Spring Cleaning Time
by: Johanna Hicks
Hopkins County Agri-Life Extension Agent
Spring is in full swing. Mother's Day and proms are behind us, and graduation is upon us, which are things usually associated with springtime. What else do you think of when you think of spring? Flowers, warmer weather, green grass, more daylight, and perhaps allergy season come to mind. Some of you may think about spring cleaning. Most of us don't do spring cleaning like our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did, but research shows that 66% of Americans regularly do some form of spring cleaning.
No matter if you decide to do spring cleaning or just maintain your regular routine, the Soap and Detergent Association has a few tips to help make the chores easier: 1) Keep clutter to a minimum. Having lots of stuff around makes cleaning harder and gives places for dust and allergens to collect. 2) Wipe shoes on entry way rugs or mats to protect floors and to catch dirt, dust, and pollen. 3) Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces as dry and clean as possible to control growth of moisture-loving bacteria, mold and mildew. 4) Disinfect sink areas, toilet bowls, tubs and shower to kill germs as well as mold and mildew that can trigger asthma attacks. 5) To fight mildew in the shower, use a non-abrasive, all-purpose or disinfectant (antibacterial) cleaner. To remove the "ring around the bathtub", use a soap scum remover. If the tub is acrylic and several years old, the ring may be permanent. Use a daily shower spray on walls and shower curtains to keep mildew from growing. 6) Clean refrigerator walls and shelves with a non-abrasive, all purpose cleaner. You can use about 1/4 cup of baking soda to a gallon of warm water. 7) Vacuum carpets and sweep and mop hard surfaces once a week. Don't forget the areas under beds and tables. Be sure to vacuum the crevices of upholstery and lamp shades. 8) Dust hard surfaces on a regular basis. 9) Spring is the perfect time to wash windows and screens. Use a glass cleaner or glass and multi-surface cleaner for non-streaking window cleaning. Vacuum screens, or remove them and gently hose them down. Vacuum window seals and window tracks. 10) If you are still in the spring cleaning mode after all that, go through kitchen cabinets and closets and pull out things you haven't used or worn. Start a garage sale pile with these items and add to it as you run across items you no longer need or want. There are probably college students who would love to have your microwave, t.v., or other household items!
Have a great spring...and congratulations to all our high school graduates!
Upcoming Events * Saturday, May 30 - Twogether in Texas free Marriage Education class, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs *Monday, June 1 - Early-bird deadline to register for "Family Issues Summit: Solutions for Challenging Times", sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Agents - contact my office, 903-885-3443, for more information. * June 8, 11, 15, 18, and 22 - "Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes" series, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs * Friday, June 12 - deadline for written entries for Hopkins County Dairy Foods Contest *Wednesday, June 17 - "Family Issues Summit: Solutions for Challenging Times", 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., District Extension Urban Solutions Center, Dallas Contact my office for more information on all of these events - 903-885-3443 Closing thought Parents learn a lot from their children about coping with life.
Johanna Hicks
Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Hopkins County
Extension Agent - Family & Consumer Sciences
1200 Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 Phone: 903-885-3443
Fax: 903-439-4909
e-mail: jshicks@ag.tamu.edu
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