I am Spring Cleaning… It’s Time

It’s been Spring in my neck of the woods for over a month already and I am well on my way to getting my Spring cleaning done.   When I was a child, I would help my Mother with the annual cleaning chores around our home. You know… those deep cleaning chores that we only get to occasionally…  it just seems right that they be done in the Spring when the days start to get longer, brighter, and warmer. 

Spring makes me thing of rebirth, renewal… shedding the old Winter layers, and emerging fresher, lighter, brighter.  Our wardrobes are usually brighter colors… lighter fabrics.  My very favorite time of the year.  I just love,  LOVE,  LOVE Spring!

And house cleaning is such great exercise!

One of the things that you can do immediately to welcome Spring into your home, it to open the windows and doors and let in some fresh air and sunlight!  So invigorating and energizing, don’t you agree?

And if you bring some fresh flowers or a flowering plant into the house, it makes the atmosphere cheery and Spring-like as well... especially if the flowers are bright and colorful like these daffodils The Captain brought me as a surprise one day a while back!

But getting to that cleaning... here are some of the things on my list of Spring cleaning projects… some done, some not yet.  I certainly don’t try to do them all in one day, or even in one week… but for the most part, by the end of March, things get pretty spiffy around here!

• Change the bedding
  • Put away the darker Winter bedspread and pillow shams and replace with brighter, lighter ones
  • Buy new sleeping pillows
• Clear out the clothes closets and drawers 
  • Put away Winter jackets, boots, scarves, mitts, and sweaters into storage bins
  • Make up donation boxes and deliver to appropriate agencies
• Clean the kitchen cupboards
  • Wash, the cupboards, and replace shelf liners
  • Remove damaged or unused dishes and containers
  • Remove/discard any expired foodstuffs
  • Wash or replace garbage and recycle bins
• Clean kitchen drawers
  • Wash the drawers, replace liners
  • Remove unused gadgets/tools
  • Remove/replace damaged gadgets/tools
• Clean the refrigerator
  • Remove everything and wash the shelves, bins, and doors
  • Discard anything not being used or that looks old
• Clean the freezer
  • Defrost
  • Wash the shelves and doors
  • Remove any old foodstuffs
• Take down and clean/replace light fixtures
• Wash the windows and window sills
• Clean or replace the drapes
• Clean out storage locker

And of course there are some personal things I like to make sure to do in the Spring as well.

• Dental hygiene
• Haircut
• Pedicure
• Discard/replace makeup and skin care products

And a few administrative tasks as well.

• Update address book, phone lists and birthday list
  • Discard/edit addresses, phone numbers, email addresses
• Update email accounts
• Sort through folders and discard old messages

Oh, I know that there are lots and lots of cleaning jobs that I have not mentioned… bathrooms, and dusting, or vacuuming, for some examples. But for me,probaby they are things that we do more often or look after if some particular need arises. 

Are you a Spring cleaner?  Have you started yet?

Are you as excited about Spring as I am?