Spring Cleaning (Inside Your House)

Spring Cleaning Tip - Make Dinner First

When you know that you are going to be cleaning all day, start your day by making your dinner first. Find a great crockpot recipe and throw it together and let it cook while you clean. When you're done, the last thing you want to do is cook and you don't always have the money to go out for pizza.

By Stacey

Spring Cleaning and Organizing Tips

It may seem overwhelming to get started on Spring cleaning but how I started was this: one thing at a time, one room at a time. I started in my bedroom and got rid of clothes I hadn't worn for such a long time. I just took them from the hangers and threw them in a pile. I went through all my dresser drawers and picked through them one thing at a time. If I hadn't used it, it was gone. Looked under the bed, through desk drawers, etc and everything just went in the pile. Now rest. Don't overwhelm yourself.

I went through front closets - shelf to shelf, picked through boxes, did the dusting, vacuuming, etc. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I stuck everything in a big box. You can either take it to your local thrift shop or post the whole lot on a Freecycle site near you - www.freecycle.org - I'm beginning to like that Freecycling, it's very convenient. Someone out there can always use something you're getting rid of. I think that's all I needed to say, lol. Just remember, one thing at a time, one room at a time.

By Stacey from Orem, UT

Spring Cleaning Redecoration

Wouldn't it be fun to redecorate as you "Spring clean?" Few of us can spare the money for many luxuries, so learn to make do and change things to give your home a new look.

1. Recover sofa pillows and rearrange furniture to your heart's content!
2. Relocate lighting, even switch curtains from room to room for a new look!
3. Paint old picture frames for a new look!
4. Lampshades often look a bit yellowed after a winter of being shut in. Before you pay the proverbial 'arm and a leg' for a new shade, consider trying to improve what you have! With a form paint brush, brush a coat or two of flat white paint unto a plain, yellow shade. Wipe it off with a damp cloth and if the lamp it goes to is on a rod, put it on and twirl it as you paint. You can handpaint trim around top and bottom rim, using paint or even felt markers. You can even draw on various shapes!

Avoid Chemical Cleaners for Spring Cleaning

My tip for your spring cleaning is basically simple. Don't do it! Think of the environment and all the chemicals you will not be placing into the environment if you don't do it! What! You think I'm crazy because I'm not indoctrinated by television and the Super Stores into buying their cleaning chemicals! Well, guess again! I want a clean planet! I want clean air and clean drinking water! Your clean house will dirty my planet!

O.K.! If you must clean your house, clean with lemon Juice and cold water. Salt water is also a good alternative to chemicals. The old standbye, Javex Bleach, is basically Salt or Sodium Hyplochlorite to be exact and it kills everything living on floors. If you want to clean your clothes, use Soap Nuts. They are derived from living trees and are less harmful to the environment. You can find them on the Net. Good Luck Spring cleaning your house. I'll just relax and watch!

Spring Cleaning at its Finest

The mood to clean up and refresh seems to be an annual idea. Perhaps it's the freshness of the outdoors, the signs of new life, or just the need to make changes after months of being cooped indoors. Regardless, some basic financial rules need to be followed when delving into spring cleaning: sell it, donate it, toss it.

Sell It

The first rule of spring cleaning is to decide was is resalable. If an item is nearly new, brand new, or collectible consider selling it. Your basic options are to have a yard sale or to sell it on a venue such as eBay.

The following items resell well on the internet if they are in new or nearly new condition: children's clothes (3T and under), children's toys, baby items, sports collectibles, and hard to find sizes of quality clothing (XXXL, etc.) Anything can sell in an online auction, but timing seems to be everything. Don't list everything; there are items that could be free and they wouldn't attract attention. Shop around the site to explore what's selling, what's over-listed, and what's unique.

Yard sales are a good way of selling items that will not sell well online. Separate your sale items into two categories, yard sale and online sale. Typical strong sellers at yard sales include: items too large to ship from on online sale, furniture, craft items, children's items, electronics and appliances, household fixtures, and decorative items. Don't clutter your yard sale with items such as clothing and glassware; this will deter the "drive-by shoppers."

Donate It

Items that don't resale well but are in good condition should be donated to a local charity. Some charities collect for redistribution to those in need, and others resell the items at thrift stores that work as non-profit. Both are assets to healthy communities, and your contribution can mean a great deal to someone.

Items such as clothing, dishes, and books usually find a happy home at these collection areas. Avoid donating items that are damaged, soiled, or outdated. These items actually cost the charity money to dispose of themselves, not to mention the man-hours needed to sort through them. The resale is not worth their time to repair items.

Toss It

Sadly, some things need to be tossed. Any item which is broken/torn or soiled beyond cleaning should be discarded. No one is going to repair it; if that were true it would have been repaired already. Every item will come to the end of its usable life at some point; there is no point in prolonging the inevitable.

In the End

In the end, don't forget the final rules that apply to your spring cleaning money:

• save it
• declare it
• learn from it

Save the money you earn from your resale and put it towards something you will really enjoy. Don't put it in your pocket and let it disappear on cups of coffee and lunches. Items that were donated to charity are tax-deductible making them a small earning in the long run; keep your receipts. Lastly, learn from your spending mistakes. For every piece of clutter that was nearly new, learn from it. Money was spent on something that wasn't used. Keep that in mind when shopping; it will save you money and spring cleaning next year.

