Jillien gets you started on Spring Cleaning

It’s March and we are all thinking about warm weather and basking in the sun.  The days are getting longer and that means more time to relax and enjoy our friends and families, and begin entertaining at home. 

But before we invite people over for those impromptu bbqs we will want to make sure that our home is ready for entertaining which means it is time to do a little Spring Cleaning.  

Here are some tips that we use in our family to get our Spring Cleaning going…

First:  Keep an ongoing list of things that you want to do in your home.  These can include immediate goals and those that may not happen for a few years.  My husband and I regularly tour our house, visiting each room to notes of what needs to be done, from retouching paint to redoing counter tops.  It is always good to set goals and create lists.  It motivates us, allows us to celebrate our accomplishments and keeps the projects moving forward.  

• Keep in mind that is an ongoing process and you will not be able to accomplish all your goals in one day or even one weekend. Set aside specific time that you are going to work on the list, and choose what goals that you want to accomplish in that time-frame. 
• Make sure you have all the tools you need before starting - unplanned trips to the store will put you behind. 
• Think “Green” and remember that white vinegar and baking soda are great cleaners.  There are also many “green” cleaning products on the Market like Seventh Generation, Simple Green, Mrs. Meyers, and Method. 
• Focus your efforts on one room or one area at a time so that you will feel a sense of accomplishment and that will motivate you to do more.
• Use the "Clean Sweep" theory.  Bring everything out of a room and weed through things as you are cleaning.  Use this opportunity to separate your belongings into what stays, what you will sell, and what you will discard and only put back what stays.
• Enlist your kids to help; they are more capable to help than you might think and this will teach them how to care for their own homes.
• Utilize your resources.  If you have wonderful parents and in-laws, like I do invite them over for a cleaning day.  After you are done, order in pizza and celebrate the day, accomplishment and check them off your list.
• Decide on a reward that everybody wants to work towards.  Have a Garage Sale and use the money you make to purchase something the whole family can enjoy. This will keep you all motivated, especially the kids.  
• Hire a professional to help with the more difficult tasks like the windows.  Your time is money so analyze how long it will take you to do a task versus how much shorter it will take a professional to do it, especially if a professional is going to do it better than you can - sometimes it is worth it to pay to accomplish a goal better and more efficiently. 
• Have some FUN! Use this time to do a little redecorating or accessorizing in some of your rooms. 

This past weekend started the Spring Cleaning our house.  My father-in-law was doing the yard, my mom was pulling the weeds, my dad was working on crown molding in our bathroom, the kids were going through their rooms and pulling toys they no longer play with, my husband cleaned out the entire garage and I cleaned out all the storage containers we have in our backyard that house the towels, sunscreen and toys for the pool.    

We celebrated Sunday night, sitting around the BBQ while we grilled a tri-tip. I woke up Monday morning feeling a great sense of accomplishment. 

Happy Cleaning,

Jillien