Did you know that cleaning and organizing our homes can make us feel better, both during the process and later when we are enjoying a more organized space?
According to a blog by the famous Dr. Oz, just like stress can affect our ability (or desire) to keep our home, car, and office neat, cleaning and organizing our homes can make us feel better! Our inner feelings can affect our environment and our ability to stay organized, just like our outer environment can affect our inner feelings, too.
Surely, many of us have felt that boost in our mood after turning up the music, opening the windows, and doing a little spring cleaning. Couple that cheerful mood with warmer days and sunnier skies, and it's no wonder spring is a favorite season for so many people!
Even with the promise of a natural high, spring cleaning can be a daunting task. The Christmas season brought with it all those new clothes and goodies, extra dishes have accumulated in the kitchen cabinets (who knows where the lids to all of them are), the last time the fridge was cleaned is a mystery, and the thought of looking under the kids' beds is downright terrifying! Oh, and what about those baseboards that probably have a year’s worth of dust upon them?
We get it! So, instead of trying to do it all, why not make a strategic plan to do one area really well? The bloggers at houzz.com suggest that divvying up duties is the key to true spring cleaning success. After all, we should have time to enjoy the spring weather, too!
These areas of focus as suggested by the folks at houzz.com can easily be accomplished in a weekend. So, if you still have grandiose plans of doing it all, you can tackle these one weekend at a time and still manage to enjoy yourself and this lovely weather.
Decluttering Deep Dive: Remove everything from your shelves or your nooks! Dust, clean, and sort and then remove any unwanted items from your home immediately! If you wait to donate those items until later, you risk letting those unwanted items slowly creep back into your closets and life. One idea is to find a charitable organization that will pick up – and schedules them ahead of time to help keep you motivated!
Kitchen Care: Give the heart of your home a thorough cleaning by clearing out old food and spices and wiping out your cupboards and fridge. Don’t forget to clean your appliances too, even down to the toaster oven. Wipe down your walls and windows and give some much-needed attention to the dish drainer, too.
Textiles TLC: The fabrics in our homes are subject to some serious wear and tear. Take this time to give them some love. Launder those smaller items, like cotton rugs and shower curtains. Have your larger area rugs professionally cleaned and have your wall-to-wall carpeting professional cleaned (or rent a machine and do it yourself.) Consider steam-cleaning any delicate drapery, but always spot-check first!
Deep Clean: Now is a perfect time to focus on marking things off the to-do list that you’ve been avoiding, such as moving furniture or the fridge to clean those hard-to-reach places or dusting the light fixtures and blinds. It’s a great time to clean out the garbage can and recycling bins and the grout in the kitchen and bath, too.
The Great Outdoors: Need some fresh air? There’s plenty to do outside the house. Hose down the siding, clean out the gutters, wash the windows and stain the deck. Want to really get ready for spring? Prepare for your garden by cleaning your tools and mulching the flowerbeds!
And with Earth Day quickly approaching on April 22, this is a great time to consider going green with your cleaning supplies. Some options include using natural cleansers like baking soda and white vinegar for cleaning your windows, counters, and floors. Use reusable bottles instead of disposable ones for your supplies and cut up old t-shirts and towels to use as cleaning rags.
We hope you will find the beginning of spring as refreshing for your home as it is for yourself! And if you’re ready to really start fresh in a new home this spring, check out our new homes and communities at www.eastwoodhomes.com.
It’s spring, and that means it’s time to start thinking about pretty flowers and warmer weather! Some of us are even thinking of upgrading to a larger home with a newer kitchen or downsizing to a home that’s a little more convenient but still has all the designer finishes. Even though it’s a seller’s market out there, you’ll still need to put your best foot forward to get the highest possible offer quickly.
Now is the time to begin our spring yard maintenance if we want a lawn to be proud of when we begin enjoying the warmer weather in just a few weeks. By putting in the work to prepare your yard now, you will better be able to enjoy your yard for the next several months. Our blog shares a few maintenance tips for lawn care to help you get started!
We're growing even more and expanding in the Raleigh market! Eastwood Homes will be celebrating the grand opening of three new communities in early 2015, two of which represent our first Durham-area neighborhood developments.
