Starting the Spring Cleaning…

I asked if you could have a clean house with toddlers, and several people have told me, and I have to agree, it isn’t really possible.  But it’s not just toddlers, it’s any child, or husband for that matter… But honestly I’d rather have my home filled with love, laughter, and memories (and toys, piled laundry, and a little dust), than to live alone in a totally clean house.

With the arrival of warmer weather, though, I still feel the urge to do a little spring cleaning, and I have a pretty good sized list.  Last week the kids inspired me to begin tackling the list, after all, the refrigerator was mostly empty and they were in pretty sour moods…

I usually toss the old food and wipe down the shelves when we do the grocery shopping, so they weren’t too bad.  There was some built of gunk in the cracks at the bottom, though, and under the vegetable drawers, so I scrubbed all that up.  Then came the door.

There was a puddle of partially solidified chocolate syrup that seemed to have run underneath several other bottles.  The flip top ketchup bottle hadn’t been closed all the way when it was put in upside down (probably by a helpful toddler), creating a nice red mess.  Condiment packets were falling off the top shelf, which had its own unidentifiable gunk on it.  I emptied each shelf, cleaning off whatever offending spills were on it and wiping off each container.  I also pitched a jar of hot peppers we had pickled and then never used and a bottle of marinade that I am ashamed to mention how old the date on it was… But I took a picture anyway… I guess I need to start checking and pitching items from the door as well when I do the main fridge!

And the condiment packets?  I found a use for some of those Gladware containers that I no longer want to use for food (BPA and all that).

Cleaning up the refrigerator was my jump into spring cleaning.  I’ve been really motivated all of a sudden, polishing the cabinets, cleaning the oven, dusting all the trinkets on top of the cabinets and the fan, and even taking the kitchen curtains down and washing them (we’ve lived in this house for 5 years and although I vacuum them, I’ve never actually washed them until now…).  I might even get all the clutter off the countertop of the china cabinet one day…

What spring cleaning projects have you started?