Simplifying Spring Cleaning

I don’t know about you, but I am feeling anxious to get the windows open and to get this house deep cleaned!

I guess because it’s been a long winter with lots of indoor time, I am ready to be outdoors and feeling renewed!

Spring cleaning to me this year doesn’t seem quite as overwhelming because I have pared down alot of things over the winter.  Some main things I would like to do are:

Windows– Isn’t this always a staple of spring cleaning?

Closets- Again, the usual stuff-clean out all winter clothes, go through bins of hand me downs, take out things that the kids have grown out of.

Garage- Another staple of ours.  We have no basement in our home, and only a one car garage.  So inevitably our garage has become a “storage room.”  Every spring and fall we go through and get rid of any things that have piled up.  Also put away all the snowsuits, snow gear, boots, etc. that are in there right now.

Yard pick up– Get rid of all debris and yuck from winter-(sounds very technical huh?)  Overturn the garden and get it ready for May planting! (woo hoo!) I also want to plan what we are planting and where.

I don’t plan on doing too much in the yard other than garden planting, because when funds are low we must scale down what is really necessary.  As much as I love the flowers and such, I will be reasonable and just get enough to spruce up the yard.

Tips:
I have used homemade cleaners for years.  You can make your own cleaner for pennies, with no harmful chemicals.

One I always use is a vinegar and water mix in a spray bottle.  Although my house smells like a salad for a bit, vinegar is a great way to disinfect and it does a fantastic job on our Pergo floor in the kitchen.  You can use it to clean all glass as well.  It cleans just about anything really well.

I have made homemade laundry detergent in the past, but right now I am not.  I used the recipe that calls for 1 bar of Fells Naptha shaved into fine pieces, 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Laundry booster.  I just found I was making it quite often, so resorted to buying a large size bottle of Arm and Hammer detergent at Sam’s club.  The shredding of the Fells Naptha was also killing me 🙂

I also use  a bleach and water mix in toilet bowls, tubs, and bathroom sinks.

*On that note-new favorite product is the Tide Dryer Bar, which you just stick into your dryer and you do not need fabric softener for 2-4 months – love not thinking about adding that sheet, and then finding it stuck on your pants as you walk out the door 🙂

I like to think of Spring cleaning as a sign of renewing, refreshing, and purging out old.  It is something we can do for our souls as well…
More on that next time!


This post is part of {Titus 2}sdays at Time Warp Wife!