Spring is in the air! It’s still chilly outside, but the glimpses of sunshine and warmer days are inspiring me to get out my cleaning supplies and begin my spring cleaning.

Every time I am in the middle of cleaning I think of other things I need to get around to doing and then forget about them later. I decided to sit down and make an exhaustive spring cleaning checklist. My list details every cleaning task I could think of, everything I hope to get around to taking care of this spring.

By no means, don’t think that you have to complete everything on this list. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you can probably comfortably accomplish at least two to three of these tasks a week. Get your kids involved and have them help!

Some days I won’t do any cleaning, and other days I might accomplish two or three of my spring cleaning tasks. If you work outside the home, it’s easy to let some of the cleaning go, but if you try to work in one or two small cleaning jobs on the weekend, you will be proud of your accomplishments. It’s amazing how cleaning just one small area of your house can make your whole day and make you feel like you got something done.

Kitchen

___ Clean Out And Organize Refrigerator
___ Clean Inside Of And Under Stove
___ Clean Microwave
___ Clean Toaster Oven
___ Clean And Organize Pantry
___ Clean And Organize Freezer
___ Wipe Down Inside And Outside Of Kitchen Cupboards

Bedrooms

___ Wash Or Dryclean Bedspreads
___ Organize/Purge Master Bedroom Closet
___ Organize/Purge Children’s Closets
___ Organize/Purge Children’s Toys

General

___ Wipe Down All Doors; Clean Door Handles & Moldings
___ Wipe Off Window Sills
___ Clean Inside Of Windows
___ Wash Or Dryclean Curtains
___ Dust Mini-Blinds
___ Clean Sliding Glass Doors Inside And Out
___ Remove Marks From Walls; Apply Touch Up Paint
___ Clean Wall Moldings
___ Dust Ceiling Fans
___ Dust Picture Frames
___ Dust Lamp Shades
___ Steam Clean Carpets
___ Steam Clean Furniture
___ Wash Out Wastebaskets
___ Dust Artificial Plants
___ Change Batteries In Smoke Detectors
___ Organize Linen Closet
___ Wipe Down And Clean Under Washing Machine And Dryer

Outside

___ Clean Up Flower Beds
___ Finish Raking Leaves
___ Prepare Planters For Planting
___ Clean And Fill Water Fountains
___ Straighten Storage Shed
___ Hose Down Patio
___ Clean Patio Furniture
___ Clean Windows On Outside
___ Inspect And Repair Window Screens
___ Wash Out Garbage Cans
___ Clean Barbecue

About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.