April – Spring Cleaning / Maintenance Checklist

April is the first full month of spring, and shortly the kids will be getting out of school, everyone will be heading out on vacation, and it seems like our weekends will be filled with mowing the lawns and trying to get out of the dreaded honey-do lists. This is also the month that causes most men to run for the hills, supposedly to go pick up a new spark plug for the mower, leaving the kids to help mom out with the dreaded Spring Cleaning.

I remember when I was younger and I went over to visit one of my friends. “Hey what are you guys doing?” — “We are Spring Cleaning, come grab a…” Well there went our day of fun, as I was roped into helping them out. I could not help but wonder, why do you only clean once a year? Well about two weeks later, the tables were turned. So now, I was left wondering, “Now wait just a minute, we clean our house every day – what is up with this?”

Unfortunately, there is no specific group or person we can blame for this seemingly odd custom that seemingly gets passed down from generation to generation. With a little foresight and planning though, we might be able to help get it over with just a little bit quicker.

Maintenance Checklist

Change out your HVAC filter.
Test your Smoke Detector
Turn the switch on your ceiling fans to summer mode. While you are at it, now would be a good time to wipe the blades off on the ceiling fans with a slightly damp rag. If the housing is dusty, it should be vacuumed
Get your AC system serviced, so that when it is needed it works. This is also a good time to review and see if a new unit would be a good option
If the weather interrupted any of last month’s exterior projects, you might want to get them knocked out

Gardening & Grounds Checklist

Watch out for frost & hard freeze warnings (While rare in April, it has been known to happen as late as April 15^th in Alabama, which I happen to find a little ironic)
The early part of April is about the last time you have to safely transplant trees, bushes and flowers without risking them to transplant shock.
If you want to reseed your lawns and did not get it completed last month like we recommended, this is also the time to get it done before it gets to hot.
If you have a sprinkler or watering system, it is time to get it going and tested.
Tune up your mower, weed eaters, etc… by following the manufacturer’s directions. Most of them will require that the oil, the air filter and spark plugs get changed out. You should also make sure that all the nuts & bolts are tight, nothing is bent, and that the blade(s) are sharpened.
It is time to start getting your crops planted

Other items to consider

Tax Time – if you have not gotten them done yet, you are in some serious trouble if you do not have them completed and mailed in by the 15^th. For those of you that have completed them & owe money – do not forget to mail it in on time.
Spring Cleaning – if you have been following our maintenance checklists, you will find that many of your normal spring-cleaning tasks have already been dealt with. While some people will work room to room, others will just go from task to task, you just need to find out what works best for you and get it done.
- Here are a few tips that might help make life easier.
  - Work from the top down when it comes dusting, vacuuming or washing down items like the walls.
  - Use the dishwasher for everything that fits. You can generally take out the top shelf for oversized items you might not have considered like the bathroom garbage cans, broiler pans, and bath caddies.
  - Consider hiring a professional cleaner for the windows, window coverings, carpets and upholstery – in many cases they will not only save you time, but be able to perform a better job.
  - Review this article on De-cluttering your home for a few other tips and tricks
  - Review the February & March Articles for tips on cleaning up your pantry, laundry room, and file cabinets
- It is time to store your winter bedding and replace it with the lighter sheets and blankets.
  - Before storing away your winter bedding, make sure you clean them properly and inspect them for damage. Old damaged towels and sheets make excellent rags.
  - We recommend using those airtight bags where you can suck the air out to help save space and keep bugs from finding a nice area to enjoy the winter.
  - While you are changing out your bedding, you should rotate your mattress and consider airing it out.
- It is also time to put away your winter clothes and replace it with your summer clothes.
  - Before storing away your winter clothes, make sure you clean them properly and inspect them for damage or items wearing out.
  - Consider donating clothes that are still good but you probably won’t wear again, kid’s clothes that will probably not fit come fall and all winter clothes that you did not wear this summer.
- As for the rest – everything that can or cannot be moved gets either moved, dusted, wiped, sanitized, vacuumed, waxed or polished – oh what fun.
- Set aside garage sale items, drop off donations, and haul garbage to the dump or dumpster.