It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And I am NOT talking about Christmas! To be honest, I am a kind of a Grinch ... As soon as christmas was over, I put ALL the decoration away! My kids cryed when I took the tree down!!

What I am really talking about is SPRING - my favorite time of the year! Although it's been soooo cold, I am already in the spring mode! I'm very excited to start my garden seeds, to spend all day outside and... SPRING CLEANING!!! Yes you 'heard' me right; spring cleaning. Time to put away the kids outgrown clothes (dreadful job by the way), clean up the garage so hopefully whe can park the car in again and get rid of all the junk that piled up during winter because I didn't feel like doing pretty much anything! So I think my family is very glad that winter is almost over too! Specially my DH!!

I am planning to do this one baby step at the time, so hopefully, by summer I am done ;0)

This year I am trying to be more organized with my chores, so it won't be so overwhelming. I found a great article about how you can make spring and weekly cleaning an easy and stress free deal!

Start with the Kitchen

It's easy to stay on top of cleaning when you create a routine that works for your lifestyle. Complete these simple cleaning tasks once a week to ensure a tidy home and avoid marathon cleaning sessions.

In the kitchen, it pays to get the hardest jobs out of the way first. To keep your kitchen sparkling clean, stay up-to-date with these  tasks.

** To Do Daily **

Spray and wipe the countertops, range top, and vent hood.
Sweep the floor. (I vaccum instead, it's easier for me!)
Scrub the sink with a general-purpose cleaner. Then, wipe dry. (see tips below for hard to clean sink stains)

 ** To Do Weekly **

Mop the floor. (You you have little ones, you will probably may need to mop more often, like three times daily!)
Clean the exteriors of appliances.
Wipe the refrigerator door.
Scour and polish the sink.

** To Do Monthly **

Wipe off the cabinet doors.

Clean the oven. (thank heaven for self-cleaners)
Clean the refrigerator and sanitize the refrigerator drip pan.

Quick-Cleaning Tips and Tricks.

Keep a spray bottle with a solution of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water or an all-purpose spray cleaner in the kitchen for quick cleanup. I use the clorox kitchen. It smells good and disinfect.

Keep a broom and dustpan  in the kitchen or the vaccum handy for sweeping after meals.

Clean up spills as soon as possible to avoid a bigger mess latter.

Use your ice cube trays to freeze vinegar. Throw one or two cubes in your disposal and turn it on. That will help with smelly problems or you can do the same with leftover lime/lemon.

For more effective dishwashing, add a few tablespoons of vinegar along with the dishwashing detergent when washing dishes. The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves dishes sparkling.

To whiten an old stained sink , poor a half cup of salt in it and then scrub it with a lemon. Let it stand for a few minutes and rinse.

Odor producing mold and bacteria in garbage cans: sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

To clean mineral deposits inside the dishwasher, pour in a container of Tang drink mix and run the dishwasher (without dishes - of course!).

Do you have any cleaning tips to share?

What's your "cleaning strategy"? Let me know!!