 Challenge #9: Spring Cleaning Inside and Outside
This email has TWO Spring Cleaning lists: one for those of you who
have sunshine in the forcast, and the other for those of you who have
rain in the forcast. Enjoy! - Cindy
The OUTSIDE Spring-Cleaning Dozen
The sun is shining and the weather is almost warm enough for shorts.
The last thing you want to do is coop yourself inside the home with a
bunch of cleaning projects. I spent all week looking for excuses to
be outside instead of inside. And wow, did I have a blast. The garden
has been trimmed, the lawn has been top-dressed (add a layer of dirt
and organic fertilizer – not the chemical stuff from a bag), the
windows are washed (on the outside – I still have to do the inside),
and I completely enjoyed myself. Plus my tulips are blooming.
So, if you are looking for a little spring-cleaning fun that will
keep you outside in the sun, slop on some sunscreen and plop on a
hat, we have the "Outside Spring-Cleaning Dozen" just for you. Move
the boom box outside and put on some summer fun music. Get the family
involved. Let them choose something off the list. And please, don't
try to do the entire list on one day. I have been spreading this out
over the past couple weeks.
- Put away any Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, St.
Paddy's Day, and Easter decorations that still may be out front of
your home.
- Grab a trash bag and rag and gather up all the stray
newspapers, wrappers, and other trash that has accumulated in the
bushes, along the fences, and beside the house.
- Do a walk-about the outside of your home. Keep your eyes wide
open. You are looking for stuff that has collected along the sides of
your home, under the steps, under the deck, in the back of your home,
alongside the garage, and along the back fence. This might be things
like bags of lawn clippings or leaves from last fall, 2x4's left over
from the winter home renovation project, ice cream pails with no
place else to go, the old couch that no one wanted in the home, the
old barbeque that will never see another hamburger in its life, the
toddler toys that were outgrown years ago, empty gardening pots, or
the old bike with two bent wheels and a missing chain. Get rid of all
this clutter and re-discover your yard.
- Sweep the front porch, step, and sidewalk.
- Wash the front door and step. Hang up a new wreath for spring
and summer. Remember to wash the mailbox and porch light too.
- Wash the outside windows. Keep it simple. I just use a brush
and squeegee on a long pole and hot water with a little dish soap. I
don't bother with rinsing. And if there are a couple streaks, no
problem, the next rain will take care of those.
- Hunt down all the pop, juice, wine, and beer empties that
have gathered during the past few months. Return them to the recycle
center.
- Rake the front grass (or mow it if it is long enough
already). I usually get the kids to do this. They actually like
raking.
- Prune any bushes that need spring pruning. Our roses bushes
were done last week. Here's a hint: does the thought of pruning
bushes make you want to wait until next year? LOL. Grab a gardening
book from the library or call up your local garden store. Both of
them will have tips for how to prune. And remember, for the most
part, the plants always grow back.
- Wash the winter dust and grime from your lawn furniture and
back deck and/or patio. Keeps your eyes open for extra clutter.
- Make a trip to the dump. Haul off any trash, recycle, or
clippings. Our dump separates out the metals for recycle, the
clippings and other garden stuff for compost, and has a drop off
point for donations to our local goodwill. I can get rid of
everything in one stop.
- While you are walking around your front yard and back yard,
start planning your summer garden. Then go to the gardening store and
begin getting ideas for your garden. Always shop with a list. The
last thing you want is a bunch of bedding plants drying out on your
driveway while you figure out where you are going to put them (been
there, done that).
The INSIDE Spring-Cleaning Dozen
Yikes! It's spring, but all your part of the world has seen is April
showers. Although you would rather be outside enjoying some blue
skies and sunshine, nature is too busy preparing your area for May
flowers. You are stuck in the house. No problem, we have the "Inside
Spring-Cleaning Dozen." These are twelve things that will have you
moving through your home tracking down hidden clutter and winter dust
(not to mention one or two cobwebs). Put on your dancing music, we
are ready to rock and roll!
- Put away any Halloween, Christmas, Valentines, St. Paddy's
Day, or Easter decorations that are still hanging out inside your
home. I have two wooden Easter bunnies on my television that need to
go back into the basement until next year.
- Grab a trash bag and gather up any papers, wrappers, or other
trash that has accumulated under coffee tables, along side the
kitchen cabinets, behind the sofa, and in the bathroom. Out it goes.
- Do a walk-about inside your home. Look for wayward clutter
that accumulated in the oddest of spots: behind the doors, under the
end table, in the office beside the computer, in your closet, under
the bathroom sink, on top of the stereo, and beside the back door.
Get rid of the clutter that you don't want and put away the things
you want to keep. It is amazing how much larger a room feels when the
clutter-stuff is gone from the corners and on top of the furniture.
- Sweep the front entrance and hallway. If you have a small mat
here, shake it out and vacuum it. If the mat is doing its job, it
should be collecting all the small stones, sand, and dirt before it
gets into the main house.
- The front closet. Put away the winter coats, boots, toques,
and mitts. Make room for summer jackets and sandals. Check the
pockets on each coat before you put them away. Perhaps you will find
a hidden treasure (or a tissue LOL).
- Wash the inside windows. Get rid of all the doggy nose prints
and kid handprints (and yikes, what is that footprint doing on our
front window? it looks like it belongs to my youngest!). Remember to
wash the screens as well. Since we keep our windows open most of the
time, the screens collect a lot of dust and lint. Use an OLD rag to
wash these down (the rag might turn black). Use a clean rag to wipe
the windowsills.
- Hunt down all the pop, juice, wine, and beer empties that
have gathered during the past few months. Return them to the recycle
center.
- Steam-clean the carpets. We have our own steam cleaner that
does a decent job (I think our "white" carpets are so off-white, that
they will never return to their original whiteness. Who would put
white carpets into a family home? Sheesk!) But once or twice a year
I drag out the steam cleaner and I am always amazed at how much brown
murky water comes out of the machine when I am done. I am however
going to wait a couple weeks yet. Since we top-dressed the lawn, the
dogs are doing their best to drag in as much dirt from the back yard
as possible. Once the top dressing has worked its way into the grass,
the dogs' feet won't be as dirty and I will be ready to do the
carpets.
- Trim any houseplants that are looking droopy. Pick off the
yellow and brown leaves and dust off the remaining green leaves.
Perhaps you may even want to carry them into the shower and give them
a good rinse. Check if they need water or anything else to bring them
back to life (remember, I have a brown thumb, I think my plants
survive on the humidity that is in the air). Plus, if the plant has
been dead for over a year, assume that there will be no new grown
from the roots. You can throw it out now (or put it into your compost
bin).
- Dig out your bright and sunny summer dishes. Wash them up and
start using them again. This would be the bright yellow and red
platter you bought last year, the cool plastic wine glasses done in
green and orange, and the bright napkins with the pink flamingos
embroidered in the corner. It may be dull outside, but turn on the
sunshine inside!
- Make a trip to the donation depot, the recycle depot, and the
dump. Get rid of any of the stuff you have collected that you don't
want anymore.
- While you are walking around your home, take a peek outside
the windows and start planning your summer garden. Then go to the
gardening store and begin getting ideas for your garden. Always shop
with a list. The last thing you want is a bunch of bedding plants
drying out on your driveway while you figure out where you are going
to put them (been there, done that).
Take care of you,
Cindy
Return to "Spring-Cleaning With Attitude!"
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