Ahhh, spring is here! It brings with it rain showers, flowers, pollen, warmer weather, and the need to clean! Spring and spring cleaning are synonymous, aren’t they? After the house has been closed up for the winter, the house needs to a good scrubbing to get rid of dust bunnies, cob webs, and plain old dirt! Right now I’m in the middle of taking winter clothes out of my closet and drawers. I don’t have room to keep all seasons out, so I have to pack up the out of season garments. It feels good to get things put away and the closet and drawers straightened up.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with spring cleaning when you sit and realize all that needs to be done, but if you take a room at a time it’s much more do-able. I have always enjoyed Emilie Barnes’ approach to cleaning and organizing. She sets a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and works until the timer goes off. You could decide what needs to be done, look at how much time you have, and work on one project at a time.
There are tons of lists available to help you see what needs to be cleaned in each room. This one is from Martha Stewart. You can print off the list and work in small time slots until your house is cleaned to your standard of clean. I like using a list like these because it reminds me of those special areas that only get cleaned once or twice a year.
Have you heard of Fly Lady? This is a secular site that give tips to help you clean your house and keep it that way. She believes in working in small time frames as well. You can even sign up for reminders of what needs to be worked on that week! If you need a little motivation, this might be just the place to find it!
Getting things freshened up just feels good. De clutter the closet when you put your winter clothes away. Get a black trash bag and toss anything in there that you didn’t wear this year. Shoes, purses, coats – go through it all and get rid of things you don’t use. Take the bags to your car trunk and never peek into the filled bags! The next time you’re going to town drop it off at Goodwill.
De clutter “stuff” too. Dishes you’re not using, kitchen linens that aren’t fresh looking, rugs that need to be tossed all either need to find the trash can or the Goodwill box. Again, just go through one room at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Yep, it’s time to spring clean the parsonage, so I’d better get back to work! Do you have anything that motivates you to clean and de clutter?
With love,
RefreshHer 