A CLEARER VISION ON SPRING CLEANING!

Everybody seems to be excited that spring has finally arrived. Sure…spring means warmer weather, more daylight and the chance to spend days outside watching crocus, daffodil and tulip risings. I learned, however, that spring can also be depressing. Just look out the windows during this “new birth” season and you can see what I mean. The dirty windows are just one indication of how much work needs to be done at this time of year. It’s spring cleaning time and who likes to clean? I know I don’t!
Okay! I have some pride so I, too, will get out the Windex and go to work. But wait! How do you get rid of all those streaks that seem to make my windows look worse than before I started the cleaning job? Windex doesn’t quite cut all the grime…nor does vinegar and water.
Martha to the Rescue
Alas! Martha Stewart seems to have the answer for everything. I’ll go to her website and find out the “correct” way to clean windows. This year I will have the shiniest and cleanest windows in the neighborhood. Okay, Martha, what do I do?
For this job, Martha lists the need for nine tools and materials. I need NINE things just to wash the windows? Then she lists eight steps for washing windows. EIGHT steps!
I know that this woman is the domestic goddess, but this doesn’t mean that I have to follow her. Besides when my windows are too clean birds dive bomb into them thinking that they aren’t there. Over the past 30 years I’ve had to bury birds twice because of clean, shining windows. (Those two times were when the windows were professionally cleaned.) So maybe I’ll just use my Windex and some paper towel this year or, as a concession to Martha, I use a lint-free cloth, such as huckaback. (What the heck is huckaback? Forget this!)
Perfection…Hardly
So with streaks in my windows, I’ll enjoy spring and the three other seasons of the year. Now for my carpets. It’s that time of year to bring out the rug shampooer and go to work. Where the heck is that rug shampooer anyway? And I guess I should tackle the two-inch layer of dust on everything. (How many steps does Martha have for removing dust?)
I’ve learned the hard way (especially when it’s time to entertain and I realize just how dirty my house is) that if I cleaned a little more on a regular basis I would be ahead of the game. I wouldn’t be so depressed when spring arrives. Besides, isn’t spring the time to begin working on the gardens and lawns? I’m spending so much time trying to clean up my house after months of a cleaning lax that there’s little time for outdoor chores. Do you think this is why our grass and flowers look so pitiful during the summer months? Maybe I do need Martha after all!