It’s April – and we are still getting snow.  More is even predicted for this coming week.  However, many of my flowers are coming up, the wild Goldfinches are getting yellow, maple syrup season arrived, and my mind is nudging me to neaten up and spring clean.

I am not a super neat house cleaner.  My house is not dirty, as long as you ignore the puffs of fur, and certainly I clean on a regular basis.  But I’m more of a superficial cleaner.  I am not one to move furniture, clean behind the covers of the heating ducts, or vacuum closets.  I’d much rather be doing things I enjoy with my pets, being outside or cooking.

I can do a little here and a little there, or spend one whole day on a major spring cleaning spree if I feel like it.

But spring does call.  so here are my suggestions for spring cleaning.

 

PETS

Time to get the pets groomed.  Since I was a groomer for many years, this is something I do myself. More daylight and warmer temperatures result in more shedding. A good grooming will help pets feel better – you know how you feel better after a trip to the salon?  Same thing.  Watch outside in nature – birds are coming into their bright spring colors (the Gold finches are really gold!), the deer have a mottled look as the old winter coats are shed, hares start changing from white back to summer brown.

My Ragdoll cats need to be combed more regularly, and we shave the mats that may have grown over the winter from bellies and hind legs. Maybe no puffs of white cottony fur in the hallway for a few days now.

The Border Collies need a good brushing, feet need to be shaved inside and neaten up (no more fluffy feet!), a good bath, moisturizer and blow dry to get out as much old winter coat as I can.  It’ll keep the house neater for at least a couple weeks.

 

My Kitchen and Pantry

I enjoy cleaning up and organizing my kitchen the most.  No one will ever know I did it except me, but I feel better when I have sorted through the things that need using and straighten up the drawers.

In my pantry I take out and reorganize the boxes and cans of things that have accumulated.  Why did I buy this item?  Was I going to make something special that required it?  The reason may be long gone, but that box goes up from to  to be used.  Why do I have 4 cans of olive oil, but no vegetable oil?  And so, an updated shopping list is created along the way.  The idea is to sort through what I have, and find ways to use it, or put it in a donate box if I come to the conclusion I will never use it.  Or maybe my health goals have changed and some items are something I no longer want in my life – so donate those too.  And a pantry challenge is always fun, to see how many meals I can make with what’s on hand before I have to go the the market again.  I might even write up a menu for the next week or two just to make sure I use up some of these space grabbers.

In the drawers and cabinets, I will sort through those utensils, gadgets and gifts.  Some I will be using all the time now, but others may be a once in a great while, or never use at all.  Into another donation box.  Over the years I find myself ignoring most of the one of a kind gadgets.  I can get as much done with a cutting board and a knife as with most slicers, dicers and the like. I have certain pots and pans I use all the time, mostly cast iron now, and the others sit in the drawers.  So maybe it’s time to pass on those as well.  There’s something about  uncluttered, everything visible, able to reach-in-and-grab-what-I-need-without-moving-things that really appeals to me.

Same thing goes for the fridge – there are bottles with a bit of this and a dab of that, half used, then forgotten.  Things with close or past expiration dates(not that the product may be bad at this time, but it needs to be used).  And then maybe in the top at the back of the shelf, a mystery ingredient going mold ready for penicillin.  Spring cleaning, more than any other time, prompts me to clean more thoroughly that I might otherwise, so shelves are washed and disinfected, vegetables drawers wiped clean, and voila!, more space appears.

I also make sure to wipe up the counters, take out a clean sponge and maybe even clean the oven. See my ideas on how to clean when you don’t feel like it here.

Closets

Spring is always a good time to review what’s in my closet too.  I still may not vacuum inside it, but I will take out the clothes I never wear, have outgrown, don’t like, and don’t fit and donate them.  If nothing else, donations have been a tax write off (who knows now with new rules coming into play).

Sweaters get straightened into neat piles on the shelf, and now there’s more hanger space on the rod.

Same cleaning with the shoes in the bottom on the floor.  I haven’t worn heels in years, so off to someone who can use them. Dress suits – not part of my life any more.  I’m quite happy with a sweatshirt and jeans, and my trusty work boots.  Dress up now means a black slacks and a nice blouse.  At this point in time, I don’t worry about impressing anyone anymore.

Around the house

Spring may even get me going enough to wash the few window dressings I have, and move the furniture to vacuum.  Maybe. If nothing else, I may feel the urge to dust, and ignore the fact it will reappear in less than a week.

At least I can say I tried.

Happy Cleaning!  How do you celebrate spring cleaning?