5 Spring Home Spruce-Up Tips - Spring Cleaning 101 for Busy Family Lifestyles

Homekeeping

It may still be snowing right now in parts of the country, but that doesn't mean we all can't start thinking about spring wherever we live. I know at my house with several sloppy teens spring cleaning is an honored but hated tradition but nevertheless is still well underway already. Warm weather will eventually arrive for everyone soon enough, though. So you'll want to be ready to enjoy all the wonders of spring which traditionally starts on March 21st.

Me pulling my brother on our sled in late Winter, Photo circa 1960

To get you to start visualizing about those sunny and warmer days ahead, you and I need to figuratively and literally sweep away those winter cobwebs and refresh our homes. 

Here to inspire us and get the job done are five easy tips from Sally Morse, Director of Creative Services at HunterDouglas, a brand renowned for their custom window fashions, to create a brighter, lighter, more organized home for you and your family. 

Farmers market tulips brighten up the dining room

1. Clear Away 
If cleaning and clearing away the clutter seems overwhelming, Morse has one simple trick to calm the nerves. To avoid stress, split spring cleaning into easy-to-manage smaller tasks. “Try setting the kitchen timer for 15 minutes per area, like the bedroom closet, pantry or foyer," she says. "Telling yourself you’re going to de-clutter the home in one weekend sounds draining. Rather, split up the tasks into smaller ones so you stay focused and don’t get lost in the process.” 

2. Welcome Springtime Light
While you might want to update everything in your home with more spring-like furnishings and accessories, it may not be the most time- or cost-effective approach for you. One uplifting and impactful décor change that can easily be made, however, is to update your window treatments. By adding the right window fashions in your home, they will not only look stylish and beautifully filter light for a glowing room, but also provide a host of practical benefits such as energy-efficiency, UV-protection, sound absorption and more. Most definitely, nothing says spring like a sun-soaked room. 

3. Bring Nature In
As Mother Earth comes to life again it’s a great time to bring that feeling of nature's regeneration indoors with easy-to-maintain plants and flowers. Additionally, to make your indoor and outdoor spaces feel more seamless, use the same planters on your porch and entryway as in your foyer and kitchen.  Lastly, don’t forget about the flowers; add pastel bouquets of lilac, forsythia and narcissus to spread a cheerful dose of color around the home. 

4. Make it Lemony Fresh
Appeal to all five senses with this year’s spring updates. After your initial scrub and, sorting and clearing of clutter, extend that fresh scent by adding a lemon-scented diffuser. You can, of course, easily purchase one, but for a fun DIY project, create a citrus diffuser at home. Simply take any small vase or glass bottle and add lemon-scented fragrance oil, mineral oil that’s used as a non-evaporating base to hold the essential oils, a small dose of vodka that thins the oils getting it to the right consistency to move up the reeds, and diffuser reeds that can be purchased at any crafts store. Start by pouring 1/4 cup of mineral oil into a measuring cup, add 2-3 tablespoons of vodka, stirring to emulsify both together; then put in the essential oil. Pour the mixture into your container and insert five reeds. With these basic ingredients on hand, you can keep your home smelling fresh and clean all through the season and beyond.
  
5. Lighter Linens 
For one spring refresher that goes a long way, try brightening up your home with lighter fabrics.  This update can awaken nearly every room from the living room, bedroom and bathroom to the kitchen.  Swap out heavier, darker fabrics such as rugs, pillow covers, and towels for lighter ones both in texture and color.  Top beds with a lightweight blanket, folding the comforter and placing it at the foot of the bed for chilly evenings.  You can even go so far as to invigorating the living room with slipcovers in light, washable fabrics.
  

Image provided by Hunter Douglas

As you can see with a little work and a few additions, you can happily welcome in the new season with a clean, orderly, beautiful home.  

For more ideas on getting your home ready for spring you're invited to visit HunterDouglas.com as well the Hunter Douglas Facebook Page and their Pinterest Page.  For even more inspiration, don't miss the brand's “The Art of Window Dressing” iPad app in the iTunes App Store.

What are your ideas for getting a home filled with kids into the spring spirit? I hope you'll feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts.

FTC Disclosure: Hunter Douglas provided the tips incorporated into this blogpost as interpreted by MommyBlogExpert. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.