Now that winter is safely behind us, it is time to get cracking on the Spring cleaning. You may be reluctant to get cleaning after a Winter of sitting on your backside, but it is time. If you get the entire family together, you can knock it out in less time than you would think. Sure, it will take you the entire weekend to do everything, but it will be worth it, in the end. There is no greater feeling in the Spring than when you are finally done with the cleaning. Keep in mind, you don’t have to do all these things in one weekend. The truth of the matter is, the faster that you get it done, the faster you can move on to something you enjoy more. In fact, my inspiration is so that I can plant my garden and go fishing. At any rate, let’s look at some of the things you are going to need to do to check Spring cleaning off your to-do list.

Doormats

A lot of people overlook this aspect of Spring cleaning. Since it is outside it is out of mind. The only time that you even look at it is when you come home from work and leave in the morning. Nothing says that you are ready for guests like a clean doormat. All you must do to clean this up is give it a few whacks with a broom. However, if it is really in bad shape, you might want to consider replacing it. Either way you go about it, don’t forget to do it. It will give assurance to your visitors that they are about to enter a clean house.

Windows

Another often overlooked item is the windows. The reason is, most people have curtains or blinds on their windows. As we progressively become more hermit-like, we rarely open the windows. As I look around the neighborhood, only the elderly folks have their windows open. All the younger people have them closed. It is like they don’t want people to come and visit. Back in the day, open windows meant that people were welcome to stop by. When you were no longer receiving guests for the evening, you would close your curtains or blinds. If you think of your curtains and blinds as you do your arms, then you will get the impression that closed blinds give off. When you see someone that is standing with their arms crossed, you know immediately they do not want to talk to anyone. They are closed off. The same thing goes for your curtains and blinds. If you have them closed, people will think they are not welcome. Remember, when you are having guests over, make sure you open the curtains. This will let them feel like they are not imposing on you. While you are cleaning the inside windows, don’t forget to clean the outside windows. Nothing ruins a perfect Spring cleaning quite like dirty windows on the outside.

Sinks

Sinks have a way of getting dirty although you are usually only doing clean things in them. One sink that gets particularly gross is the kitchen sink. With all the food that you shove down the drain, some are bound to get stuck. This will give off a terrible smell. So, if you have a garbage disposal, make sure that you clean it up. All you must do is cut up a lemon and shove it in there with some ice cubes. The lemon will get is smelling fresh again and the ice cubes will knock off the pieces of meat that wouldn’t let go.

Microwave

How many times have you opened the microwave and seen all the splatter marks on the walls? You swore to yourself that the next time you were in the kitchen you would clean it. What happened? Then next time you were in the kitchen you just glossed over it again. Well, take this time to give it the old once over. It is simple to clean the microwave. All you must do is put sponge in there for about 30 seconds. The steam from the sponge will adhere to the walls of the microwave. Then you just take the sponge and wipe the walls down. By the way, this is a great way to make sure that your sponge is bacteria free as well. So, think of it as checking two things off your cleaning list at the same time.

Cutting Board

Cutting boards have switched from wood to plastic. While that is good for keeping cross contamination at bay, it doesn’t do much for the look of the cutting board. Certain foods have a way of imparting their color onto the cutting board. Think of things like carrots, bell peppers, and turnips. Before you know it, your nice white plastic board is not white anymore. Well, to rectify this, all you need to do is pour some salt on the board and scrub it with half a lemon. In no time at all, your cutting board will be just like brand new.

Junk Drawer

The last thing that I am going to mention is the junk drawer. Everyone has one, so don’t feel ashamed. The truth is, you need to go through it occasionally. You might have saved something when you found it on the ground and stuck it in there. Well, if you have not missed it in over a year, then you can feel safe just tossing it out. Basically, you are going to want to dump everything out and only keep the things that are necessary.

In Closing

Make sure you are like me and clean your house at least once a year. When I say clean, I am not talking about routine cleaning. You are certainly going to want to clean more often than that. The type of cleaning I am talking about is a deep cleaning. The kind of cleaning most people do in the Spring. I hope you have found this useful. I wish you a fast Spring cleaning for a happier summer.