Okay, so usually the term “spring cleaning” conjures up images of April showers, May flowers, the Easter bunny, etc.  Here in The Valley of the Sun, February brings a mix of cooler weather and what I like to call warmer spring ‘preview’ days.  By April or May, it’s usually too hot to, say, enjoy outdoor activities during midday.  In my book, that’s not spring!

Since spring technically comes early in my neck of the woods, I’ve decided that I don’t need to wait till March, April or May to do my spring cleaning!  In fact, I probably should commence spring cleaning in January!  It’d be a great way to get out of that slight post-holiday slump I usually endure.

This year though, I’ll start right now–in late February.  I usually don’t even start thinking about this until late-March at the earliest, so I’m still early! 😀

I also think spring cleaning this year will be a great way to start some new habits around here.  It’s come to my attention that I don’t clean things as often or as thoroughly as some people.  *blush*

I grew up with a mom who was a complete perfectionist–to the point that she often wouldn’t start a job until she was 100% sure she had time and energy (both physical and emotional) to give it her all.  Unfortunately, that was not often!

We usually had a housecleaner and when we didn’t, life was miserable because that typically meant we were trying to get things clean enough to bring in a new housecleaner.

My mother would meticuloulsy wipe the dog’s paws every time he came in from a walk, but she literally would go months without vacuuming, changing sheets, cleaning a toilet, washing clothes and in the case of dusting…unless there was a housecleaner or she was feeling particularly authoritarian…it could be years!

Cleaning was often a punishment for me…and she would often hover over me or follow along behind me, “white gloving” everything I’d done and making me do it over and over until it met her satisfaction.  One particularly bummer summer, I had to *thoroughly* vacuum our large kitchen and laundry room floors, daily…for hours…before I could go outside.  There was another summer where the dusting of my intricate bedroom furniture was the means by which she tortured me.  Ah…the good old days.

It probably is not terribly surprising that I have issues.  Among those, issues and hang-ups related to cleaning.

<insert laughter and snorting>

Flash forward to my adult life.  I don’t love to clean and I feel like I’m being punished when I do.  I’m working on getting over that.

My big pet peeve is waking up to a kitchen full or dirty dishes (and paper plates and plastic cups) strewn about, so I typically will load the dishwasher and clean out the sink and wipe off the counters and table before bed.

This tends to be the only thing I do daily, without fail.

<zoinks>

I do everything else on a weekly or as-needed basis, depending on the chore.  Those as-needed things are the things I’d like to do more frequently.  I’m also tired of my kids’ rooms needing an overhaul and re-organization every few months.  It gets draining.

I’m also a master at washing and drying laundry, but not so much putting it away.  Which drives my hubby insane!

I’m going to take the weekend to make my spring cleaning list, broken down by room or area.  I’ll also be designing new daily and weekly lists as well.  I’ll post back once the first installment is finished! 😀