I have a love/hate relationship with spring cleaning.  Mostly hate, but I can't help but love the way it feels when you know your space is cleaned inside and out.  The condition of your space says a lot about you.  You can psychoanalyze anyone if you have access to the place they call home.  It's because of this I have a slightly unnatural fear of unexpected company dropping by.  I can't sit around and wait for the spring to do my spring cleaning.  What if someone comes to stay with us for the Holidays?  They can't be psychoanalyzing me with dusty base boards in my bathroom!  If you're searching for a soul mate, the other thing to consider is that you typically meet the person of your dreams when you least expect it.  So why not be prepared?!  People living in many Camden Communities have met their significant others living right in their very own neighborhood. You never know when Mr. or Ms. Wonderful could be looking for a piece of mail and unexpectedly knock on your door.  Are you ready?  What does your space look like from the front door?

Most of us clean here and there but don't really clean as much as we "straighten".  The trick to avoid a bi-annual massive spring cleaning effort is to complete deep cleaning tasks a little bit at a time, all year-long.  Maintaining your space can be broken down into three basic categories.

1. Daily housework like laundry, dishes and vacuuming

2. Staying organized

3. Deep cleaning

Deep Cleaning is the stuff you typically don't do on a regular basis:

• cleaning the dust on the baseboard

• pulling out and cleaning under the appliances

• washing windows

• treating and removing soap scum build-up in the showers and tub

• treating caulk and grout (or cutting out and replacing the old caulk)

• removing the contents of drawers, closets, and containers.  (then cleaning and reorganizing the contents)

• touching up paint in high traffic areas or scuffed walls (If the MAGIC ERASER didn't do the trick)

Let's say you work a typical work week and Sunday is the day you make sure all laundry is folded, hung up, pressed and ready for the week. Dedicate about 20 minutes every weekend (pick a day: Friday, Saturday or Sunday) to one deep cleaning task that can be completed in less than 20 minutes.  That one little task each week can save you from wasting one of your vacation days on "spring cleaning". If you are constantly rotating the undesirable cleaning every week, you should stay in great shape all year long.  It's like every bit of advice ever given..."prevention is the best remedy".  A little elbow grease here and there will make a huge difference.  Happiness is having a place you are proud of any time of the day or night!