Spring Cleaning
Posted by AndreaThere is an appointed time for everything. There is a time for every event under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Here in my part of the country, the temperatures haven’t hit the 70 degree mark yet. The calendar says spring is here, but we’re still wearing winter coats. In spite of the temporary chill, warm temperatures and fresh air are right around the corner, so I know it’s time for a deep spring cleaning.
When I was a child, my mother scheduled a family spring cleaning weekend well in advance. We blocked off a Friday night and a full Saturday so the four of us could work together to freshen the house. My brother and I were assigned dusting and window cleaning duty, while my mother washed and ironed the spring window treatments. Outside, my father was busy cleaning up the flower beds and sprucing up the lawn. When the big task was finished, we usually enjoyed dinner out or shared a large pepperoni pizza in the freshly cleaned kitchen.
As a child, I thought spring cleaning was a tremendous waste of a weekend, but now that I have a home of my own I understand why my mother was so eager to do spring cleaning. There’s just something refreshing about dust free baseboards, sparkling windows, and new curtains. I can’t get everything thoroughly cleaned in one weekend, so I spread the tasks out over a few weeks.
When I begin cleaning, I like to start in our bedroom because a spotless bedroom gives me the motivation I need to tackle the rest of the house. To motivate myself even further, part of my bedroom cleanup always includes an organizing gift for myself.
Last spring, I purchased a few rolling drawers to house all of hair supplies (blow dryers, flat irons, rollers, shampoos, conditioners, etc) and store the overflow of free or nearly free personal toiletries my couponing habit has earned me. This year, I’ve purchased a few smaller drawers to hold all of my cosmetics and I even created an attractive yet functional holder for all of my makeup brushes.
So far, the bedroom, kitchen, family room, laundry room, living room, and dining room have all been cleaned. Over the next few days, I’ll move into the sunroom, the girls’ bedrooms, the spare bedroom, the bathrooms, and finally into the basement. I even hope to stitch up a new set of curtains for the living room and dining room.
Spring cleaning can be an overwhelming project. If you’re looking for a way to organize to the task or you’re not sure where to begin, here are a couple of places to get you started. Read Barbara’s spring cleaning post over at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers or download more detailed room by room checklists at Right at Home. Don’t forget that you can also make money by selling some of the unused items you discover during spring cleaning. Hold a yard sale or get those things posted on Craig’s List, eBay, or in your local newspaper. I suspect you could easily make a few extra dollars!
