Challenge #2: Spring Cleaning The Front Entrance and Porch

Welcome Home!

Our Spring Cleaning Adventure is going to start right at the front of our homes. I know some of you are still snow-challenged, but do the best you can. You can save some of the outside activities for April or May when the snow disappears (I will leave this list on Cindy's Porch for the next few months).

This Spring Cleaning Challenge meant to be spread over several days.

Get the family involved. You will be amazed by how much the kids can accomplish when they pitch in to help! And if they don't sweep as good as you or wash as good as you, don't worry about it. They will do a better job next year LOL! Please don't redo their work. Let them be proud of their accomplishments.

Here's the list. Print it out and cross off the items as they get done. Let's get started!

Outside the Front of your Home:

1. Trash: Grab a grocery bag and walk outside your front yard. Pick up any trash, papers, and other stuff that have accumulated over the winter. We always get newspapers blowing into the bushes in front of the porch. Check closely around hedges and fences. Use a rake and gather up any leaves left over from last fall. If you have any other stuff (left over renovation projects, old furniture, the old Christmas tree, cut branches, car parts, etc) in your front yard, see if you can get rid of it or move it someplace else.
   
   
2. Mailbox, house numbers, knick-knacks, and front lights: Use a damp cloth to wipe away the grime (remember to ensure that light bulbs are cool before you wash them). You are going to be amazed by how brighter the area looks when the winter buildup is gone!
   
   
3. Sidewalk and Front Step: Sweep (or shovel) the sidewalk up to your front door. Remember to sweep the front step as well. Shake out the welcome mat! Mine can be washed, so I am going to stick it into the washing machine so it is ready to "Welcome Spring"!
   
   
4. The Front Door: Wash down your front door. It is surprising how much dust and grit sticks to the outside. If you have windows on your front door, give them a wash as well (both sides). Remember to take down your Christmas wreath LOL! (Here's a hint – please don't wash your front door if it is still below freezing out there!)
   
   
5. Add something fresh for spring: Dig out the spring or Easter wreath you bought a few years ago and keep forgetting that you have. SHOP at home FIRST: a friend of ours made a beautiful wreath from pussy willows, straw from a previous year's Easter basket, a couple fake birds from her craft supplies, and a large bright ribbon. It looked great and didn't cost a dime!

The Front Porch (my favorite part):

1. Get rid of any stuff that doesn't belong: this might be the pumpkin left from last October, the plastic tin soldiers from Christmas, the pile of newspaper recycle, the computer monitor that broke down in November, or the winter boots that need to be put away. Remember, trash is trash. Out it goes. If you find something that you don't want anymore, add it to the future garage sale or donation box.
   
   
2. Using a pail with hot soapy water and a cleaning rag, wipe down any furniture that is on the porch. We also have cushions on our chairs. They have been left out all winter, so I am going to bring them in and wipe them with a damp cloth as well.
   
   
3. Are there windows on your porch? If it is warm enough, give them a quick wash (I am just going to use window cleaner and a rag to clean the outside of our front living room window that faces the porch).
   
   
4. Take a look around your porch. Are there broken spider webs hanging from the roof or around the porch frame? Have leaves gathered in the corners? Grab a broom and sweep away the old spider webs. Pick up the trash and gather the leaves. Then, sweep up the porch.
   
   
5. Give the floor area a quick wash. Do you have any carpets on your porch? We have a small mat to collect dirt from our shoes before we enter the house. I am going to toss mine into the wash machine to brighten it up. It is going to be good for another year. Next fall, I will look for a new one on sale.
   
   
6. Now put everything back that you want on your porch.

Hmmm, I just noticed that our porch is going to need a coat of paint this year (we have PROCRASTINATED long enough). So, the porch is going to get added to our "FIX IT" list on the fridge. This is going to be a project for May or June.

Now we are going inside the home…. The Front Hall Closet (watch out for falling objects!)

1. Winter Gear: Getting ready for spring means packing away the winter coats, toques, and mitts. Since we pass our winter coats down from one kid to the next, it is important that they are clean and mended before we pack them away in the basement. Wash up any winter gear that you don't need until fall. Coats that are too small will be added to garage sale/donation pile. Get them out of your main closet so you can make room for spring and summer gear. Take a look at how many boots and shoes are stored in your front hall closet. Do they all get worn? Are any too small? Can they be stored someplace else?
   
   
2. What else is in your closet? Go through each shelf one at a time. I usually take everything out. Wash down the shelf and only put back the things you want to keep. If it is trash, then out it goes.
   
   
3. Wash down the closet walls and floor: My kids (and my husband) have this annoying habit of kicking their shoes off and flinging them into the closet. This leaves ugly black marks over the bottom two feet of wall in the closet. As well, by the time spring rolls around, the floor of the closet begins to resemble a sand box! Vacuum the floors and wash the walls with warm soapy water. Magic Eraser ™ works really well on the stubborn black marks (and no I am not associated with that company – hee hee).
   
   
4. Put back the stuff you want. If you ended up with empty space in the closet – enjoy it!

The Front Entrance

1. The NOT ME five: our front entrance is a favorite spot for the NOT ME five. Laundry, trash, papers (especially newspapers and junk mail), dishes (especially lunch kits), and other stuff collect here more than any other spot of our home! So before I start any kind of spring cleaning in our front entrance, I have to get rid of the NOT ME five first! Call the kids and tell them to get rid of their stuff – hee hee!
   
   
2. Do you have a table, desk, or chair in your front entrance? Does it collect stuff? Open your eyes wide and see if you can get rid of some of this stuff. Wipe down the table, desk, or chair. Use a fresh tablecloth or add a vase with fresh spring flowers to brighten up the space.
   
   
3. Do you have other things in your front entrance that take up space and perhaps are not needed? We keep very little at our front door. I want there to be room for people, not things.
   
   
4. Shine it up: grab some window cleaner and shine up the front entrance. Remember to catch the knobs on the closet and front door, wipe down any ledges, knick-knacks, or other dust catchers.
   
   
5. Wipe off stray fingerprints: I know I promised that we wouldn't be washing any walls, so just fill up a pail with hot soapy water and wipe away any obvious fingerprints on the corners. Remember to look on the door too. When our kids were small, it felt like I was always catching fingerprints on the bottom three feet of our walls. Now that the kids are bigger, the fingerprints haven't disappeared – they just moved higher up!
   
   
6. Vacuum up the floor: Sand and grit are really hard on your floors and this is the time of year when it feels like there is an endless supply.
   
   
7. Vacuum and/or wash the inside front entrance mat.
   
   
8. Wash the floor: Remember to wipe down the baseboards as well. They look like new when that layer of black dust is removed from the top.
   
   
9. Put everything back and you are done!

Whew! That's it. I know this list looks long, but trust me, each step goes faster than you think. Our family is going to spread this out over the weekend (no more than an hour each morning). My husband doesn't know this yet, but he gets to "buddy up" with our youngest and take care of the outside parts. They will have a blast together. My oldest will join up with me and take care of the inside parts. Then we are going on a spring hike to celebrate! We are going "bird hunting" (with a camera).

Take care of you,
Cindy

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