Before you know it, spring will be here and you know what that means? Spring cleaning. It's something most of us dread, but it really does give you and your home a new, fresh start for the rest of the year.
To make spring cleaning much less painful, I suggest doing some small things around your house this winter to get ready for the spring. The more you do month-to-month, the less work it will all be when the weather gets nice. Check back tomorrow for some of our favorite cleaning products to stock up for now and come spring.
1 While the weather is cold outside, now is the perfect time to give wooden furniture a seasonal waxing and buffing.
2 Beautiful homes are all about great lighting; dust off lampshades and light bulbs, and give your chandeliers a clean shine.
3 Place a rough mat (coir, wood, or rubber) outside for wiping off mud and snow and an absorbent mat inside to soak up moisture.
4 Bring order back to your laundry room.
5 As the darkest, coldest days of winter come on, you'll want to be sure you have enough firewood on hand to keep the house warm and toasty.
6 Pantry cabinets need their contents taken out periodically so shelves can be wiped down. It's also a good time to reorganize them and throw out expired items.
7 For the best, most even wear on your mattress, it's recommended that you turn and rotate it each quarter. See our convenient tip to help remind you when to turn it next.
8 After the holidays, store your fine china with care to protect it. Inserting felt rounds, paper plates, or basket coffee filters between stacked dishes can help prevent scratching.
9 Staying on top of monthly chores keeps a household in pristine condition. Use our checklist as a guide to organize your monthly cleanup. http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2009Q3/ms_checklist_monthlyclean.pdf
10 Plan for spring by planing your vegetable garden. So start leafing through seed and plant catalogs. Once you've picked your favorite plants, begin placing orders and plotting out what will go where.
11 And as winter comes to a close, clear gutters of leaves, twigs, and debris.
12 Replace baking soda in the fridge or freezer.
13 A properly seasoned cast-iron pan has inherent nonstick properties. Here are tricks for proper seasoning and periodic maintenance of a true kitchen workhorse.
14 Fire safety includes doing a battery check every six months. A great way to remember this task is to do it when you reset clocks for daylight savings.
15 Clean your tea kettle.
16 Stock up on candles.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Rowaida Flayhan | 1/23/12 at 5:48 pm
Very interesting and inspiring post.
Happy Year of the Dragon! I'd like to wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year.
From: David K. | 1/24/12 at 7:21 pm
Lots of great tips and ideas! I need to add a few of those to my Martha Stewart Collecting Calendar!