April 2005

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a most joyous Easter! It was an unusually chilly one for us here in north Florida. But in the past week, the temperatures have warmed up into the 80’s and spring has definitely “sprung!”

Spring has traditionally been the time to do a thorough cleaning of the house. That was especially important when soot and coal dust clung to walls and furniture after a long winter. Listen to what a homemaking book from 1927 had to say:

“The chief aim of house-cleaning is to produce a sanitary condition and to make the home ready for the bright spring days.

“March is a busy month for the homemaker; there is the flower garden to plan, the spring outfits for the family to provide (sew) and, standing out above and beyond everything else, the house to clean. Modern devices have so systematized the cleaning department of the home that the annual upheaval from attic to cellar has been partially eliminated. With all the rooms used during the cold winter they are given a daily or weekly cleaning, but there comes a time in the spring for the more thorough investigation of the closets and cupboards. One never realizes how fast the clippings, papers, and magazines put aside to be read at our leisure can accumulate until our attention is called to them when cleaning day comes. (Clutter was a problem even in 1927!)

“During the early days of March, with its variable weather, high winds and dark days, there will be an occasional sunshiny, warm day that brings out the dust streaks on the windows, and the smoke-covered wallpaper becomes very noticeable. Then the housekeeper feels the need of indulging in a thorough renovation of the house and on all sides comes the swish of the broom, the hum of the vacuum cleaner, the sound of the carpet beater, and the backyard filled with lines of bedding and clothing shows that the campaign is on.

“Closets should be cleaned first, discarding all worn garments. Many useless articles do accumulate in closets and attics! The putting in order of dresser drawers is a fine task for some of the cloudy or rainy days. Systematic house-cleaners begin with the attic and clean each floor in succession until the basement is reached, but that depends on the routine of the family and the condition of the basement, most people waiting until the furnace fire is out before cleaning the latter.”

Okay, ladies, if you tend to groan at the thought of spring cleaning, let’s realize that we probably don’t have to wash smoke-covered wallpaper, nor hang heavy carpets on the line and beat them with the carpet beater. These days we have every convenience and an abundance of cleaning products to make all of our housekeeping tasks much easier than just a generation or two ago.

I like to think of spring cleaning as “detailing” the house. You’ve seen places that detail cars: they buff out scratches, wax the car, clean the upholstery, and tend to many other details that we normally don’t do. It’s the same thing with detailing your home; we give it a deep cleaning and attend to many details that do not get done during our routine cleaning.

What tasks need to be done will vary somewhat from home to home, but the goal is the same as it was in 1927: “The chief aim of house-cleaning is to produce a sanitary condition and to make the home ready for the bright spring days.” Not only do we want to live in a clean and sanitary home, we also need to bring order to our living area so that we can find the things we need and so that our home is a peaceful refuge from the world.

So what needs to be done? I recommend that you go from room to room in your house and take a close look. Look beyond the usual tasks: dusting, vacuuming, mopping the floor. Start at the top of the room. Are their cobwebs on the ceiling or in the corners? Have the valances, curtains or blinds been cleaned thoroughly? How about the windows and screens, inside and out? Look at the furniture. Upholstery needs to be vacuumed and may need to be steam cleaned or dry cleaned. Remove sofa and chair cushions, clean under them and flip the cushions so they wear better! Get help to move the heavy furniture and clean underneath. Remove books from bookshelves and dust the books as well as the shelves; a small round vacuum brush works well to remove dust from the tops of books.

Consider how best to organize the room to suit the way you use it. Make the things you use in that room easy to find – and easy to put away! With young children, I find it helps to put just one type of toy in a bin or box and label the outside with a simple picture. Children – and adults for that matter! - are more likely to put things away if there is a place to put them. Yes, it will require some training to get them to put things where they go, but it is time well spent. Be sure to set a good example that you want your children to follow! Many parents lament that their children won’t pick up their toys, clothes, towels, etc. but the parent’s room isn’t picked up either.

Here are a few other deep cleaning tasks I like to do. Some, like cleaning out the garage, are yearly. Others, like washing the fronts of the kitchen cupboards are done three or four times a year. Still others, like washing woodwork, may need to be done every month or so depending on how fast it gets dirty. Walls also may need washing or even painting.

Other tasks are less obvious, but no less important. I dust baseboards monthly, but what about the place where the carpet meets the baseboard? Dust, pet hair, and dirt accumulate there as routine vacuuming cannot reach all the way to the wall and into the crevice between the rug and the wall. Take the plain hose end of the vacuum cleaner and run it along that crevice and into the corners. Then put a round brush on the end of the vacuum hose and vacuum along the tops of door and window molding, and dust the doors themselves.

Once a year, take everything out of your kitchen cupboards or pantry. Be realistic! Don’t remove everything at once from every cupboard, but work in manageable sections. If you only have time to do one shelf, then do that. Wash the shelves thoroughly with hot soapy water. While that dries, go through all the things that had been stored there, sort them and yes, get rid of some of the things you don’t use often! I found I had prime shelf space taken up with holiday baskets for various holidays. I only used those baskets once a year but they occupied “prime real estate” in my house! I moved them to the garage and stored them in a box, freeing up much needed space in the house.

When you put things away in cupboards or closets, consider labeling shelves with masking tape or removable labels from the office supply store. Group like items together and label the shelf so everyone knows where things belong. It is unrealistic to expect family members to put things away if they are not sure where to put them.

Now, ladies, before you feel overwhelmed and utterly worn out, please realize that you don’t have to do everything in one day! Yes, homemaking is a full-time job, one that demands our creativity, best efforts, and diligence. But how many of us have worn ourselves out with a whirlwind of cleaning, only to sink into the couch and give up a week later!

Identify what needs to be done, write everything down, then study your lists and break each task down into manageable bites. If you have very small children, you may only have time during the week to sort through one drawer, or clean off one shelf. Don’t give up! Persevere and you will feel real satisfaction as you see little tasks get accomplished. Too often we focus on everything we did not get done. We soon quit and feel depressed. Instead, rejoice in what you did accomplish, even if it seems like just small things. Those “small things” will add up to a cleaner house and a happier family.

With the warmer weather comes spring pollen, a real problem for many with allergies or asthma. I know, I have both! Next month I’ll share cleaning tips and products to minimize dust and allergens in your home.

If you have not yet seen our new book, Classic Prayers for Children, I hope you will take a look on our website: http://www.futurechristianhomemakers.com/HeirloomGifts.html

I’ve received some lovely e-mails from some of you such as this: “What a GORGEOUS book! How VERY VERY special this is!!! This is just such a treasure!” It’s a great time to stock up on gifts – for new babies, children’s birthdays, baptism, or to start putting things away for Christmas.

Until next time ~

Yours in Him,

 

Copyright, 2005, Laurie Latour.  www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com

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