I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that today, after working in the kitchen, I had to dry my hands with a terry cloth baby bib. There wasn’t a single clean towel or rag in my kitchen drawers, so I had to settle for a bib that my children haven’t used in quite a while. Of course, I have a perfectly good excuse for being caught without a clean towel…I’ve been cleaning! No, seriously.
It started innocently enough a week or so ago when I decided that something must be done about our basement. I’m not exaggerating when I say the Christmas stockings were laying on the floor of our unfinished basement. In fact, only the ornaments had found their way back into their respective boxes. The rest of the Christmas decorations were scattered around the basement and March was fast approaching!
On a morning when we didn’t have to be anywhere and my three children were enjoying the company of each other, I decided it was time to tidy up the basement. I’ve still got some work to do and there is that donation pile to haul to a local charity, but I’m feeling pretty good about the reclaimed space in the basement.
The strange thing was, once I started on the basement, I started to notice the mess in other areas of the house. Sure, you might not see the mess when you walk in my house, but that’s only because you probably wouldn’t open my cabinets or peek in my laundry room. Trust me, it’s there.
Another morning, I found myself cleaning out some of my kitchen cabinets. I washed all of the pots, pans, serving dishes, and other items I found. I then wiped down the shelves and put everything back in a more organized fashion. Some items didn’t make the cut. (I’m hoping my kids won’t remember the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine.) Once again, I felt pretty good about the tidier space. One week later, the cabinet is still in good shape. However, I haven’t touched the other cabinets. That’s where you come in.
I’m guessing I can’t be the only Kansas City mom (or dad) who wants to clean up the house a bit after a long, gray, slushy winter. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those chores done and be free to play outside (or inside) and not have to think about the dirt and clutter that is consuming your home?
Now, before you let the words “Spring Cleaning” scare you away, let me tell you what I’m thinking. I’m blessed to be a mom to three rather young children. That means my definition of spring cleaning might be a bit different than what is typically considered deep cleaning. In other words, you probably won’t find me cleaning my blinds. It isn’t that they don’t need it, it’s just that I know my limitations (or maybe the right word is motivation). It’s just that after cleaning the basement and some of the kitchen, I found myself losing focus. I like the benefits of all of the hard work, but it’s so easy to get caught up in the daily tasks that I forget my goal. That’s where I’m thinking accountability might be a good thing.
By next Wednesday, I’m planning on having finished Spring Cleaning my kitchen. Will you join me? I’ll be cleaning out my refrigerator, cleaning the oven (that doesn’t have a self-clean feature), wiping down the cabinet and pantry shelves, and getting rid of items I no longer need or use. There are plenty of other things I could and might do, but if I get that far, I figure my kitchen will be cleaner than it has been in a longer time than I’m willing to publicly admit. If you’d like to join in the “fun”, simply leave me a comment letting me know. ( If you have a blog, be sure to enter your address when you leave your comment and I’ll stop by to say hi.) Tell me what you’re going to do to spring clean your kitchen and if you have any cleaning tips, please share them!
If enough readers are interested, then we can spend a few more Wednesdays cleaning. Riveting, isn’t it?
So, won’t you join me? You can clean your blinds if you’re so inclined. You’re even welcome to clean mine if you like!
If you’d like to read more than you’d even like to know about the history of spring cleaning, you can head here. If you’d like ideas on where to start and what you might want to consider cleaning in your kitchen, I found this site helpful.