Spring Cleaning

Spring is in full swing here in New England, as temperatures peaked up above 70 degrees in Boston over the weekend.  After a dreadful winter, with historic snow totals, every single citizen of the region is ready for Spring.  An annual tradition, across the globe, is the practice of Spring cleaning.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Or, if you are a Think, Act, Prosper reader, then let's try to make it just out with the old.  If you really need something new, lets carefully consider the options and make sure that it is something you need critically before purchasing, quality over quantity.

Spring cleaning is generally the time when you clean your entire residence from top to bottom, every nook and cranny.  As you go, you will come across a number of items that have long outlived their welcome and need to be disposed of.  Think of it as another time to declutter.  This year, take a critical look at items that you have not used, and likely won't use again.  Even if they have some sentimental value, but literally no practical value, they should probably be purged.  If you see things that could be repurposed, make sure to set them aside!

I like to start with big jobs first, and for my family that is the kitchen and bedrooms.  The kitchen is used every day, since we much prefer to make our own food than purchase take out food.  This means that the oven, microwave, and cupboards get dirty.  Obviously, we spot clean as needed, but the spring cleaning ritual is a great time to do a more thorough cleaning than we typically would.  Next, each person is responsible for cleaning up their bedrooms, and we will aggregate all the items that are no longer needed to dispose of them in the proper manner.  Another perpetual junk collector is the garage, take special notice for items that might have value to someone else, and give them away!

I am not going to put together a guide, because I actually think Martha Stewart's checklist is quite solid!