With April upon us, the birds are chirping and the snow is melting.  The days are growing longer and you see more people coming out from hibernation, getting excited for the warm weather ahead.  Many people see Spring as a new beginning, a fresh start and ideas of home improvements and cleaning spring to mind.

Whether you find the idea of spring cleaning thrilling (I know some of you out there do!) or just another thing to add to your laundry list, here are a few simple tips to help you get on track and get your house in order:

1) Take it room by room.  If the idea of spring cleaning your house seems to be completely overwhelming, make it more manageable by tackling one room at a time.

2)  Work from top to bottom.  Does it look like some dust bunnies are camping out on top of those ceiling fan blades?  Start there.  No one wants to give the room a good scrub only to realize the last piece of the puzzle means creating more dust!

3) Speaking of dust bunnies, don't forget their favourite hiding place: under beds as well as other furniture and appliances.  If you suffer from dust allergies, it is important to clean these places on a regular basis, not just during spring cleaning.

4) Tackle the clutter.  Let's take advantage of that natural urge we feel this time of year and get rid of items that are no longer useful or hold any sentimental attachment. 

5) The same goes for your closet.  We all have items in our closets that we've had for years, and haven't worn in years.  Be ruthless when going through your closet and drawers.  If you have items that are in good condition but just don't fit right or you've never felt comfortable in, why are you holding on to them?  Take them to a consignment store or donate to a local or national organization that takes gently used clothing such as the Canadian Diabetes Association.

6) This is also a great time to go through your medicine cabinet and clear out any expired medications.  Always to be sure to dispose of medications properly by taking them to your local pharmacy. 

7) While you're at it, that salad dressing is HOW old?  Give your fridge a good clean-out and don't just pile the condiments back into the door without taking a look at the expiration dates!

8) Don't forget the other appliances.  Most ovens have a self-cleaning cycle making the job easier.  You can also put down a non-stick oven liner to help make the process easier down the road.    In the laundry room, you'll want to run your washing machine through a cleaning cycle using a specified cleaning product (check your manual to see which one is recommended).

These are just a few tips from the crew here at Emergency ID to help you get organized and ready to scrub.  Happy cleaning!