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.
About The Author
© 2003-2004 Amy Allen Clark. All rights reserved. Amy Allen Clark is a stay-at-home mother of a two year old son. She is founder and creator of http://www.momadvice.com.
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Bet You Didn?t Know . . . All Waters Are Not Created Equal
Bet You Didn?t Know . . . All Waters Are Not Created Equal
by: K.C. Craichy
Water fortifies our systems and our cells. Without it, we couldn't survive. And it has been linked to many health benefits, from removing toxins from the system to improving brain function. Those 8 to 12 glasses of water a day are certainly critical . . . but if the water we drink isn't "clean," we're not doing our bodies much good.
Contaminants, from chlorine to aluminum, in our tap water supply have caused many consumers to abandon their taps for bottled water. But bottled waters have their own hazards. The acidic pH in many plastic bottled waters causes the plastic to leach into the water, particularly if the bottles have been sitting in a warehouse for a long time.
It's important to drink waters that have a pH of 7.0 and higher, and preferably housed in glass bottles or safer plastics such as PET or PETE. Here are some excellent spring and artesian...
Bet You Didn?t Know . . . All Waters Are Not Created Equal
Spring break > Bet You Didn?t Know . . . All Waters Are Not Created Equal
Do You Have a Habit Hard To Break?
Do You Have a Habit Hard To Break?
by: Terje Brooks Ellingsen
If You have a habit hard to break it means that you're currently lacking control over a certain behavior or set of behaviors in a type of situation.
The first question that comes to my mind is: How do we really create a habit - bad or good?
A habit is not created the first time we do it.
The clue here is repetition; we create a habit by repeating it.
And the more we repeat it the more resistant it becomes.
The founders of NLP, Bandler and Grinder are using a concept called "streamlining".
They explain this concept as a natural process whereby our minds learn which aspects of a thought process is important and which is not.
Let me give an example:
When I was about 5 years old somebody offered to shake my hand for the first time in my life. I was very pleased because this nice woman was treating me like an adult. I looked...
Do You Have a Habit Hard To Break?
Spring break > Do You Have a Habit Hard To Break?
Spring Home Projects in Northern New England
Spring Home Projects in Northern New England
by: Mark J. Donovan
As I sit on a plane in route from Chicago to Boston this evening, I realize I have been staring out into the dark abyss contemplating the arrival of spring. Spring is a time of anticipation and renewed life. A time when the snow finally abates and the Robins return to rebuild their nests. And a time when Tulips and Daffodils emerge from the ground and bloom, if ever so briefly. It is also a time for the voracious Black Fly that we northern dwellers know only too well. For me, however, it is a time to shift into a higher gear; there are outdoor projects that have accumulated over the winter months and there is traditional spring tasks that every homeowner is compelled to do.
There are two main questions I debate as I compile my spring ?To-Do? list: What to do and when to do it?
As always with a non-vinyl sided house, there is painting. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion...
Spring Home Projects in Northern New England
Spring break > Spring Home Projects in Northern New England
Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit
Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit
by: Patricia Twitchell
After a long winter, this is the time of year to spruce up your environment with a good Spring Cleaning. It?s amazing what doing this can do for one?s state of mind.
Not only does a good spring cleaning seem to lift our spirits, it has actually been proven to preserve our home and office environment. Additionally, people tend to be more productive after a good cleaning.
Although the inclination is to want to be outside as soon as the great weather begins, by doing a good spring cleaning you are actually creating the feeling of spring inside your home and office. It is also a great way to get the entire family involved in doing something together. To do this though, it has to be viewed as a fun experience rather than drudgery.
If it is your office you are giving a good cleaning to you will find this to be a great team building opportunity. With the pressures all...
Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit
Spring break > Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit
Tips for Organizing your Scrapbook Photos
Tips for Organizing your Scrapbook Photos
by: Lisa Fleming
As winter turns to spring each year, many of us turn our thoughts to spring cleaning.
Our lists of projects typically include mundane tasks such as sweeping the garage, cleaning the gutters and washing the windows.
So why not add a little pizzazz to your spring cleaning this year by tackling a fun project like organizing your scrapbook photos?
?Fun?? you say.
Well yes, organizing your photos can be fun if you have some tips on how to do it.
Read on to learn how to gather, sort, label and store your photos so that they?re ready for your scrapbook albums.
Gather your photos
Throughout the years your photos may have ended up in various places - the attic, the garage, closets, desk drawers, etc.
It's also likely that you have some in old photo albums and on your computer.
The best way to get started is to bring all of your...
Spring break > Tips for Organizing your Scrapbook Photos
It?s Almost Here!! Spring Break Vacation Time Is Right Around The Corner!
It?s Almost Here!!
Spring Break Vacation Time Is Right Around The Corner!
by: Joe Collinsworth
The time is almost here when you take that last exam, pack your bags, and head on spring break for the time of your life.
Although it?s still a couple months away, you should already be planning your trip, which of the top destinations you are heading to, and learning as much as you can so you are safe but still have a great vacation.
Hot bodies everywhere!! You're away from the parentals and ready to have fun, get some sun, sip on some cocktails (right age of course), and get away from home, the exams, responsibilities, and anything else students deal with.
There are a few things you must take care of before you go to the spring break beaches Florida. Obviously, you'll want to get a student travel package to make planning your trip to the Florida beaches easy and cheap and read over our tips and resources of things to do and...
It?s Almost Here!! Spring Break Vacation Time Is Right Around The Corner!
Spring break > It?s Almost Here!! Spring Break Vacation Time Is Right Around The Corner!
Spring break
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