walls of the room.  Demonstrating good cleaning habits has the added bonus of showing little ones the important practice of cleanliness and neatness.  What I would tackle after that is washing the interior glass surfaces that can become dusty, streaked, and dirty, such as bathroom and bedroom mirrors, lighting fixtures, kitchen cabinets, and more.  Then I would move to cleaning handles, knobs, faucets and fixtures, and and anything else that is touched frequently.  Tip: a great cleaning tool is a carry caddy, these handy plastic helpers allow you to tote various cleaning products up, down, and all around the home without the need of burdening your arms with cleaning clutter.  Don't forget the car!  The car is one of the most neglected parts of Spring cleaning, due in part I believe to the exhaustion of cleaning the actual home😄.  Emptying your vehicle of the accumulated junk of the year can feel liberating, and vacuuming your vehicle out, washing it, and cleaning under the hood can make it feel almost new car like refreshment. Lastly don't forget the exterior of the home!  Accumulated dried or dead vegetation and debris have usually built up over the course of the year and make for a very sad and neglected looking home.  Dirty and spotted windows also lack the touch of curb appeal, and reduce visibility.  And depending on the composition of your home's exterior a good old fashioned cleaning may be in order there too.  Tip: A pressure washer is an amazing tool in the cleaning repertoire, the before and after joys are a thing of beauty and amazement.  So there you have it, some ways to jump into the Spring cleaning fever!  Please share your thoughts in the comments!