I’m not a fan of winter. I don’t like being cold, I don’t like driving in the ice and snow, and I especially don’t enjoy the dull gray yuck about this time of year. It’s around February that I’m completely over winter and I start itching for some fresh air, warmer temps, and some bright colors. I’ll have to wait on mother nature but I can take control in my own home to start refreshing for the spring. This always help me to feel a little better and get rid of some of that winter dulldrum.
Bust the Dust
I never realize how dull dust can make things look until after I do a good thorough cleaning. During my spring cleaning I hit the areas that don’t always get the attention like wiping down walls, cleaning the blades of the ceiling fans, and dusting the knick knacks.
Shed a Little Light On the Subject
Cleaning out the light shades and lamp covers for ceiling lights and lamps and replacing burnt out light bulbs will make your home brighter. Replace them with energy efficient light bulbs to save on your electric bill too.
Spring is a Time for Change
Changing things like your curtains, throw pillows, table cloth or even hand towels can make a nice change. I recently did this in my living room putting up lighter colored curtains to brighten my dark room up a bit. I don’t buy curtains or table clothes very often but when I do, I’ve gotten some good deals online . Honestly even Dollar General has some sheer or lace curtains for about $6-$10 that’s just right to give you a change without breaking your wallet. If you stick with neutral colors you could even exchange curtains with windows of similar sizes. For instance, our bedroom windows are almost all the same size as our living room windows. If you can’t afford to buy new you could swap and put the bedroom curtains in the living room and living room in the bedroom. As long as they match and fit of course. Consignment stores and thrift shops are another option.
Hey Carpet Your Winter is Showing
Things like dust, pet hair, and even dirt tracked into the house can make your carpets look dull. Sure I vacuum every day (with 4 kids and 2 cats I don’t have a choice) but I like to give my carpets a good scrubbing with my carpet scrubber to get a thorough clean in the spring. If you don’t have a carpet scrubber you could rent one for a day or even just use a carpet foam that you can vacuum out.
Get Movin’
Spring is a great time to rearrange furniture to break up the monotony. Moving the couch and love seat in a different position, rearranging the small appliances on the counter, or moving the your bed in your bedroom can all be a nice change. When you move those things out you might find some winter dust bunnies you can get rid of too.
Smells Like Spring
If you like fragrances in your house pulling out the spring candles, warmers, or air freshners can be a nice pick me up. Fragrances with names like April Showers, lily of the valley, and even citrus scents (for energy) can do the trick.
Ahh Fresh Air
Here in Pennsylvania winter get cold. It’s a rare occasion to be able to open the windows between October and March. We do get those freak warm days. Actually today it hit 50 degrees which is warm for February in south central PA. Anywho, it was a nice opportunity to pop a few windows open for about a half hour or so just to get some fresh air.
I also did a guest post on ideas to refresh your car for spring. I’d love it if you checked it out.