Spring has slowly begun to peek its head out around here and I am in desperate need of it to come as quickly as possible.
Steve and I have been very fortunate in that we already worked from home together. So staying inside during this pandemic hasn’t been a huge change for us. But we’re still in need of some better weather and reasons to go outside if only to sit on the deck.
But that’s not to say that we run outside and frolic in our yard without effort! There are a ton of things we do to prepare our home for nicer weather like spring, and tips I wanted to share with you. (And also, as a way to remind myself of all the things that need to get done!)
Tips to Prepare Your Home for Spring
1. Start scheduling your routine maintenance
This is for when, you know, some semblance of normalcy comes back. When we moved into our home we needed to replace the furnace (and hot water heater, sigh) ASAP so we’ve taken extra steps to make sure our HVAC system is running smoothly. We have a company come twice a year to test and clean both the furnace and central air units to ensure they’re staying clean and efficient.
2. Windows
Despite not having a lot of light in our home, we do have a ton of windows that need to be deep cleaned before they can be reopened. I will try my best to scrub the ones on the second floor as best as I can. But I only tackle the inside part of the glass. For the first-floor windows, I break out the ladder and scrub all of the gross dirt, salt, and unspeakable grossness off of the outside parts.
3. Clothes
I cannot imagine the deluge of stuff that is going to descend upon thrift stores when they open back up. But we’re going to contribute our part for sure. When it’s time to switch out the clothes and store my heavy winter sweaters, I take everything out and purge anything that isn’t working for me or doesn’t fit anymore and send it off to Goodwill.
4. Stuff in the storage bins
This is one we’ve just started doing this year and is something that is way past due, but we’ve begun to include purging the storage bins of things as part of our spring cleaning ritual. Any poor purchase decisions (like broken decorations or cheap Halloween lights) are purged, and the bins are reorganized. This also includes going through all the weird stuff in our basement. So this is definitely not a quick thing. (Also, it sort of ends like one of those “fight that isn’t a fight” you have with a partner after trying to assemble furniture together. You know, it’s like “I love you, but I need a moment.”)
5. Prepping the plants
The troopers who made it through the winter on our front porch are given fresh soil, a shot of plant food, and put out in the backyard for a few weeks to re-acclimate before being put back in their normal spot outside. The ones who didn’t make it have their pots freed up and put into my gardening storage for a new plant friend. Any cuttings that have developed roots are transplanted and put into my plant ICU (AKA a shelf I can watch over easily). To make sure they’re ready for the big leagues.
6. Hardcore dusting
The ceiling fans, vents, and baseboards get a deep cleaning in addition to the normal (okay, not “normal” but you know, the “once-every-8-weeks-when-I-think-about-it”) dusting rituals.
Gah, going through all of that sounds like a lot. But it feels SO good once we open up the house and get those Spring breezes through! Here’s to better days in every sense!