you know what made me laugh this week? so, my caribou coffee has a chalkboard. they ask a question every week and people write their answers. a couple weeks ago, the question was 'what will you do on the first day of spring?' and the answers cracked me up because it said 'run in my underwear' and 'take off my coat' and 'dance in the grass.' well i have news, folks. the first day of spring? it's march 20th. 9 days away. and you live in chicago. the first day of spring has never been weather in which you can remove your coat and dance in your underwear, because there's usually still snow on the ground. and there will be this year, so settle down.
but anyway, the point is yes, it's almost here. i'm not a big spring fan because i don't like pollen or bugs and my order of favorite seasons tends to be the exact opposite of everyone else. winter, fall, spring, summer. i'm a snow baby, what can i say? but even though i don't love it, i embrace spring for one very important reason: spring cleaning. just call me danny tanner because spring cleaning time is a highlight of my year. (except for vacuuming. death to vacuuming.) i do clean and declutter all year long but i like spring cleaning because you can open the windows and do the deep cleaning jobs like washing the blinds and baseboards. yep, that's a thing. and yes, i do like doing it. and then i like sealing up my house and letting no one in and touching nothing for a month just keep it so pristine...
alright you probably don't love it like i do. i realize it's a little weird on my part. but you probably are planning on doing it, right? i know a lot of people are, because i've seen an influx of spring cleaning tips and tricks and checklists on pinterest. which i've been re-pinning, of course. i do a decent job of cleaning year round. i keep it to a 15 to 30 minute task each day, with one day off (i.e. dusting on wednesdays, cleaning the bathroom on thursdays.) but there's a lot of deep cleaning tasks that really only get done once or twice a year. they're aren't the most enjoyable, but hey - it has to get done! like cleaning the things you use for cleaning - the vacuum, the washing machine, the dishwasher. it still makes no sense to me that you have to wash the things you use for keeping your other items clean, but it is what it is.
i just have a tiny apartment, so i can get it done in a weekend. for a house, it would take a week. i stock up on all my supplies like cleaners and trash bags, prepare a food plan (because i'm not cooking or worrying about food while i'm busy cleaning my kitchen!), and make a schedule so i'm sure i don't miss anything. it's easier if you have a plan, i promise! personally, i love free this checklist. it's two pages and contains everything i could possibly need to do, and then some (because i don't have a garage or yard.) if you need a lot of help, there's also an $8 kit that contains every single printable you could need, like schedulers and supply shopping lists.
obviously i'm a little busy this coming weekend what with st. patrick's day and all. but i'll get my spring cleaning the weekend after that. just in time for the first days of spring! i'd show you before and after photos but you probably wouldn't even be able to tell a difference. i tell ya, having less stuff is the way to go. less to clean!
what about you? are you spring cleaning this year?
but anyway, the point is yes, it's almost here. i'm not a big spring fan because i don't like pollen or bugs and my order of favorite seasons tends to be the exact opposite of everyone else. winter, fall, spring, summer. i'm a snow baby, what can i say? but even though i don't love it, i embrace spring for one very important reason: spring cleaning. just call me danny tanner because spring cleaning time is a highlight of my year. (except for vacuuming. death to vacuuming.) i do clean and declutter all year long but i like spring cleaning because you can open the windows and do the deep cleaning jobs like washing the blinds and baseboards. yep, that's a thing. and yes, i do like doing it. and then i like sealing up my house and letting no one in and touching nothing for a month just keep it so pristine...
alright you probably don't love it like i do. i realize it's a little weird on my part. but you probably are planning on doing it, right? i know a lot of people are, because i've seen an influx of spring cleaning tips and tricks and checklists on pinterest. which i've been re-pinning, of course. i do a decent job of cleaning year round. i keep it to a 15 to 30 minute task each day, with one day off (i.e. dusting on wednesdays, cleaning the bathroom on thursdays.) but there's a lot of deep cleaning tasks that really only get done once or twice a year. they're aren't the most enjoyable, but hey - it has to get done! like cleaning the things you use for cleaning - the vacuum, the washing machine, the dishwasher. it still makes no sense to me that you have to wash the things you use for keeping your other items clean, but it is what it is.
i just have a tiny apartment, so i can get it done in a weekend. for a house, it would take a week. i stock up on all my supplies like cleaners and trash bags, prepare a food plan (because i'm not cooking or worrying about food while i'm busy cleaning my kitchen!), and make a schedule so i'm sure i don't miss anything. it's easier if you have a plan, i promise! personally, i love free this checklist. it's two pages and contains everything i could possibly need to do, and then some (because i don't have a garage or yard.) if you need a lot of help, there's also an $8 kit that contains every single printable you could need, like schedulers and supply shopping lists.
obviously i'm a little busy this coming weekend what with st. patrick's day and all. but i'll get my spring cleaning the weekend after that. just in time for the first days of spring! i'd show you before and after photos but you probably wouldn't even be able to tell a difference. i tell ya, having less stuff is the way to go. less to clean!
what about you? are you spring cleaning this year?
