It’s Spring - Time to clean

1. It’s Spring - Time to clean

2. Hey Wait Just A Minute!! Is it just me or did spring just sneak up on us? It was literally yesterday that I felt like an overstuffed burrito wrapping myself in thick blankets and sweaters on the couch and then the next day WHAM!! I walked outside draped in a cotton sweater and a thick down coat thinking I was going to be smacked in the face with a Freezing blast of cold air from old man winter’s nostrils. I wasn’t out there for more than a second and a bead of sweat dropped down my back. “How did it get so warm so fast?” I began to ask myself and then I realized. “I’m in Kansas.” Nothing wrong with that of course. One thing I love about this place is when it comes to weather here it is always full of surprises, some good, some bad. I decided to take a long walk and let the spring breeze blow the winter out of my hair (whatever that means). I wasn’t halfway through my walk when I realized. “Oh No!! this means Spring Cleaning Time, and I’m not prepared.” If you’re in the same boat no problem. Thats what this blog is here for to answer problems. So here are some quick tips to get you well on your way to Spring.

3. Work from Top to Bottom. Start by cleaning ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, the tops of cabinets and armoires, and dusting around the edges where walls meet ceilings. This way you aren’t creating double work for yourself after having cleaned low you have to re-dust from excess dirt from ceiling fans having fallen to the floor below. A simple thought yes but an all too often forgotten or rookie mistake. Clean Furniture. Start by vacuuming and cleaning any furniture you might have and if there are any stains from that big bowl of chili that you shamelessly ate during the winter months now is the perfect to break out, and shampoo the upholstery if you haven’t already. Breaking out the Old English and polishing any wood furniture that you might have not only protects your furniture it also preserves and makes it shine like it did the day you brought it home. It is also the perfect time to check for any nicks or tears and repair them so they don’t get out of hand. Don’t know how to repair it yourself check these guys out Furniture Medic. Dust. Choose a quality duster that will not only capture dust but will last for more than just a few dustings. I prefer using these micro fiber cloths and Pledge Furniture Polish. This combination will not only remove dust but will leave your furniture sparkling.

4. Clean Windows. Yes this is a dreaded task but necessary. How do you get them streak free? Well this is no small task but I have found that using your morning newspaper to clean the glass and mirrors in your house is quite effective, if you do not get the paper don’t fret a micro fiber cloth will do just fine. There are many different window cleaners on the market and everyone has their go to. We have moved to making our own window cleaners out of purified water alcohol and an essential oil cleaner concentrate called Thieves Cleaner we buy from a company called Young Living. But if you do not have access to this Windex Window Cleaner works fine too. Baseboards. Make sure to dust and wipe down baseboards. If they are in need of a little touch up paint, now would be a good time to pull out a brush and do that as well to keep them looking like new. Window Treatments, Drapes, and Blinds. Vacuum all your drapes and if you like that squeaky clean feeling and that fresh smell throw them in the washing machine or take them to your local dry cleaner. They will come back good as new and smelling fresh. Blinds are also a tough one I find that a good mini blind brush and some elbow grease work just fine.

5. Miscellaneous. I could go on and on about the best practices for spring cleaning but we are all busy people let me give you the condensed Cliffs Notes version. Don’t forget now is the perfect time to clean the Oven, and those all too often forgotten places like Disinfecting your Trash Cans, Dusting behind the Furniture and putting some WD40 on the hinges of all of your doors, Flip the mattress and wash all of your bedding, some people even take the time to pull the refrigerator and washing machine and dryer out and clean behind them as well as dusting off the refrigerator coils, it is also a good time to clean out the dryer vent to prevent any chance of a fire. Take this time to clean all the places you normally ignore and to declutter of things you no longer need or use. Put those things aside and get ready for that spring garage sale. Spring cleaning can be very time consuming, so have fun and don’t rush unless you really want to.