April Checklist for a Smooth-Running Home

Spring has arrived. Wake up your home and get ready for the season ahead by deep cleansing, sprucing up outdoor areas and simplifying your living areas, one shelf at a time. And when you’re finished, pour yourself a nice glass of something cold to drink and toast your beautiful, freshly cleaned home.

Shelley Morris Interiors

Freshen patios and porches. The days never fail to draw people outside onto porches, patios and decks to enjoy the longer-lasting light. Make sure your outdoor spaces are prepared for the season by cleaning off cobwebs and leaves, washing floors and refreshing outdoor furniture.

Moore Architects

Clean the outside and inspect window displays for tears. Increasing your home’s curb appeal is as easy as turning on the hose (or a pressure washer) and giving the siding a quick blast to remove accumulated dirt and debris. Also be sure to check window displays for small tears which can enable bugs in, and fix or replace the displays as needed.

Baxter Design Group

Clean ceiling fans and overhead lighting fixtures. Grab a tall ladder and (carefully!) Get to work. Use a duster or soft rags to eliminate dust from fans and light fixtures — moist rags will merely make the dust more difficult to eliminate. For caked-on grime, begin with a dry duster or microfiber fabric and then proceed to some fresh damp cloth if needed.

Shelley Morris Interiors

Deep wash the kitchen and prep for seasonal meals. Give your kitchen a fresh spring start with a comprehensive cleaning. In addition to a usual cobweb floor and clearing mopping, wipe down walls and doors and also vacuum behind the refrigerator and stove. Encourage healthy seasonal eating by cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry, and also stocking the space with fresh local produce and other wholesome picks.

Organize one shelf. If a structured home is a goal that you want to achieve this season, set yourself up for success by starting small. Working on one shelf, drawer or cabinet at a time can allow you to build momentum. Try starting with the spice rack, a bedside table or some frequently used desk drawer.

Integrated

Simplify the living area. Pare down books and media to produce a more relaxing space. Donate used books, music and movies to the local library or sell them. Organize what is left, concealing anything unsightly (gaming equipment, I’m looking at you) behind closed doors. To keep things from getting out of hand in the future, pencil in a date about a month from the paring-down date to devote an afternoon culling undesirable media.

Ethos Interiors

Streamline files. Since you will likely be digging through your old paperwork this month as you prepare taxes (ugh, I know), take some time to toss junk as you run across it instead of stuffing everything back into the files. A slimmed-down file drawer can make it a lot easier to locate exactly what you require, so it is well worth the extra effort today.

Sutro Architects

Lighten up tablescapes. If you have had exactly the same arrangements on your own tables for months, now is a good time to shake up things. There’s no need to spend money — only look around your home and see what could be transferred or repurposed from another area. Try displaying flowers on the table in classic tea tins or jelly jars, or place fresh blossoms in your vases rather than blossoms. Streamline the decorative items you choose to keep outside, and store the rest to rotate at a future date.

Inform us : How are you planning and refreshing your home this month?

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