Spring Cleaning Your Home, Life & Tech
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Vanessa Topic: Spring Cleaning Your Home and Life
Spring cleaning is all about de-cluttering, deep cleaning, and prepping for the summer!  


ceiling and floor vents


ceiling fans and baseboards


gutters


washing the windows and window sills


clearing out and wiping down the inside of drawers


de-funkifying the inside of your oven and degreasing the stove vents


sweeping and moping under appliances, couches, beds, etc.


decalcifying your water fixtures

Spring cleaning can also include other things like:


switching out seasonal clothing and home decor


 testing fire alarms and replacing batteries Fire alarms


checking fire extinguishers for their expiration date


service your lawn and gardening equipment How to prep lawn equipment for Spring


service your vehicle and stock up on vehicle emergency supplies before a summer road trip.


get your  AC unit serviced too


I also like to include a little  planning and prepping for summer and fall:



Sign your kids up for summer camps Summer Fun Activities for the Kiddos


Plan out your trips and vacations (Vacation Travel Preparation)...you can use Travel Checklists to keep you organized.


Enroll your kids for school; get their records, immunizations and physical taken care of now! Or at least have it on your radar. Back to School Tips


Sounds like a lot of stuff right? Your Spring Cleaning List is manageable if you keep these things in mind:


You don’t have to do it all at once! You can do a little bit at a time everyday




First: Identifying ALL TASKS you need or would like to do in priority order


Second: Assign a reasonable amount of time to complete each task


And finally....make a date and don’t break it!!!  That means schedule it on your calendar.   Remember...A TO DO item is actionless unless you attach a date to it!


Book your priority tasks first.  Save big tasks for days that you have more time to dedicate to them.  Smaller/easier tasks can be listed on a daily basis.




Now, if your list is still looking too long then consider spreading your tasks out throughout the year instead of just at springtime!




And don’t forget about delegating tasks to family or other members of the household...


Or even hire someone else to do it for you!   Sometimes it’s worth outsourcing help!!!!


I mentioned getting others involved...but what if others in the family aren’t “into it”? Well, here are some tips to help get Spring Cleaning “buy in” from others:


Communication is key. Explain why certain tasks are important to get done and that you really need their help.


Start with a small task.  Then move to a team oriented task.  Keep it fair too...everyone should be involved not just the oldest child.


Give them ample notice of a cleaning project...don’t just drop it on them at the last minute!


When all else fails bribe them or threaten them!  That’s what I do!  Just kidding. 


Let’s talk about some popular spring cleaning projects around the home (Note: I'm just going to mention the more unique tasks)



Kitchen: clean out ovens and vent hoods; edit and organize your pantry tossing all expired items; clean out the inside or your fridge as well as sweep and mop under it; may need to defrost your freezer and wine fridge too; and decalcify your coffee maker




Living Rooms: clean sofas and chairs; wipe down remotes; edit and organize media like DVDs, CDs and video games; edit magazines and newspaper collections




Bathrooms: wash shower curtains and shower mats; dust vents; throw away old and expired jams n jellies and medications; srub away lime deposits on your water fixtures.




Garage: service lawn mowers, move winter supplies,