By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

Time for Spring Cleaning

Spring is here and it's time for spring cleaning. Nature does it with spring storms that clear dead branches, and her animals clear their winter bedding from their dens as the days get longer. The feeling of starting anew and freshening up can rejuvenate the entire household after a long winter; do it frugally.

Tackle the Clutter

Spring is the perfect time to eliminate the extra clutter in your home. Clutter needs to be managed which costs you time and money. Any unused item needs to be evaluated. Sort them and even tag them as you clean to save efforts later. Few people enjoy tagging and sorting the night before a yard sale.

Decide what items can be resold at a yard sale or online and what items should be donated. If anything needs washed or repaired, do so immediately. Likewise, drop off the items at the Good Will immediately; don't let them sit in your basement for weeks.

Clear anything out of your winter closet that was worn once or not at all during the season. Whatever is in the box at the top of your closet, the box that you haven't opened since last spring, doesn't need to stay in your home. Instead, find someone who will enjoy and value it.

Keeping It Clean

When doing the actual cleaning, look for cleaning products that are multi-purpose. The prices of products add up, and it's a hassle to deal with multiple products for cleaning. Disposable products are convenient, but down the road three containers of sanitizing wipes cost more than one washable soapy rag (and it's better for the environment.) Put down the expensive Swiffers and pick up the sock with the hole in it from this week's wash.

Check basic household products like vinegar and baking soda which can be used to clean just about any surface for a fraction of any cleaning product's price. Likewise, consider what you're purchasing. Bleach is bleach whether the bottle says Clorox or All-Purpose Bleach.

Reuse

After cleaning and organizing, it's always nice to have a pop of freshness in the house. Don't waste money buying new items; instead reuse what you already have. Turn some odd antiques into planters, use old shoes for interesting garden displays outside, or turn an old t-shirt into a quirky pillow.

Sometimes a little reorganizing makes all the difference. Mix and match items from rooms, using the bed shams on the sofa for the spring months. Switch curtains from one room to another. Spring and summer invite bold color combinations, so be creative and try something different in your home. When you tire of it, return it the way it was and oddly enough it will seem fresh again.

By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

Step By Step Spring Cleaning

"Spring Cleaning" conjures up a mental picture of a warm, sunny day spent airing out bedrooms, washing windows, and thoroughly vacuuming carpets. It signals the passing of winter gray outside and the freshness of a spring transformation inside your heart and home.

Follow these steps and you will have that freshly cleaned look that spring cleaning implies.

1. Vacuum the whole house and let some fresh breezes air it out. The whole house will begin to take shape and look fresher. Dust BEFORE you vacuum to make sure a room is really clean (allow 45 minutes). I ALWAYS dust after I vacuum as well to pick up what the vacuum stirred up!
2. Clean your closet by putting away winter clothes and bringing out spring attire. Wash, iron, and mend clothing before it gets put away. Giveaway clothes you didn't wear and don't like (allow 90 minutes). I have a hard time giving perfectly good items away so I try to consign or give to a charity. Get rid of items you have not worn in one year OR that do not fit. I never am able to lose that 5 lbs!
3. Wash your bedding and change your blankets for spring weather. Put away wool blankets and bring out spring comforters (60 minutes). I also use this time to refold any items in the line closet and relegate worn towels to the rag bag. More room in the closet!
4. Put away winter coats, boots, and mittens, cleaning as you go through the front and back closets to your house (20 minutes). Match up those mates before storing away. Now is a great time to make a list of what items you'll need for next year
5. Wash the windows to clear out winter gray that blocks your view. No more winter smudges to peer through (Average 8 minutes per window). I always clean both the inside and out as well as any blinds or window treatments
6. Recycle newspapers, catalogs and newspapers that may have accumulated over the winter (15 minutes). I have to do this on a weekly basis!
7. Clean out the refrigerator and have your first cookout of the season. A social event outdoors like a cookout or picnic marks the official beginning of spring in your life. (90 social minutes)
8. Clean out the pantry and discard any out of date itemsor that jar of anchovy paste you are never going to use. Donate unexpired items to your local food pantry. I am even going to line with new shelf paper this spring!

Eventually:

Sweep out the garage and wash the cars. Vacuum, wax, and change the oil in your car to get ready for spring and summer trips.

Clean out the basement, donate or throw away items that are taking up space. Have a yard sale!

RELAX and enjoy the feeling of a clean house. Celebrate with a bubble bath, some aromatherapy candles and a glass of wine. Treat yourself to a nice dinner OUT!

* Bonus Tip: Clean out your garage from the center to the walls. Then place items by sections: game, craft, sports equipment, and gardening tool. Visualize garage sale income and beautiful, uncluttered space in these rooms as you proceed.

Source: My own obsessive cleaning nature and some excerpts from "10 Tips to Spring Cleaning" by Marcia Ramsland, "The Organizing Pro".

By Diana from Prospect, KY

Frugal Spring Cleaning Ideas

I am looking for helpful ideas and frugal at the same time to make Spring cleaning a lot easier and simple.

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