Spring Cleaning!

Alright, it's that time of year again, and I am already knee deep in my cleaning. I have sorted my closet, organized it (I see carpet again!), cleaned out my medicine cabinet and under the bathroom sinks. I have sorted through (read thrown away) the toys in the playroom and I am tackling my office next... So, if you don't hear from me for a while you can look for me there. I have so much going on between my calling as YW Secretary (we have a HUGE fund raiser coming up as well as Girl's Camp planning); my business is picking back up after the Christmas lull. And that means I have beads, tools, thread and fabric all over (and I mean ALL OVER) the room. Plus I decided to do a new letter decoration in Braden's room (a B, duh) and I have the paints, brushes and newspaper out from that. My poor cleaners came today, and they just closed the door cause they couldn't even tell where to begin, and I don't blame them!

Any who, I though I would show you a little of my "Martha-ness" and give you the list of Spring Cleaning I try to do each year. Most of these ideas I got out of magazines (am I the only person under 50 who reads Good Housekeeping???), or online or family, but they are all great and I try to do them a few ties a year but FOR SURE in the Spring. Enjoy!
Kitchen

• Unload your freezer, and dump the old stuff and/or the stuff you don't remember buying
• Check the medince in your cupboard for expiration dates and toss the old, it's no good
• Microwave 1/2 a lemon in water for a few minutes. The steam will loosen cooked on food and leave it smelling yummy. Then toss the lemon in your garbage disposal to get rid of the musty smell
• Empty the pantry. Check expiration dates. Toss the half eaten bags of whatever, and organize it with the older things upfront, so they will be used first (like soup cans ect..)
  

Bathrooms

• Toss your loofahs & toothbrushes
• Check your makeup, most makeup is really only good for about 3-6 months from when you open it
• Soak those bath toys in a little bleach and let them dry in the sun. Check any toy that hold water for mold and other gross stuff
  

Bedrooms

• Inspect your clothes and your kids. Make 5 piles: Keep, Toss, Store (out of season, wrong size), mend and donate (if it needs mending in my house-buh bye!
• Another trick I got from GH is to flip you hangers backward (hook towards you) as you wear things, so you can see if you are really wearing everything in your closet. If not, donate it!
• Have your bed spread dry cleaned and wash or air out your pillows
• Sort your shoes just like the clothes. Break out the flip flops and put the snow boots away
• Remove your window treatments. Wash or have them dry cleaned, or at least shake them out to remove the dust
  

Around the House

• Clean ceiling fans, blinds and baseboards
• Change vacuum filters
• Check you dryer for extra lint and clear it out, can I say fire hazard???
  
• Change A/C filters (really it's every 3 months)
• Take your rugs outside, shake 'em and if they are washable wash them
• Clean windows (or even better, have someone else). But, before you go crazy with the windex, take the screen off, dust off the dirt and THEN break out the spray.
• Wipe down computer screens, tv's, picture frames -- basically all the stuff we skip when we can!
• Have your carpets and tile grout cleaned. We like our at home carpet cleaner, but one a year we bust out the $ for the pros
  
• Take all your garbage cans out in the yard and house 'em down. I even toss a little dish soap in before I let them soak and then scrub them. Don't forget your huge City ones, they get gross too!
• Store it! We have a huge pile of blankets and quilts we get out for winter cozying. Now is the time I wash them all and space bag them. Honestly, I LOVE space bags, I have them everywhere. No lie. Come see Berk's closet sometime for proof...

So, that's what I have been/will be up to these days. No, I will not come do your house. No, I probably won't get most of the list done but I will try. And yes, I will make Rusty do the gross stuff like the garbage cleaning and the freezer. And finally, yes, I know I am OCD and I am on medicine to help it!

Do you have any good tips I missed???