7 Ways to Refresh Your Home for Spring

Share this post with your friends!

In need of a spring refresh? Me too.

This was the first year where I truly tried to use the winter season properly. Rather than moaning and groaning and waiting for spring (or a really good snow), I used the time I had. I made candles and dried oranges and set to work getting the house in order. My thought process was that if I could clean and declutter everything well in winter. Then I could devote more time to canning, gardening, and being outdoors in the summer. It wasn’t a total waste by any means. But I did seem to forget that I have four small kids- and babies and houses don’t keep..

So already my house is greatly in need of a spring refresh before we welcome summer once again. So here are 7 simple ways to refresh your home for spring!

1. Wipe Down Doors, Walls, and Windows

We have four little kids which basically means 40 little fingerprints on every surface in this house. I’m not exaggerating. I wipe down walls with a duster or damp cloth once every week or so, but for a good spring cleaning I love a new Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

I usually start by taking a broom and knocking down any spider webs or dust collected in the corners of the ceiling and then working top to bottom I wipe off the wall, any trim, baseboards, any frames or art hung on the wall, etc. You can also vacuum out window sills, vents, and small corners to be more thorough.

In our house doors are generally fairly simple to wipe down but there is always a ring of dirt and small fingerprints around the knob and sometime it takes a spritz of vinegar and water to wipe them away completely.

** This is a great all purpose cleaner especially if you have little hands helping you! Since this mixture contains vinegar probably not the best option for long term use on granite or marble.

Spring is a perfect time to wipe down windows as well. Most likely they haven’t been cleaned (at least from the outside) all winter. A quick wipe down of windows (inside and out) and window sills makes for a better view of your spring landscape and refreshes your home for spring!

2. Air Out Your Home

“Mama can I open this window?”

I hear that all. winter. long.

Even on 20 degree days!

But finally it is spring so I can happily say “Yes!” once again!

This is probably the easiest one on my spring refresh list and I think it is also my favorite. I tend to do this all spring long! I lift every window (if your windows don’t open or have screens you may want to prop open a door) and simply welcome in the fresh air. Doing this in your bedroom for about twenty minutes each morning before making your bed is an old homemaking tip that I love implementing in my own home.

You will want to turn off your central heating and air if you plan to keep your windows up all day, but in this way you are also saving on your electric bill! You may also (at least in Tennessee) end up with a thin coating of pollen on every surface! I guess they can’t all be perks!

Need a spring refresh to your meal plan? Visit our blog: 4 Springtime Dinner Ideas

3. Simplify a Space

Sometimes when we think spring cleaning we get into manic mode and think we have to do every single little thing. If you have a couple of weeks to devote to that then by all means- go ahead!! But sometimes the best thing to do is to take 15 minutes and tackle one problem area of your home. You may not can do your entire bathroom closet in this time but you can take care of one shelf of it! Adding a simple 15 minute project each day will over time take some big things off your to-do list without requiring you to set aside an entire day to work on it!

For our spring refresh, I think the best place to start is simply with one problematic area. Think of one area of your home that is begging for your attention. Maybe its a spot by the back door where everyone slings off their raincoat and boots. Maybe it’s a corner of your house that somehow became a collection of everyone’s junk. Or maybe it’s just a china cabinet that hasn’t been dusted in a while.

I chose a basket that sits on the end of our couch right when you enter the front door. It is our catch all for mail, books, and anything I need to get to later when I find time to sit down.

Choose one small space and simplify it. Peel away the clutter, clean up the space, and maybe even add something beautiful there if you feel it needs it! Sometimes a cluttered area is taking up just as much space in your mind as it is in your home. So this spring refresh may benefit you in more ways than one.

4. Throw Away One Bag of Clutter

Part of being a homemaker is keeping track of your home. It seems to be that regardless of how small you start off or how minimalist you become there is always more to get rid of. Clutter tends to find its way into our home even when we are guarding the doors. When you realize that everything in your home is your responsibility to maintain- it becomes a lot easier to part with all the excess!

So a simple spring refresh is to grab an extra garbage bag (or donation box) and walk through your home. This is not a time to get sentimental or over think things. That outfit you haven’t worn in six years with the weird yellow stain on it will do you more good by leaving than by hanging out in your closet another 10 years!

Fill your bag or box completely (unless you just truly can’t- in which case- kudos to you!) On the other hand, if that felt really good and you still have more stuff you don’t want- grab another bag and keep going sister!

5. Add a Spring Touch to Your Home

If you haven’t noticed by now- I love decorating with the seasons. I used to wrestle with being that way until I realized- God decorates for the seasons too! So I suppose I take that after my Father! I think the sweetest way to add a little spring to your home is by bringing the outdoors inside. Whether you buy some flowers or gather some from your backyard- filling vases or pitchers with pops of spring is a great way to refresh your home.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or costly. I bought a small bouquet at Kroger for $8.99 and divided it up to fill all these vases! They usually will last 2-3 weeks and some even up to a month!

If you don’t like flowers or have an allergy, faux flowers, bowls of lemons or in season fruit, straw hats, and floral fabrics are all great spring additions to your home!

6. Tidy Up (or Create) an Outdoor Living Space

We spend most our time outdoors, especially as we head into the summer months. We love eating dinner on our front porch, having over friends for a bon fire, and having a shady spot to sit and watch the kids play. My back yard is in need of my attention as well but for a simple spring refresh, I started with my front porch!

This fall we plan to repaint it, but for now a quick wash, sweep, and a couple of spring touches will suffice! This is the first place people see when they come visit our home. (Well actually the first thing they see is like 10 bicycles all over our driveway, but this a close second.)The easiest way to clean off your porch is by sweeping or spot wiping where it is needed, but if you have vinyl siding like us and a jet sprayer on your water hose this is a great way to to clean the entire front of your house!

If you don’t have a porch or a designated space outside now is a great time to create one you can utilize all summer. You don’t have to spend a lot. Stumps, logs, or old chairs make for great outdoor seating and a few terracotta pots filled with herbs or flowers add so much charm to an outdoor area!

7. Plant Something

I love planting things. That’s probably pretty obvious by now. I love flowers, veggies, fruits, and roots! You may not want to do a full garden this year but a simple pot of lavender, some geraniums, or even just some greenery is a beautiful way to refresh your home inside or out this spring!

We started this flower bed a few weeks ago and it has sat empty and waiting in our front yard. So as I began my spring refresh I knew this was the first area I wanted to tackle. Now it is filled with compost, raised bed soil, and a variety of herbs, flowers, and even a stevia plant. I’ve never worked with one before so we will see how that goes! (Leave tips in the comments if you have experience with stevia!)

The Perks of a Spring Refresh

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have been in need of a spring refresh both inside and out. And I don’t just mean inside the house. I love being a homemaker, but sometimes that job gets overwhelming. It seems that by the time one thing really needs your attention- everything does. And so do your kids. And your husband. So does your church. And basically your entire life! That’s why my heart this week was to simply refresh a little around my home. There is something about decluttering a space that is also decluttering to your mind.

It has been a very busy week- a very busy month! Taking a thing or two off the to do list doesn’t change that, but it does make me feel more efficient. It’s amazing what that will do for your mind! I hope you feel refreshed in your home and in your heart this spring Mamas.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:27

Happy Refreshing!

Happy Aiming!

-Ashley

Share this post with your friends!