 Challenge #2: Spring Cleaning The Front Entrance and Porch
Welcome Home!
Our Spring Cleaning Adventure is going to start right at the front of
our homes. I know some of you are still snow-challenged, but do the
best you can. You can save some of the outside activities for April
or May when the snow disappears (I will leave this list on Cindy's
Porch for the next few months).
This Spring Cleaning Challenge meant to be spread over several days.
Get the family involved. You will be amazed by how much the kids can
accomplish when they pitch in to help! And if they don't sweep as
good as you or wash as good as you, don't worry about it. They will
do a better job next year LOL! Please don't redo their work. Let them
be proud of their accomplishments.
Here's the list. Print it out and cross off the items as they get
done. Let's get started!
Outside the Front of your Home:
- Trash: Grab a grocery bag and walk outside your front yard.
Pick up any trash, papers, and other stuff that have accumulated over
the winter. We always get newspapers blowing into the bushes in front
of the porch. Check closely around hedges and fences. Use a rake and
gather up any leaves left over from last fall. If you have any other
stuff (left over renovation projects, old furniture, the old
Christmas tree, cut branches, car parts, etc) in your front yard, see
if you can get rid of it or move it someplace else.
- Mailbox, house numbers, knick-knacks, and front lights: Use a
damp cloth to wipe away the grime (remember to ensure that light
bulbs are cool before you wash them). You are going to be amazed by
how brighter the area looks when the winter buildup is gone!
- Sidewalk and Front Step: Sweep (or shovel) the sidewalk up to
your front door. Remember to sweep the front step as well. Shake out
the welcome mat! Mine can be washed, so I am going to stick it into
the washing machine so it is ready to "Welcome Spring"!
- The Front Door: Wash down your front door. It is surprising
how much dust and grit sticks to the outside. If you have windows on
your front door, give them a wash as well (both sides). Remember to
take down your Christmas wreath LOL! (Here's a hint please don't
wash your front door if it is still below freezing out there!)
- Add something fresh for spring: Dig out the spring or Easter
wreath you bought a few years ago and keep forgetting that you have.
SHOP at home FIRST: a friend of ours made a beautiful wreath from
pussy willows, straw from a previous year's Easter basket, a couple
fake birds from her craft supplies, and a large bright ribbon. It
looked great and didn't cost a dime!
The Front Porch (my favorite part):
- Get rid of any stuff that doesn't belong: this might be the
pumpkin left from last October, the plastic tin soldiers from
Christmas, the pile of newspaper recycle, the computer monitor that
broke down in November, or the winter boots that need to be put away.
Remember, trash is trash. Out it goes. If you find something that you
don't want anymore, add it to the future garage sale or donation box.
- Using a pail with hot soapy water and a cleaning rag, wipe
down any furniture that is on the porch. We also have cushions on our
chairs. They have been left out all winter, so I am going to bring
them in and wipe them with a damp cloth as well.
- Are there windows on your porch? If it is warm enough, give
them a quick wash (I am just going to use window cleaner and a rag to
clean the outside of our front living room window that faces the
porch).
- Take a look around your porch. Are there broken spider webs
hanging from the roof or around the porch frame? Have leaves gathered
in the corners? Grab a broom and sweep away the old spider webs. Pick
up the trash and gather the leaves. Then, sweep up the porch.
- Give the floor area a quick wash. Do you have any carpets on
your porch? We have a small mat to collect dirt from our shoes before
we enter the house. I am going to toss mine into the wash machine to
brighten it up. It is going to be good for another year. Next fall, I
will look for a new one on sale.
- Now put everything back that you want on your porch.
Hmmm, I just noticed that our porch is going to need a coat of paint
this year (we have PROCRASTINATED long enough). So, the porch is
going to get added to our "FIX IT" list on the fridge. This is going
to be a project for May or June.
Now we are going inside the home
. The Front Hall Closet (watch out
for falling objects!)
- Winter Gear: Getting ready for spring means packing away the
winter coats, toques, and mitts. Since we pass our winter coats down
from one kid to the next, it is important that they are clean and
mended before we pack them away in the basement. Wash up any winter
gear that you don't need until fall. Coats that are too small will be
added to garage sale/donation pile. Get them out of your main closet
so you can make room for spring and summer gear. Take a look at how
many boots and shoes are stored in your front hall closet. Do they
all get worn? Are any too small? Can they be stored someplace else?
- What else is in your closet? Go through each shelf one at a
time. I usually take everything out. Wash down the shelf and only put
back the things you want to keep. If it is trash, then out it goes.
- Wash down the closet walls and floor: My kids (and my
husband) have this annoying habit of kicking their shoes off and
flinging them into the closet. This leaves ugly black marks over the
bottom two feet of wall in the closet. As well, by the time spring
rolls around, the floor of the closet begins to resemble a sand box!
Vacuum the floors and wash the walls with warm soapy water. Magic
Eraser works really well on the stubborn black marks (and no I am
not associated with that company hee hee).
- Put back the stuff you want. If you ended up with empty space
in the closet enjoy it!
The Front Entrance
- The NOT ME five: our front entrance is a favorite spot for
the NOT ME five. Laundry, trash, papers (especially newspapers and
junk mail), dishes (especially lunch kits), and other stuff collect
here more than any other spot of our home! So before I start any kind
of spring cleaning in our front entrance, I have to get rid of the
NOT ME five first! Call the kids and tell them to get rid of their
stuff hee hee!
- Do you have a table, desk, or chair in your front entrance?
Does it collect stuff? Open your eyes wide and see if you can get rid
of some of this stuff. Wipe down the table, desk, or chair. Use a
fresh tablecloth or add a vase with fresh spring flowers to brighten
up the space.
- Do you have other things in your front entrance that take up
space and perhaps are not needed? We keep very little at our front
door. I want there to be room for people, not things.
- Shine it up: grab some window cleaner and shine up the front
entrance. Remember to catch the knobs on the closet and front door,
wipe down any ledges, knick-knacks, or other dust catchers.
- Wipe off stray fingerprints: I know I promised that we
wouldn't be washing any walls, so just fill up a pail with hot soapy
water and wipe away any obvious fingerprints on the corners. Remember
to look on the door too. When our kids were small, it felt like I was
always catching fingerprints on the bottom three feet of our walls.
Now that the kids are bigger, the fingerprints haven't disappeared
they just moved higher up!
- Vacuum up the floor: Sand and grit are really hard on your
floors and this is the time of year when it feels like there is an
endless supply.
- Vacuum and/or wash the inside front entrance mat.
- Wash the floor: Remember to wipe down the baseboards as well.
They look like new when that layer of black dust is removed from the top.
- Put everything back and you are done!
Whew! That's it. I know this list looks long, but trust me, each step
goes faster than you think. Our family is going to spread this out
over the weekend (no more than an hour each morning). My husband
doesn't know this yet, but he gets to "buddy up" with our youngest
and take care of the outside parts. They will have a blast together.
My oldest will join up with me and take care of the inside parts.
Then we are going on a spring hike to celebrate! We are going "bird
hunting" (with a camera).
Take care of you,
Cindy
Return to "Spring-Cleaning With Attitude!"
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