Every year when spring is just around the corner, the first thing that busy moms stress about is cleaning all the nooks and crannies that have built dust and collected grime over the long winter months of using the furnace. Unfortunately, most families have both mom and dad working a full time job and it isn’t as easy as it once was finding the time for deep cleaning. This year, why not make it easy on yourself? Help is just around the corner so just take a few minutes to organize your thoughts and the hardest part of the whole job will be making a list of what you need to get done.
Itemizing Your List of ‘Chores’
When planning a large scale project like spring housecleaning, the wisest move is to categorize jobs by similarity. Instead of taking your home one room at a time, think of it in terms of jobs you can link together. For example, carpets that need cleaning can all be done at the same time and when it comes to linens? Curtains, bedding, tablecloths and other large items really can all be sent out together at the same time.
Those who live in the Twin Cities area know how easy this can be because there is actually a dry cleaners that makes house calls and can not only pick up dirty linens, drop off cleaned laundry but are also available to help you assess what exactly needs to be done. A service like this is invaluable when you are strapped for time and haven’t a clue how you will get stuff done in any kind of organized manner.
Listing Chores in Logical Order
When you are going to do a thorough cleaning of your home, one thing that many people fail to do is list the chores in any kind of logical order. It wouldn’t be a good idea to send the curtains to the dry cleaner until you are ready to wash the windows, the window sills and dust the cobwebs off the ceiling and around the frames. Of course this is apparent but so many people just look at those curtains that are a dim shade of yellow-brown from the heating system and baking with the windows closed that they don’t stop to think that they just haven’t got the time to do the prerequisite cleaning of sooty walls before sending the drapes to be cleaned.
Sometimes it’s been several years since you have had a fresh coat of paint on the walls of the most often used rooms. The kitchen, dining room, family room and bathrooms get the greatest amount of wear and tear so the walls may need to be painted. It is important to think about this now because there is a specific time that it would be most logical to paint. Again, when the curtains come down you can paint while they are at the cleaners and before you are due to strip and wax the floors or have the rug cleaning service in.
Putting It All Together
So instead of stressing as to how you will get everything done this year, simply make a list of what needs to be done. Then, just like piecing together a puzzle, put things in order as to how and when they need to get done. Next you can start looking for services in your town. If money is an issue, do some comparison shopping but you will find that there are local handymen and businesses that have been helping busy moms with spring cleaning for years and years.
Just remember to start making that list early so that you can book the teams you want to help before they are snatched up by your friends and neighbors. With a little bit of thought you can even find a way to budget for your spring cleaning extravaganza and within a few days your house will be as good as new. Now, pull back the curtains (freshly dry cleaned!), open the windows and sit back to enjoy the sun. Wasn’t this the easiest spring house cleaning you’ve ever done?