Ha! I might just follow the ecard's advice! But yes, Boston will be having "spring" too soon. And I'm just looking forward to being able to open my windows long enough to let the bleach out :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure what spring is anymore. I'm in Normal right now for spring break, and I'm dreading the fact that it'll snow tonight. I am, however, looking forward to spring cleaning my apartment when I get back. Complete deep-cleaning. I'm going to stalk your Pinterest board for tips and such.
ReplyDeleteBurn your house down! Hahaha, I love it.
ReplyDeleteI did some serious spring cleaning this past weekend. My house is so close to being junk free. Now, if I can just get my husband to tackle the garage.
I can't wait to spring clean! Seriously... I'm itching to do it!!!! I'm just waiting for it to get warm enough out so that I can open the windows and enjoy fresh air during the process.
ReplyDeleteI kinda wish I could spring clean except I did enough of that when I moved. Most things in that house are cleaner now than they have been in a long time.
ReplyDeleteI started in on this last week. I finally finished our bedroom after two days. I had visions of finishing our whole floor upstairs (its our bedroom, bath and nook), but it didn't happen. I got rid of one bag of trash and goodwill stuffs. It's going to be GREAT. We have huge plans this year (I was thinking of writing a similar post btw) and I actually LOVE cleaning too!
ReplyDeleteHaha same here in Iceland, it will probably be a snowstorm on the first day of spring. I like to rearrange furniture around to give rooms a fresh look for spring.
ReplyDeleteI do that too, it feels like a whole new house! One day it'll be warm enough to open our windows and do it. Just maybe not the actual first day of spring.
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ReplyDeleteyou know i've already started with my closet (done and done yay!) and am now in the process of doing my home office which will be super challenging because i have to go through all of my financial files and shred anything 2009 or older. and to make it even more challenging, we have zero shelving since my home office sits in part of the dining room and i've demanded that my husband build some shelving above the mantle. so far, he's not down with it.
ReplyDeleteand i cannot WAIT to open my windows and clean out all the shit from the crevices. i have my steam cleaner ready to go and just waiting for this fucktard weather to calm the hell down. do you know we are getting a shit ton of snow today AND it's going to be -26 tonight?? yesterday was 10 degrees, sunny and awesome! mother nature is a big fat whore.
-kathy | Vodka and Soda
I made a list of all the spring cleaning I want to get done before April, and now burning my house down doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world.
ReplyDeleteUm so I bought a groupon so I can pay someone else to spring clean for me this year. I am a terrible cleaner - very slow and I still miss spots - so I decided to treat myself. I hope it's worth it as I am cheap and know that I could do it myself but something about having it all done in one day by someone else is so alluring...
ReplyDeleteI am purging as I pack which will make unpacking and cleaning easier. Fall is probably my favorite season. Except that is my busiest season running with the girls. I like Summer because I love to swim, but its so freakin humid here that you walk outside at 8 and your hair is already dripping with sweat. I usually don't mind winter as long as it isn't snowy to the point that I'm stuck at home. Next year I will have 600 feet of driveway to shovel so I am sure there will be lots of bitching on my part.
ReplyDeleteBurning down my house and stating from scratch is probably my best option!
ReplyDeleteGirl, I LOVE Spring Cleaning!! It makes everything feel so much better!
ReplyDeleteYes, I love spring cleaning!! My apartment is small too, so a weekend of purging and cleaning will be just what the doctor ordered!
ReplyDeleteI am so looking forward to being able to open my windows and smelling fresh air while cleaning. I tend to spring clean year round which is a little weird but it help not get overwhelming. I do one room a month and really scrub it down then repeat once all rooms are done.
ReplyDeleteI worked all day Saturday on the deep cleaning tasks. Of course I still have more to go. Once everything is deep cleaned on the first floor I will head upstairs where the junk purge needs to happen first. I love how cleaning makes everything in the house feel amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love to set a day aside and clean the shit out of my house. I try to do my purging on another day before that day. I typically use Easter weekend and do this:
ReplyDeleteFriday (early dismissal): purge whatever needs purging. I might be a little giddy over this and over-purge
Saturday: Clean top to bottom, relentlessly, never sitting down, and being exhausted and unable to stand by 7 pm
Sunday: Spring cleaning in the yard.
Am I back to being reply? WTF google!
