| With spring comes all of the beauty of the changing | | | | that you accomplish and press on to the next one. |
| season. We finally began to see our grass; we enjoy | | | | By just devoting one hour a week towards your |
| seeing the new buds on our trees, and the sweet | | | | spring cleaning goals you will have a more manageable |
| smell of a good April shower. What also comes along | | | | deep cleaning routine. |
| is the dreaded ritual of spring cleaning. Maybe you | | | | Clear out as much clutter as you can. Make a box for |
| went through this awful experience as a child. Your | | | | trash and a box for charitable donations and fill these |
| mother would be pulling all the linens, washing the | | | | with all of the unnecessary clutter in your home. By |
| drapes, deep cleaning every nook and cranny of your | | | | donating these items to those less fortunate you will |
| home and then collapse after a full day of cleaning. I | | | | gain so much. Not only will someone who needs |
| don't remember this as being a fun ritual for our | | | | these items more benefit from your donation, but |
| family and have decided to try a different method of | | | | you can receive a tax break and reclaim space in |
| cleaning in our own home. | | | | your own home. I have decided to look at every |
| Spring cleaning ironically is not as necessary as it once | | | | item in my home in a new light. There was a time |
| was. Back in the olden days, spring cleaning was a | | | | when I used to want to fill my home with loads of |
| much different concept then it is today. This cleaning | | | | stuff. Now I look at everything as one more thing to |
| was a necessary routine because of how they had | | | | dust and care for. If you don't like to dust it, don't |
| to heat their homes and keep them lit. Using | | | | love the item, and want an organized home- donate |
| kerosene, wood, gas, oil, and candles caused the | | | | it!! |
| house to develop dark sooty grime around it. This | | | | Keep a caddy of cleaning supplies on each floor. I find |
| grime created the need for a deep cleaning of the | | | | it much easier to clean my house when I know that |
| home. Their deep cleaning restored the beauty of | | | | the tools that I need to accomplish my task are just |
| the home and also gave them the opportunity to get | | | | a few steps away. Keep your checklist either in one |
| out the lighter linens, rugs, and furniture that they | | | | of your caddies or somewhere that is accessible so |
| used during the warmer seasons. Not only did they | | | | that you can always stay on track with your deep |
| divulge in spring cleaning, they also did fall cleaning as | | | | cleaning. |
| well to prepare them for the cold season of winter. | | | | Do your cleaning when it is convenient for you. Some |
| Today we do not have the need to do spring | | | | people work better during morning hours while others |
| cleaning although in many families it is a ritual that | | | | of us would rather be snoozing and do better in the |
| brings about peace and renewal in our homes after | | | | evening. Take advantage of the times that you work |
| an entire day or week of intense cleaning. In this day | | | | best. If you would rather break the hour into smaller |
| and age, however, it is hard to be able to set aside | | | | increments that is totally up to you. The idea behind |
| that much time to get all of these tasks done. Our | | | | all of this is to make it as easy as possible so fit it in |
| schedules and days are so full that it hard to devote | | | | wherever and whenever you can. |
| more than the few hours necessary just to keep our | | | | Put your spring cleaning task on your calendar each |
| home running smoothly. | | | | week. It sounds silly, but don't you remember your |
| Instead of doing one deep cleaning I have vowed to | | | | appointments and engagements better when it is |
| "spring clean" all year long rather than trying to set | | | | written on your calendar? It is hard to ignore |
| aside a specific time to do this. With a very busy | | | | scheduled tasks in glaring print. Write your tasks in |
| toddler and just the daily maintenance of my home, | | | | red, capitalized, or exclamation points- anything you |
| there are days when I feel really proud of myself if I | | | | can to draw your eye to the one task for the week. |
| can get out of my pajamas. If you are anything like | | | | Enlist your helpers to help you on these tasks. Your |
| me, try and incorporate these tips into your daily | | | | children and your husband can be active participants |
| routine so that you can relax while everyone else is | | | | in getting your home organized just like they help to |
| tired and haggard from their day of spring cleaning. | | | | contribute to the clutter. Schedule dad for clearing |
| Here are a few ideas for getting these tasks done: | | | | out the garage, taking inventory of the tools you will |
| Begin by making a checklist of everything that you | | | | need to do your gardening, cleaning out the |
| would normally do during your spring cleaning. Things | | | | basement, or other tasks inside and outside of the |
| like washing all the linens and drapes, wiping down | | | | home. Children can aid in cleaning their own rooms by |
| baseboards, washing windows inside and out, cleaning | | | | helping to remove some of the clutter in the house. |
| out your pantry, washing your shower curtains, | | | | Involving your family can be beneficial in showing |
| organizing your linen cabinets, wiping down walls, and | | | | them all that you do to keep your house running |
| cleaning doorknobs and light fixtures. | | | | smoothly. |
| Take inventory of your cleaners and the tools that | | | | It is hard to accomplish tasks around the house if |
| you will need in order to accomplish all of the | | | | you have a poor attitude about what you are doing. |
| necessary cleaning. Nothing is worse then getting | | | | Unfortunately, every house requires a little |
| ready to do your task and then finding out that you | | | | maintenance and your attitude towards your work |
| are missing that one component needed to complete | | | | can be the difference in your spring cleaning being |
| your task. Put the items that you will need on your | | | | bearable or just plain awful. I certainly don't jump up |
| shopping list and get these items on the day that | | | | and down when I clean and it isn't my favorite thing |
| you perform all of your errands. | | | | to do, but I take great pride in keeping my household |
| Continue doing your normal daily routine, but add an | | | | running smoothly. Turn on some fun music, watch |
| extra hour each week towards accomplishing just | | | | television while polishing tables, do whatever you can |
| one of these tasks on your list. Check off the items | | | | to make getting your home clean easier and fun. |