Embrace the Spring Cleaning Season
As the chill of winter begins to fade and the first signs of spring emerge, many of us find ourselves inspired to freshen up our living spaces. Spring cleaning isn't just a chore; it's an opportunity to declutter our homes, renew our environments, and rejuvenate our spirits.
The Spring-Cleaning Tradition
They say that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Perhaps that phrase goes back to biblical times when cleansing the home in the spring, particularly the kitchen, was part of the Jewish celebration of Passover. During this cleaning, they would remove any traces of leavened bread products.
In more recent times, spring cleaning has presented a more practical history. When homes were heated with wood or coal or lit with oil, spring was an opportunity to remove all the soot the home collected over the winter. The nicer weather was naturally a better time to leave windows open for airing out the indoors.
And in current times, let’s face it, we can clean out air filters with less of the typical coal soot. There are always some annual cleaning chores we need to apply. But we also tend to collect quite a bit of clutter these days. Some of us have a “junk drawer” that could take a full day to clean. We have seasonal items that take all the space in our closets. We have “junk drawers” that could take a full day to clean out. And our garages. Our poor garages. Our expensive cars sit outside as the garage has become the place for all sorts of seasonal items.
Thankfully, springtime is also a natural time of renewal, when reducing clutter can allow people to have a clean slate, both in their homes and their minds.
Getting Started
One of the best ways to get started with spring cleaning is to make some space. Whether you use the method of “get rid of what doesn’t bring you joy” or “this is never going to fit me again”, just get started and try to create a little extra room in your closets. Perhaps some items could be given to charities, sold in a garage sale or simply stored for another season.
The area of most people’s homes with the most opportunity for cleaning is the garage. It becomes a free-for-all all storing everything from seasonal items like patio furniture, gardening equipment, bicycles, coolers, holiday decorations and so much more.
While these items might clutter up space, it’s not necessarily junk that you would want to throw out. That’s where a backyard shed can come in so handy!
One of the primary benefits of a shed is the ability to streamline the spring-cleaning process and offer a designated space to store more seasonal and bulky items.
What Kind of Shed Should I Get?
If you are considering a purchase of a new shed, you likely want to use it for storage for many items including yard equipment. It’s a great idea to measure out some bigger items such as lawn mowers to ensure you have enough floor space for these items. At Liberty Sheds, we know that going vertical is a perfect way to make sure you have enough space for storage.
The lofted barn has a gambrel roof design that provides a significant amount of head room and extra storage space above the floor.
The curve of the lofted barn roof provides even more space. It is the perfect place to put storage bins that can stay off the floor and out of your way.
If you like a more traditional utility-style shed, you can still add lofts for storage space. We would recommend high walls so there is plenty of space for those storage bins. Still not sure? Come see us or give us a call and we can help you with a design that meets your individual needs.
Now that you have given yourself some extra space in your house and garage, it’s time to get down to some good old elbow grease and serious cleaning.
Deep Cleaning Tips
According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 15,000 first start in the laundry room. Clean around the dryer. Use the crevice tool of your vacuum on and around the dryer filter to remove any “hidden” lint. Also vacuum under, around and behind the dryer.
Kill dust mites in your mattress. Use a clothing steamer to kill dust mites on the surface of your mattress. When done, use the upholstery and crevice tools, pressing firmly, to vacuum the mattress top and sides. Finally, sanitize with a disinfecting spray meant for fabric.
Freshen musty carpets. Keep carpets smelling fresh between deep cleanings by working baking soda or carpet deodorizer into your carpet with a soft brush. Let it set for 15 to 30 minutes, then vacuum.
Steam clean your microwave. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of water and a lemon, lime or orange cut into thin slices (or several tablespoons of vinegar). Place the bowl inside the microwave and turn it on high for several minutes, or until the window is steamy and the solution boils. Let it cool for 5 minutes then remove the bowl and wipe the inside with a sponge.
Don’t forget your doormats. Vacuum indoor mats on both sides, starting with the back first. It pushes trapped dirt out so you can pick it up more easily.
Spring cleaning isn’t complete without cleaning your oven! We know. It’s a somewhat dreaded task. We looked for an image of someone happily cleaning their oven and couldn’t find one. But it doesn’t have to be that hard. Place a hot wet cloth on top of burned spots to help soften the gunk. That’s the key! Then, spray with an oven cleaner. Let it stand as recommended and rinse with a wet cloth then wipe dry.
Clean a little. Or clean a lot. Put on some good music and dance your way through it. Just have fun and embrace the spirit of spring cleaning.
