At least in theory, I want to do some spring cleaning. Certain things need to be done: the flower bed needs a little help before sunshine does its thing, the hose needs brought out, the Christmas lights need taken down, the porches need swept off, and the outdoor furniture needs a good spray & wipe. Other things would be a good idea: washing all the windows, thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, giving curtains & bedlinens a good washing, making sure the pantry & other storage areas are well-ordered & well-stocked. Other things sound like brilliant ideas but are probably not realistic in my here & now: wiping down all the wooden trim in the house, dusting lightbulbs, anything that requires scrubbing with a toothbrush, etc. In my dreamworld I would love some more trim up in the house, especially so I can add some curtains to a few more key rooms: but again, not certain that this is the year that will get accomplished, and that’s totally okay. It is good to know what things should be done, what might be icing on the cake, and what is not realistic for me right now with where God has us today. 🙂
So right now I’ve got my oven self-cleaning, the coffee maker and the dishwasher each running a vinegar rinse, and I cleaned the sink with a good borax soak earlier while I took the kids to the library & out for lunch.
I have great plans to throw some other things in the dishwasher and washing machine as the day goes on… and perhaps I will get the kids involved in helping me do some spring cleaning/prep outside on the porches this evening.
I love to have an organized and tidy home (if not always clean in that “spotless” sort of way… I mean, I do have little kids and live in the country, after all!), not because I want to be fussy but because I want to pursue a good balance of beauty & functionality. I want my home to be a place of rest and refuge for my family, and also for our friends.
So what are YOU doing to freshen up your home this spring? How do you get the whole family involved? What things do you find worth doing versus unnecessary? And how do you make sure you stop spending too much time glancing around the internet for ideas, and actually get off your bum to accomplish some of the said tasks?! 😉
A blog I read had a challenge each weekday in the month of March that was kind of a spring cleaning type thing. I followed along as I was able, and got a lot done. I didn’t get everything done on her list (ie, washing windows during a snow storm wasn’t going to happen!) but the house is a whole lot cleaner as a result!
Because of long-term back problems I’ve had (which I tend to minimize in my head…) last spring I wasn’t able to sweep the floors without pain but this year my back is so much better, I am able to tackle extra projects and keep up with my daily chores! (Praising the Lord for that!)
Hi, Melissa.
It is great to see that I’m not the only one trying to tackle spring cleaning and figure out what is most important and what can wait. I’m not good at being content with letting some things remain on the back burner when I want them done now, but I’m working on that. I do not want to let my clean-house ideal get in the way of actually enjoying life with my family. That’s a balance I’m continually trying to find.
I have found it helpful to hire some things out because I know they’re not going to happen any other way. Such as window washing. Some neighbors and I hire a man once a year to wash windows in all our homes on the same day. He is very good and gives us a good rate. We have many hard-to-reach windows, so it really is better to have him come with all his special equipment. Ironing is something I always feel behind on, so I regularly give it all to a young woman from church who does it for $2 per item. We do most everything else ourselves, but those things have helped me feel a little more sane.
Because we heat with wood, the house feels quite dusty this time of year, so I take curtains down and wash them. Some fabrics that don’t wash well I go over with the brush attachment on my vacuum or put them in the dryer. There is nothing like clean windows and fresh curtains to bring back the sparkle. I also try to organize drawers, cabinets, and closets…usually one room a day. While I do this, I get rid of things we no longer use. It feels GREAT to take a few big bags of surplus to the Salvation Army store.
I also have cleaning instructions by room typed up on my computer. Most weeks we do family cleaning on Saturday mornings and everyone gets a list. Each person specializes in one or two rooms, so it goes pretty quickly. But this time of year, I add extra duties to those lists so the rooms get deep cleaned, but the kids are already pros at those rooms and easily take on a few extra chores. For example, the older boys and Anna move their beds and vacuum under them, along baseboards, etc., dust their blinds, wash dirty areas of walls and woodwork, purge junk out of their closets, and so on.
Winter hangs on a while here, so it is easy to leave the winter decorations up even after spring has officially begun, but after looking at them for about 5 months, this weekend I’ll be switching over to springy things: the runner and centerpiece on my table, sofa pillow covers, items on my mantel, and the wreath on my door.
My one big incentive is that we are having a houseful of guests for our Resurrection Day feast, so I am working little by little to have the place looking refreshed by then. Hopefully I can squeeze in planting a few pots of pansies to place near the front door. That would be icing on the cake for me!
Happy homemaking to you, my friend! Thoughts of you and your work at home will add extra joy to my domestic labors here!
🙂 Sara
Next on my spring cleaning list: cleaning out the nasty, nasty window tracks and sliding door tracks in the sunroom. They are caked with brown gunk and dust. Gross, right? 🙂 Wanna come help? I’ll make cookies and we can sit together afterwards and chat! 🙂