Clear Your Calendar – Spring Cleaning Week Is Coming!

Read all about it here.

Green Spring Cleaning

I’m a big fan of going green. In fact, I have been consciously been working toward having a green home for quite some time. It’s not something I’ve been able to do overnight – it has taken some serious thought, planning and juggling of the budget. For example, I couldn’t just dump out my traditional laundry detergent and replace it with something more eco-friendly. That is neither earth conscious nor budget conscious. As I finish up something I have, I replace it with a ‘green’ product when I can.

A fellow MomMastermind member, Tiffany, is one of my resources for green, earth-friendly living. Her blog at Nature Moms is one I frequent. Like everyone else, Tiffany is blogging about Spring Cleaning (a very hot topic). I’ve joined her and you should too. I think you could pick-up some tips and tricks from her on how to incorporate a more earth conscious way of cleaning. Between me and Tiffany, your Spring Cleaning will be easy and green.

Just today, I was cleaning in the kitchen – specifically, the microwave and fridge. Instead of cleaning with a traditional, toxin-full cleaner, I used plain old hot water and vinegar to wipe down and clean the schmootz. Then, because both of these items can produce nasty bacteria from the foods they hold, I wiped them down with hydrogen peroxide. Now that’s being both environmentally and budget conscious!

Spring Cleaning – The Heart of the Home

Spring cleaning in the kitchen is probably the hardest task of all. As many call it the heart of the home, it certainly deserves some extra love and care when cleaning time rolls around. Here are some great tips that can help you get your kitchen clean and organized.

Start from the top and work down, to keep from having to clean the same areas over again. If you wipe out the cabinets after scrubbing the countertops, you will probably have to clean the counters again.

If you have areas around the stove that have grease build up, spray them down and let it sit while working on other projects. Next, wipe of the tops of the cabinets and higher shelves next. While you are reaching for “high spaces,” it’s a good time to clean off the top of the refrigerator.

Also, while the stepstool or ladder is out, take down the curtains or blinds and clean them or replace them, if necessary. If you have a ceiling fan in your kitchen, now would be a prime time to clean the dust and polish the metal fixtures.

While your window treatments are out of the way, clean your windows and screens. Make sure to do both the inside and outside, to keep the room feeling bright and cheerful. Leave the windows open once the screens have been replaced, to let some fresh air in and the fumes of the cleaning products out.

Start cleaning the fridge by taking everything out of both the refrigerator and freezer. Throw away expired food, almost empty items, and anything that looks as if it has taken on a life of its own. In the freezer, trash anything that might be past its expiration date or has developed freezer burn. Don’t forget the pantry too -  clean it out.

Tomorrow, I’ll share some short-cuts in the kitchen that will help keep it clean in organized!

Spring Cleaning – Preparation is Key

The cold days of winter are over and the fresh breezes of spring have begun to blow. As the flowers bloom and the birds chirp, many of us take a look at our homes and want to rid ourselves of the stale, winter feeling and start the season off with a clean and organized home. Spring cleaning can be hard work, but once the job is complete, the rewards are well worth the effort. So get ready and roll up your sleeves, it is time to get your home in order.

While jumping into spring cleaning feet first might seem like the best way to approach the tasks at hand, your best bet would be to take your time and plan things out before beginning. Complete the following list of tasks before starting your spring cleaning and you will find your project going faster and smoother than you ever could have imagined.

· Start by evaluating each room and its organizational needs. Grab a notebook and jot down everything that needs to be addressed in each room before starting. For instance, if there is a messy stack of magazines on the coffee table, make a note to buy a magazine rack.

· Take stock of what cleaning supplies you already have on hand and what you will need to complete all your jobs. Add to the list any organizational tools that you need for each of your rooms. Having your supplies ready before you start will save you from running to the store, filthy from cleaning, to replace something that you have run out of, which might also cause you to lose motivation.

· Have a few motivators on hand. Find some type of reward for yourself for completing the larger tasks, such as a favorite snack for breaks. Turn on some upbeat music to keep you going and make the job go by faster.

Come back tomorrow to tackle the kitchen!