sfw | FOODIE
Spring Refresh Story and Photos by Lisa Marie Blair
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fter being snuggled up in our homes all winter, our spaces can tend to become cluttered and disorganized. The tradition of spring-cleaning dates back thousands of years and started as a way to clean away winter’s mess. In those days, homes were heated by burning wood and doors and windows were kept tightly shut to keep the warm air inside. This heating source led to a buildup of soot over the cold months and therefore spring cleaning became a yearly tradition. Even though we are now blessed with cleaner heating sources, the winter grime can still slowly creep up on us. Even in this day and age spring cleaning becomes an annual necessity-so let’s declutter, clean up, and refresh our homes! There is no right or wrong way to go about refreshing your home for spring. For some, working meticulously room by room over several weeks’ time works best to organize, clean, and redecorate. For others, doing a deep clean throughout your home in one weekend is the way to go. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and can only do a couple of rooms, you may want to focus your attention on the rooms you spend the most time in. If you’re not sure where to start, Lisa Soma with Organizing by Lisa has great organizing and cleaning tips on how to proceed with sprucing up your space.
Soma’s Top Five Spring Organizing Tips: 1. Declutter first. There is no need to organize things that you no longer need. 2. Group like things together. It is easier to organize and plan spaces once you know how much of something you have. 3. B uy organizing products if necessary. Drawer dividers, baskets, totes, hangers, etc. 4. Wipe down shelving, cupboards, drawers, and vacuum closet floors. 5. Organize your keep items into the newly cleaned spaces.
Soma’s Top Five Spring Cleaning Tips: 1. Move and clean under furniture if possible. 2. Wipe down baseboards. 3. Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans. 4. Wipe down door handles, light switches, and cupboard handles. 5. Wipe your feet! Place clean mats or rugs inside and outside of each entrance. Your floors will stay clean longer.
After organizing and cleaning comes the fun part! Time to refresh! Refreshing can be as simple as bringing the outdoors in, opening windows, welcoming fresh air, and snipping some fresh flowers for a table display. Perhaps you wish to do more, like changing out pillows and hanging new art to give your space a fresh new feeling for spring. Last but not least, reward yourself with a moment to sit with your favorite beverage, relax and enjoy your newly refreshed home. n
