For those of you who are paying attention, spring is just a few short weeks away. This means that soon enough, you will be calling your Matthews sprinkler repair service to fix your system since you didn’t winterize it last fall. This also means it’s time to make a spring cleaning list. That is, it is time for your wife to make a spring cleaning list and give it to you so you can get started on all of the chores.

Now, you owe it to yourself and your family to live in a home that is clean, and we mean clean, as in your door and window moldings could get the white glove treatment and pass. The problem is that you don’t even know where to start. So, before all the cleaning can even begin, you need to have a strategy put into place. Formulating a plan will help ease the stress that comes with spring cleaning and will force you to be more efficient. Spring cleaning might seem like a daunting task, but if you follow a few tips, your house will be Martha Stewart clean in no time.

De-Clutter

The first thing you want to do right out of the gate is to clear space so dusting, sweeping and mopping are tasks that can be done without having to dodge winter boots, leftover Christmas decorations and that ice scraper you thought you lost during the winter.

Start with trash bags, the big ones you use to throw leaves in, and go around the entire house and throw away the stuff you don’t need. You will be surprised at all of the junk you come across that has been accumulating over the year. You can toss those shoes that are so encrusted with mud, you aren’t sure who they belong to, and those rotted flowers you got your wife for your anniversary in November can go as well. And please put away that Christmas angel you forgot to pack up after the holidays.

Make a Cleaning Kit

Go in the garage and grab the tool belt you never use and pull out all of the tools. Strap that bad boy on your waist and load it up with all of the tools you need to clean your house including window cleaner, rags a duster and anything else you can think of. You are now ready for action and nothing can stand in your way.

Go From Room to Room

Don’t try to do everything all at once, you will wind up having to backtrack and get stuff you missed. Your best bet is to start in one room, clean that from top to bottom and only when you are completely finished should you move on to another room.

Don’t Forget the Refrigerator

Even if you are fairly diligent in throwing away expired or otherwise bad food, we are willing to bet there is still leftover turkey in the freezer from Thanksgiving. A house is not completely cleaned until the refrigerator has been tackled.