ReplyDeletecelebrating spring by building a snowman couldn't be more true. yesterday was a beautiful 57 degree day, today we've gone from rain, to ice, and soon to be 7-12 inches of snow.
ReplyDeleteI will need a week! Really... I have three kids, the cleaning is never done! Never!
ReplyDeleteWe need an overall deep clean of our house this year! After remodeling our basement all of last year we have so much dust and dirt built up! I think I will be hiring someone to come in and take care of it! lol!
ReplyDeletei relaly wish i was weird like you (HA! Jk :) and liked to spring clean but i hate it. it is so nice when it's done and you feel like you have a new fresh start!
ReplyDeleteI think I started early but yes I'm definitely spring cleaning, I'm thinking Little K's room is up this weekend. Lucky me.
ReplyDeleteI really want to start my spring cleaning. I'm just lacking the time!! But I did already have my carpets cleaned and my yard sprayed for ticks. Two points for me.
ReplyDeleteI actually love spring cleaning too! There's such a joy in just finishing a big clean and relishing in how awesome your home looks now.
ReplyDeleteI looove spring cleaning! I've already started by getting rid of some of the crap that's accumulated in my apartment over the last year. I've been loving all your Pinterest pins on cleaning and printed off that same list!
ReplyDeleteHeck yes! Between my car and our apartment, I can't wait to get in there and clean ish up thoroughly! I'm loving that list - will be using it :) My favorites seasons are Fall, Early Winter - and I just feel this one has been longer than the ones we've had the last few years so I'm ready for a change in weather. I hate the same things you do: humidity and bugs. However, it would be nice to wear dresses again, momma loves her dresses! Have a great one Stephanie! -Iva
ReplyDeleteonce it's actually warmer i'll get to my spring cleaning. our house isn't very big but it's old and dusty and drives me crazy. so it'll be nice to get everything shiny and clean!
ReplyDeleteI have already started my spring cleaning and decluttering a few weeks ago because like you, I am NOT a fan of pollen. I tend to feel miserable and get sick at the start of spring so I wanted some of the work done!
ReplyDeleteI think having a plan and having some meals prepared is a great way to be on top of your game during spring cleaning though! PS - I tend to like winter and fall better than spring and summer too because I HATE to be hot and I live in the south....and humidity is a not a friend to my hair. At all. BUT I do love some flip flops and dresses....and drinking on patios....so I can pretend to be excited.
We really need to do some Spring cleaning the areas nobody ever sees like our laundry room! Thanks for the checklist links!
ReplyDeleteSpring cleaning for us is going to mean getting rid of junk as we start remodeling the house. Don't hate me, but we have a cleaning service come to our house once a week, so the actual cleaning part is just moving stuff around for me. It is worth every penny!
ReplyDelete-Rachel @ With Love, Rachel
I wish I could hire a cleaning service, but getting to stay at home kinda puts house cleaning in my to do list...shoot! My birthday is actually the first day if spring...can't someone do my spring cleaning as my birthday present or something?! :)
ReplyDeleteEva Marie Taylor
Yes, really looking forward to spring cleaning and being able to open the windows while doing so.
ReplyDeletexx
Kelly
I am not doing any form of spring cleaning this year because we are moving and I am not deep cleaning this house for someone else haha!
ReplyDeleteSteve loves spring cleaning, therefore I love spring cleaning because I dont have to do it!
ReplyDeleteSoon!! Only part of our house is heated, so we just don't use the unheated parts all winter long...which means they really need to be cleaned as soon as it gets warm enough to not freeze to death in the unheated part of the house for an extended length of time! I'm excited to be able to use the space again, too!
ReplyDeleteI love to clean too! I feel so much better when our place is picked up and everything has it's place. I do the 15 min thing too and Gary hates it.
ReplyDeleteI've already majorly started the spring cleaning. Since getting married last May, Michael and I are finally figuring out what exactly we have duplicates of or stuff we just straight up haven't used since we got married. I'm also working on de-cluttering my wardrobe. Some of my favorite items from college just need to go! It's been nice to gather stuff up in boxes and cart it off to the thrift store. I'm really looking forward to getting through all of the purging so that I can clean the baseboards and make our newly de-cluttered house look awesome! haha
ReplyDeleteI'm a clean freak - not to the level of germophobe, but I need things clean and somewhat tidy (as tidy as I can get with 3 young boys). I deep clean my home once a month, but love the Spring so I can open the windows and air out the joint while cleaning. There's something about cleaning with a nice breeze flowing through the house. It always makes me feel like things are extra clean.
ReplyDeleteI love that ecard, my mom has definitely caught the spring cleaning bug already and I'm sick of it already lol, but I love the feeling of getting rid of germs and other crap that have been collecting all winter long!
ReplyDelete