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