The flowers and trees are in full bloom, the sounds of chirping birds’ beautiful, and my allergies are kicking in big time. All are signs that my favorite time of the year is here – spring is everywhere you look. Even though this year’s Kansas City winter has been very mild, it’s still a welcome sight to see the calendar flip to April – which is also the time for spring cleaning.

There’s nothing like the welcome warmer weather, leaving your windows open during the day and letting that first gush of fresh air fill your house. You have to love hanging up that winter jacket in your closet and switching to something a bit lighter. With all of this comes the need for a good spring cleaning around your home.

Spring cleaning originated from the dirty heating systems of the past. The cleanup was necessary to get rid of the greasy deposits of carbon from coal stoves and open fires in the home.  With today’s modern and efficient heating and cooling systems “spring cleaning” is more of a tradition than a necessity.

Keep the tradition alive with our Spring Cleaning Tips:

Focus on De-cluttering, Clean if there’s Time

The key step in spring cleaning is picking up and getting rid of extra ‘junk.’ If you only have time for one weekend of cleaning, tackle the clutter. Organizing your stuff and donating worthwhile items to charity may give you the boost you need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you have time, start with the deep cleaning such as scrubbing baseboards, wiping down ceiling fans, and concentrating on the most used, and often dirtiest rooms, the kitchen and bathrooms.

Make It a Team Effort

Everyone should be doing the spring cleaning in your house. Make it a family job, assign tasks to each family member, and crank up the volume on the radio to make it fun.

Change Things Up

Consider rearranging the furniture. Not only is it fun to switch things up, but moving the furniture in frequently used rooms will save your carpet from wearing out in places where most of the foot traffic is. It may also be a good idea to arrange certain upholstered pieces of furniture out of direct sunlight to reduce fading from the sun’s rays.

Let in the Natural Light

Bring the bright, spring sunshine indoors. Clean all your windows inside and out as well as all your glass light fixtures. Letting in all the natural light will make your home feel more cozy and inviting after a cold and dreary winter.

Open Up The Windows

The best air freshener is, without a doubt, nature’s breeze. So as the temperature rises outdoors, open all your windows and let the air swirl away the stuffiness from being closed up all winter.