PuroClean of the Sandhills 
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Spring. It’s the passing from dark, cloudy days into sun filled mornings of chirping birds. Flowers are waking up to buzzing, pollen covered bees.
As you throw open the curtains to let in the rays of light into your bedroom you see…..cones of thick, heavy dust floating in the beams that travel from the window down to the floor. The floor. The dog fur sprinkled, heavily sprinkled, floor. The rug! The table! The chair! The dust!
Suddenly, you are reminded of the cleaning you’ve put off. Nobody wants to clean in the Winter. Do they? It’s cold, dreary and not really motivating. Winter is for blankets and soup. Winter isn’t for cleaning. It’s for putting off all the things you have no motivation for. Spring! Spring is for cleaning! For brushing away the cobwebs and airing out…EVERYTHING!
Gather Your Supplies! If you’ve visited any cleaning aisle in any store in any town you know that there are HUNDREDS of options. Bleach and bleach free options, natural or extra strength, New or Improved, lemon scented or lavender! What should you choose? In the past, the “natural” options just didn’t clean very well. This isn’t true today. Many “clean ingredient” products work just as well, if not better, than the mainstream brands. I prefer a natural all purpose cleaner with a light citrus scent. You also have many options for cleaning glass. There’s your tried-and-true sprays, there is vinegar and water and there are also specially designed cloths for glass and mirrors that only require a sprinkling of water. I have included a link below to an article on cleaners made from household items on MarthaStewart.com. Also, make sure you have plenty of sponges, rags and dusters.
**Personal note – One of the easiest ways to pick up a cluttered room is to start with a basket. Load the basket with all of the smallest items laying around (pens, toys, shoes) and put everything away where it goes. Refill the basket and repeat until all of the smallest items are put away. Bigger items take a much smaller amount of time to put away.
Crank up the Music! Studies show that listening to music while working can reduce stress, improve concentration and boost motivation. Blast your speakers or put in your ear buds and crank your favorite tunes to make the cleaning go faster.
Go Room by Room – Clean one room completely before moving on to the next one. You may think that, for example, picking up all the shoes throughout the house and putting them away makes sense. This would require many stops and starts. You may be exhausted by the time you finish with the shoes and not have the motivation to complete one room much less an entire house. Completing one room at a time will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Identify Your Hot Spots – Every home has a “hot spot”. This is the area where backpacks, keys, shoes and mail get dumped. As you go through your Spring Cleaning, make note of areas that are cluttered with evidence of the day’s activities. These are the areas that need more attention so that they don’t become overwhelming by the end of the week. The best way to tackle these Hot Spots is by setting limits. If yesterday’s mail is still sitting on the table, then make sure it’s dealt with before another day’s mail makes it to the pile. Maybe 2 pairs of shoes is ok but 3 pairs takes up too much room.
Revel in Your Achievement!! You’ve finished! The house is clean! It smells great! Pour a glass of Reisling, put up your feet and enjoy a moment of joy! It’s the joy that comes from that free feeling of fresh air, clean sheets and a lightness in your shoulders. Spring is here and with a small amount of upkeep you can sail into Summer stress and dust free!
PuroClean of the Sandhills 