We've all heard the rules our grandmothers handed down to us.   No white after Labor Day.  (I break this one, sorry Grandma)  Christmas decorations shouldn't go up until after Thanksgiving.  (I practice this one.  I wish the retailers would also!)  My grandmother also had a tradition that was really a hard and fast rule:  As soon as she could open her windows to let fresh air in she went on a cleaning frenzy.  She didn't refer to it as "Spring Cleaning" but rather called it "Freshening my home". Everyone needed to get out of Grandmas way for a good 2 weeks.  She was one mean cleaning machine!  The unfortunate thing was that Grandma would wear herself out and as she aged, the stress on her body during these 2 weeks certainly wasn't healthy.

If you are like me you don't freshen your home just once a year. I don't like the frenzy that my grandmother worked herself in to, and I also like that fresh feeling all year long.  If you are planning on selling your home in the near future this is even more important now than ever.

There are little things that you can do all year round to help keep your home fresh.  Here are some tips that I've received and some things I've learned on my own to keep my home fresh and clutter free:

Take an extra garbage bag a week to the curb for your normal pickup.  It doesn't have to be a full sized trash bag, a smaller bag will do.  Fill it up!  Take a look around your home, you would be surprised at the amount of "trash" that can accumulate.  Trash can include anything from the things your spouse hasn't touched in 12 years (shhh..don't tell him I said this) to odds and ends that your kids bring home, to old clothes that you wouldn't give a way to a charity, to junk mail that sits on a table or counter-top. 

Walk around with a window cleaner bottle and a roll of paper towel 20 minutes each week.   It's amazing how much more you find to clean when you specifically walk around with those items in hand!

Fill up that pail with water and your favorite cleaning solution and carry it around for 20 minutes once a week. Don't cheat!  A full 20 minutes will do wonders for those baseboards, spots on the walls, etc.  Don't forget to check behind your furniture if some of it is up against a wall!

Take one room a month and strip the curtains from the windows.  Wash them, or take them to the cleaners.  I guarantee if you do this once a month rotating rooms that it will make your life so much easier and your home smelling fresher!

Peek into a closet once a week.  Pick a closet, any closet.  Sort, organize, discard.  If you keep up with this, it should only take you 5 minutes once you've given it the "thorough" treatment.

If you have a basement or storage area that is overflowing make a mental sketch of all you have in there.  Better yet, take some pictures.  Study the photos and plan your organization.  There are wonderful inexpensive storage containers and shelving units available.  Purchase one a week or several when they are on sale and USE THEM!  Once these areas are organized don't forget about them.  Peek in on them weekly.  Make sure that the same ghost that hides the other sock isn't tossing things willy nilly back into your organized areas!

I'm sure most of you have more of these tidbits that you do on a regular basis to help keep your home clean and clutter free.  As I said above, if you are thinking about selling your home in the near future this should be at the top of the list to implement now if you haven't already.  Please don't wait until spring and find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of work that you'll need to do and want to do to make your home stand out from the competition!

In Macomb County Michigan there are currently many homes on the real estate market.  Those homes that are priced well, clean & uncluttered will stand out from the competing homes.  Make yours shine above them all! 

A partner for your real estate needs.
Serving Metro Detroit home buyers and sellers.
RE/MAX Advantage 1, Inc.
586-840-1876 (direct line)
http://macombhomes.com
kwales@remax.net
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