By Cyndy Ratcliffe

Time management expert Cyndy Ratcliffe

Spring creates feelings of freshness and renewal. With the beautiful changes of nature, a new motivation stirs in us to create that same feeling inside our homes. It is time for spring cleaning! But where do we begin?

Imagine you are a real estate agent looking to sell your home. Take a pencil and tablet with you to the road and proceed up the drive or walkway. You may not use your front door as your daily entrance, but it is the first impression that individuals have of your home. Write down anything that needs cleaned up or improved as you "visit" your winter-worn residence with a fresh perspective. Did some of those ice storms rip shingles off your roof that now need to be replaced? Can you see leaves popping out of your gutters? Are old dead potted plants on the porch? Are there cobwebs in the porch ceiling? Could the house itself use a fresh coat of paint?

As you proceed into your house, go room by room and look closely at what has been ignored all winter. Your list may seem extensive, and the trick is to not take on too much at one time. You have a lot of spring days so break the list down and set a time to complete each project.

A few things will help to get the spring cleaning done. First, get the windows clean inside and out. Something about the sparkling glass and the light flowing through them that creates an instant spring feeling. Make it a quick job on the outside windows by using one of the new window cleaners that you pop right on the end of your hose. A glass cleaner and squeegee will work wonders on the inside windows. This is a great start because it is a quick and easy job that has such a large impact. Let the sun shine in !

Keep in mind that spring cleaning is a deep cleaning, not your routine maintenance cleaning. Here is a basic list to get you started:

Front Entry

• Repaint mailbox and post
  
• Clean stains off driveway, walkway and garage floor.
  
• Put new flowers in beds, pots, or window boxes
  
• Prune shrubs and bushes
  
• Replace missing shingles
  
• Clean out gutters
  
• Wash window (after cleaning out gutters)

Living Room

• Steam clean rugs and/or carpets
  
• Deep clean upholstered furniture
  
• Clean the ceiling fan and blades
  
• Clean draperies
  
• Clean out fireplace
  
• Change filters and vacuum the vents
  
• Wash windows (use a squeegee to save time)