The Big Spring Clean

The BIG SPRING CLEAN has begun at the Quinn Home.

The girls are I are using this week and then the following Monday's through Spring to do our spring cleaning. This is the first year we've done an actual Spring Cleaning during spring and I'm already thrilled with it.

We began in the living room yesterday. Here's what we've done so far...

We are continually running the dishwasher and washing machine (both never rest in this house!!)

Folding all clean clothes and continuing as more appear

unpacking 1 box of spring clothes a day

packing up 1 box of big wintry clothes a day - boots, quilts, heavy sweaters

dusted the work room folding table

Living Room -

Moved all furniture and cleaned underneath - amazing what you'll find under there - that's where I found my chord to my camera so I can download my pictures again!!

took down everything from the walls - 11 pictures in the living room

dusted and cleaned the glass on all the pictures

knocked down all cobwebs in corners and around the ceiling

dusted the tops of the four doors and one double window

took everything down from the top of the two double bookcases - dusted and cleaned each item

took the covers off the couch, chair and washed

cleaned under the couch and chair cushions - again amazing what all was there!!

washed the rocking chair cushions

washed the rocking chair

cleaned off the tops of the piano, round table, end table, TV & dusted

scrubbed the baseboards and around the edges of the floors

washed all door knobs

packed a pile of things to move to the out building

put Bobby's school picture in a new frame (old one broke and has been laying on the piano for a month or so)

wash the outside of the bricked and painted fireplace

wash the mantle

washed down the treadmill

washed the ceiling fan

hand scrub the outside perimeter of the floor while all the furniture was moved out

and the big one - washed the walls - we have 12 foot high ceilings - and the room is pretty big - it took so long but looks so good now!! Brenda went around on Artie's ladder and scrubbed the tops while I crawled on my knees doing the bottoms. I'm so old. My arms were so sore last night I could have cried!!!

We still have a pretty big list to do in the living room - we have the following left...

wash all glass - double windows, 8 pains in front door, 4 pains on each side of door, 12 pains on door to hall, a set of French doors to girls room, four bookshelves doors with 4 pains each - lots of grubby little finger prints to clean

clean off the top of the dresser - that's where all our cleaning stuff is stashed while we are working

clean out the drawers of the dresser and end table - now done

clean the TV screen - now done

clean out both double bookshelves and cabinets beneath both - pack up all that can be taken to Goodwill - one done so far

wash the outside of the bookshelf (all that's left of the scrubbing - my arms couldn't stand anymore yesterday) - one done so far

polish the piano

air out the big rug - done

sweep and finish hand mopping the middle of the floor

We just put new curtains in there a couple of weeks ago, so I don't have to take those down to clean.

Artie was laughing at how slow I am at cleaning things, but was happy with the results. He was the one who pointed out that we weren't gonna finish the whole house in a week and suggested we take one school day a week to continue. I think this is a great lesson for the girls to learn. I know for a fact, that my life would have been better if I had ever learned how to clean a house!!! Brenda loved it yesterday - she said she like it because it was something different than go clean up your bedroom floor. She also loved working on the ladder!!

I wish I had taken some before pictures, but maybe I'll get some later as we move around the house.