By Staff
Samantha Mazzotta, Special to the Enquirer
Spring is finally here. Of course this means only one thing – time to clean house.
Don't run away screaming just yet. Spring cleaning isn't just about clearing cobwebs out of the corners and airing out the house; it's also about preparing the house for summertime and all the activity that revolves around that season.
So instead of trying to tackle all your spring-cleaning tasks at once, prioritize them around the warm-weather activities you and your family enjoy.
Some general maintenance and cleaning must be done when the temperatures rise above freezing, but schedule other tasks around what you'd like to do first. If your family enjoys grilling outside or swimming, tackle the deck and pool areas early on. If you prefer entertaining friends indoors, concentrate on the public areas of the house and handle the less-visible rooms later.
In the meantime, here are some must-do tasks that, if taken care of now, won't jump up and bite you during the summer when you'd rather be chilling in the shade:
Finally, if you suffer from dust- or pet-related allergies, give the entire house a thorough dusting and cleaning before opening the windows. That first puff of spring breeze will kick up any dust that has settled into corners or behind furniture, possibly setting off a red-eyed sneezing fit that will make you dread opening up the house. A good cleaning beforehand will make that first, fresh spring breeze a pleasant experience.
Don't forget outside needs cleaning, too
Pay special attention to the gas hookup assembly, making sure none of the parts are damaged prior to attaching a propane tank.
Getting everything ready to go and taking stock of the condition of the yard prior to starting any work will allow you to schedule repairs, cleaning and other maintenance on your own time, rather than having to fix things as you go.
This will save a lot of time and stress throughout the spring season, so get to it!