“In March, it is wise to clean cupboards, and cabinets. The closets need a good airing
and all the clothes need to be hung on the line in the backyard.
I like to do all the ceilings with a vacuum cleaner one week in March and strike that from my list of undone things.
If there are lights in the ceiling, they need special attention. It is strange how dust will gather everywhere,
and in the spring we have to go to war against it.”
~The Home Has a Heart
Right now, my bedroom window is open and I can hear the melting of winter. Sparkling layers of ice are loosing their grip under the gentle spring sunshine, making for a beautiful sound this March afternoon. Earlier this week, spring rain washed all barren trees and brown lands free of any remnants of snow piles we may have in our yards. However, overnight, we received a beautiful layer of ice rain and has now frozen our emerging spring and slowed down island life for a little while. Although it makes for an unpleasant day outdoors if you are travelling, the mixture of the sun, peeking through the clouds, and the ice rain is so beautiful … washing away the layers of the winter grime that has shown up under the melted snow.
And just like that … we’re entering spring.
March is a beautiful month, full of promise.
Old Man Winter is slowly saying farewell as we usher in a gentle spring season into our lives. If you live in Canada, you know this big Change is just on the verge of your doorstep, no matter how muddy it may be (we have so much mud in the spring!). While the trees are just waking up and the ground is unthawing, outside the air is vibrant, fresh and clean; it begs for windows to be flung open and curtains to be washed.
In our little home, we have already begun the spring cleaning. While March is not the warmest outdoors, it is the absolute perfect month to spring clean indoors. I have always done things this way – use the end of February and March as my time to deep clean the inside of the home. In April and May, when the weather warms, we all rush outdoors to enjoy the gentle sun beams and admire the rebirth of our earth. Come the warm weather, I cannot bear to be inside, cleaning or organizing, when our warmer days of spring and summer are beckoning the entire family outdoors. So that means, all the hard labour of spring cleaning must be done before spring actually arrives.
Earlier, I managed to ‘spring clean’ the boys’ bedroom and repaint all the walls, which were badly needed. If felt absolutely amazing to have the entire room cleaned … I also repainted the living room and some ceilings and am slowly spring cleaning in the front rooms. While they are daily used during the winter season, they are also cleaned daily and do nott tend to become very dirty. So, cleaning such rooms does not take much effort. My husband did purchase a steam cleaner this month and I have been steam cleaning the cushions and fabrics of all our couches and chairs.
I have heard of the idea to clean one full room a day, but with homeschooling and extra chores, sometimes it is not possible to do an entire room in one day. I work little by little, here a little, there a little and eventually, it does add up to a cleaner household. Sometimes, we just need to tackle the task we see that needs be finished. In spring, all the curtains need washing and airing on the laundry line, windows need washing and wiping on both the indoor and outdoor … cupboards need wiping and organizing … winter clothes need sorting and put away … homeschool cupboards will be cleaned and organized. We, as mothers, just need to keep working every day at the details and make the best of the spare hours we have.
I have just finished steam cleaning all the living room furniture – it is always amazing how much dirt comes out of fabric couches, especially after a season of daily use. I plan to steam clean all the furniture this week. Every piece of our furniture is either antique or vintage so it certainly does need cleaning!
We do the all bedding weekly, however, this week, if the weather allows it, I will steam clean, flip and air the mattresses and wash all the pillows and dry on the laundry line.
Cleaning my home is not a chore to me – it is a daily practice that I take joy in, rather than looking at the task at hand as drudgery. I feel blessed to have a home to clean and a family that fills it! Yes, I do get tired of the endless dirt that is tracked into the back porch – that is only human nature. However, I do think it is wise to keep our grumbling and complaining to a minimum (if at all!) over the job you are facing.
Believe it or not, I actually enjoy cleaning our ceiling lights!
Most importantly, do not compare your home to anything you see online. Remember, real life happens in your home; just aim to have a reasonably clean and tidy home, as one of my mentors calls it. We are not perfect, but we will aim to be clean.
One tip I have for others facing spring cleaning … is to reward yourself at the end of a big task. Pour some tea, light a candle, enjoy some quiet moments in your clean home, buy some clean tea towels for your kitchen – perhaps even flowers for your table.
As spring begins tomorrow officially, one of my daughters baked special treats for the First Day of Spring. Of course, Lariah was delighted to be rewarded for her cleaning duties and duties of dusting… 🙂
Happy Spring cleaning, my friends!
by Gigi
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