Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Q&A Tuesday: Do You "Spring Clean"?


I have been decluttering my house a lot. Still have a ways to go, but it's already feeling lighter.
In fact, I have even been taking art off the walls to let them breathe, while I figure out how I want to redecorate.

Starting Saturday I am going to start some deeper cleaning--you know, wash windows and their treatments, scrub baseboards, vacuum the vents, wipe walls down, that kind of thing. It might take me through the end of May at the rate I go, but I might surprise myself.

Do you spring clean, and if so, how do you go about it? Two long Saturdays, or a couple hours a day, or what?

7 comments:

Vicki said...

Uhhh, I cheat. I have a friend come and I pay her to clean for me. She could use the money and I can't deep clean due to an old shoulder injury, so it is win/win.

Last year I had my dad come and power wash my porch. He wouldn't let me touch his power washer... He said, "in the olden days women got a bucket and a good brush and just scrubbed their porches down... most did it every week."

I said, "but now we have dad's with power washers... it is so much better..."

Happy Cleaning.

Laurie said...

The drawings of the tireless smiling woman cleaning in her dress and apron is my ideal!!! But no! I don't Spring Clean per se! I Surge & Purge once in awhile and get a little crazy going through every drawer and closet and ridding out as I go, but this is not saved just for Spring! It could be any season when the need arises! I forget about baseboards, windows, lights and fans until company comes over and I notice cobwebs or window streaks and smudges that I'd never noticed before! Then I may (or may not) remember to clean it later. I do have boxes in our garage waiting for a garage sale from my seasonal Surge & Purges, but the stuff may end up at a thrift shop.
But I heartily believe it is a good thing, even thearaputic to clean, and purge. I am not "religious" about it, but when we're exercised to do it, I say we "Just do it, Sistas!"
(I am wondering if the art on our walls needs to breathe! I guess I'm not too worried about it's respiratory health! ;) )

krista said...

my mom is a faithful spring and fall cleaner though she would admit to it being something she enjoys, AND that it's a bit of an idol. :o)

i am a sporatic deep cleaner--i wish i could have inherited the "like to clean" gene, but i think my husband's glad i like to cook better than be a meticulous cleaner.

i can't stand clutter though--so that's one thing i inherited! :o)

now if you'll excuse me, i think i'll go inspect my baseboards.

terri said...

I like to take a room each month. I go thru and straigten closets and drawers. Then do whatever needs done in that room. I use to go at it for several days until i was finished. But with age I have learned better!!! I usually paid a heavy price in sore muscles.

zz said...

Vicki, cheating sounds wonderful in this case. I agree w/ you about "now we have dads and power washers." Call it efficient if you have to.

Laurie Lynn, there is something therapeutic about cleaning, but I prefer a massage for my therapy. Oh, it's not my art that needs to breathe, it's me. I am getting to the point where my Mennonite roots are showing: if it's not practical, why have it around? Of course I am also a granddaughter of the Great Depressionists, so saving some for 'someday' is a genetic defect I'm "treating" radically.

Krista, I think my husband would prefer Milly Maid over Cassie Cook. Even though he's crazy about good food, he's happiest is a superclean house with a PB & j sandwich on white bread.

Terri, your method is so common sensical. I would feel like I was always starting over , though, do you?

Joe said...

No, I don't.

Laurie said...

Hi Zoanna,
Thought I might change subjects for just a minute or maybe give you something to ease into spring cleaning with. It's a joke I hope you may be able to appreciate taking into account your Mennonite roots. Depending on your roots, maybe you've heard it. Mike heard it at a Kansas Mennonite Men's Choir Concert once.

Q. What do you call three Mennonites in Alaska?

A. Wiebe Friesen Fast