Spring cleaning checklist – When the first blooms appear on the trees and a warm breeze begins to blow, it is surely a sign that it is time for Spring cleaning. But for all the necessity of this ritual, for most of us, it is not a favorite endeavor. Poet Emily Dickinson once said of Spring cleaning, “House is being cleaned. I prefer pestilence.”
For modern homemakers, Spring cleaning should be seen as a celebration of renewal and an opportunity to prepare for the fun-filled seasons ahead. Following a ‘to-do’ or checklist for Spring cleaning can take some of the drudgery out of the process.
Tasks on your Spring cleaning checklist might include:
• Make an appointment to have your air conditioner serviced. Don’t wait until the schedule of the best local heating and cooling company is full and the mercury is rising to discover there’s a problem with your cooling system.
• Get outdoor furniture out of storage and clean it.
• Rotate the clothes in everyone’s closets. Bring warm-weather clothes out of storage or to the front of the closet and prepare, pack and put cold-weather clothes away or in the back of the closet.
• Do a close inspection of the outside perimeter of your home. Note any projects that need to be undertaken, whether they are repairs to the roof, plumbing updates or lawn and landscape issues, and make appointments for these things to be taken care of before the official arrival of summer.
• Drain and clean the pan underneath your water heater. Sediment settles there and needs to be removed for maximum efficiency.
Spring forward – We recently changed the clocks… again. The changing of clocks from daylight savings to standard time and back again is an arbitrary dividing line in our celebration of the seasons. But it does make sense to connect as many processes as you possibly can to the time change. Go ahead and take a little bit of time to do the following tasks and then in the future, use Spring Forward/Fall Back as a simple reminder.
You can always be certain of the last time you did these tasks. In the Spring:
• Change your fire alarm batteries.
• Check that all smoke and carbon monoxide monitors are working properly.
• Check the pressure on fire extinguishers.
• Vacuum refrigerator coils.
• Power-wash home exteriors.
• Clean windows inside and out.
Granted, these are not the most enjoyable of tasks. But as you check off the boxes on your Spring cleaning and maintenance checklists, remember that each check mark brings you one step closer to being ready to enjoy summer fun with your family.
Lauren is the author of Zen and the Art of Housekeeping: The Path to Finding Meaning in Your Cleaning.
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