♫ Spring Cleaning! The OCD's Guide to Fresh!

Spring cleaning is probably my favorite season. No wait, spring cleaning is my favorite thing about my favorite season!

There are lots of things that make spring grand.

For one, it’s the end of winter. I love winter, I love the cold, I love the snow, but by April Im like enough already!. Spring brings in all things good...like the smells of summer. Fresh cut grass, fresh cut hay, rain, dirt, campfires, and flowers. Flowers start to bloom, creek beds start to run, and baby animals are prancing everywhere you look. No doubt, spring is a sign that God loves us, and rewards us for surviving the gloom that makes it all happen.

Spring cleaning though, is what makes it for me. (Yes, Im a nut, we’ve covered that already).

My list of things to do to get this underway and done:

#1. Clean out the closets and dresser drawers.

This clutter phobe goes nuts on all the things I’ve stockpiled in the closets and dressers all winter long. The process:

Remove EVERY SINGLE thing. I lay it all out in front of me, Clorox or Lysol the empty shelf, and put back only what we NEED to keep. Put the leftovers in a happy "I get to go to Goodwill!" pile. Or trash the crap that nobody would want, such as used towels, single earrings, half empty bottles of lotions and makeup, etc.

I also recycle all paper and magazines on my desk/file cabinet that are no longer needed. Buy a shredder, get rid of it. RECYCLE!

#2. Clean the corners!.

All corners. The corners in the room that gather junk - rinse, lather, repeat, above process. The corners in the floor that the vacuum did such a swell job of avoiding all year. The corners in the bath room that have so nicely gathered all hairs that fell, and the corners on the stove underneath racks. This step, requires un-fun hands and knees time, and is probably the most tedious of all of the steps.

Rent a shampooer and get those carpets clean. You’ve tracked in mud than you realize!

#3. The bathroom.

There isn’t too much to my bathroom cleaning. I keep it pretty clean year round. I highly recommend everyone buy one of these fancy shower cleaners that does all the work for you. Click here for picture, and coupon! The Must Have Im not one for gimmicks, but this thing works. Magic in a bottle. Seriously. You’ll never have to scrub again. Probably one of my best investments, ever. Plus, it smells awesome. They managed to bottle the smell of "Fresh" and make it powerful enough to make any rooms in the near vicinity smell like it.

Shpeal over. Back to bathroom goodness.

Besides the corners, the only extra attention the bathroom gets in the spring is the drain. Eewwwww. Maybe it’s because im a girl, and live with two more, that the drains get extra nasty. Drain-o gets a play date with me in the spring, and after I know it’s do-haired and de-clogged, vinegar and baking soda get to romp all the way down. They, together, make this really cool bubbly affect on the drain and not only make it extra shine-y, plus disinfect it AND deodorize it. Use it. On all drains. It’s the cheap way to make things happen fast, plus, it’s like reliving your sixth grade volcano science fair project. You just sprinkle the drain with baking soda, then slowly dump about a tablespoon of vinegar over the top of it. Watch it fizzzzzzzz! Then scrub it after it’s all gone. Works like a charm!

#4. The Kitchen.

Like its bathroom cousin, the drains get extra attention. The corners on the floor and stove get a big run-over.

On top of that, the old Tupperwear gets thrown out completely and new stuff gets bought. The cupboards get a wipe-over with a bleach and/or ammonia and water mix, and the refrigerator gets cleaned out of old condiments and shelves SCRUBBED. I pull out the fridge and clean underneath too. EWWWW. Amazing the crap you’ll find under there. Mister Microwave gets scrubbed and out with the bleach and/or ammonia mix just like the fridge and cupboards. hint: fill a cup with water and a little bit of vinegar and let it boil in the microwave before scrubbing. The moisture from the water will loosen all those spots, and the vinegar will help deodorize your vents

The best thing you can do for your house in the spring is clean your curtains that have been hanging over all your windows, and scrub (gently) the shades that have kept the gloomy cold out all winter. While they’re washing, open your windows. The fresh air that’s been hibernating needs to come in and meet all your walls again. The sun and fresh air are natural air fresheners for your home and will work magic on it, making everything shine and smell amazing.

If you’re feeling extra motivated, bust out a fresh coat of paint in the house too, man is that a facelift in a hurry!

Hope my list helps you out. Of course, Im always up for hire...I'll even do it for free. This nut is always dying to be let loose to get all klepto on your germs. Pllleeeezzze??

Let me now if I missed anything!

Yours Truly,
Nomz