Andrea asked in the comments for tips on spring cleaning, so I will share my POA. (For non-essayists out there, “Plan of Attack”)

1 - Invite someone to come stay at your house over the weekend or for a Sat. evening/Sun. afternoon dinner. This will get you motivated and keep your momentum going. It is worth it to plan spring cleaning ahead if you have perhaps inlaws coming for Easter. Plan to clean the week before.

2 - Take an entire week. Clear out the schedule, keep dinners really, really easy (frozen pizza won’t kill you with one feeding!).

3 - Divide your house into parts. Make 6 columns, one for each day of cleaning (7 is sabbath rest!). Start with one corner of your house and think of covering every square foot and inch in the course of a week. My house is fairly new and clean anyway, so I will only be taking 4 days this week. (Our company is coming friday). If your house is very disheveled and you are so inspired, take two weeks - one to organize and one to clean. It’s worth it. You’ll feel so much better!

4 - These will be long days. Prepare in advance for little treats to keep you going. Buy a stash of your favorite drinks and goodies as treats to take work breaks with. I bought Grape Kombucha (yummy! That is the flavor to get!) and chocolate covered raisins. Reward yourself each night for getting the tasks done. I bought some special essential bath oils to soak in the tub with and soothe my tired body. Tell your husband in advance, ask him to encourage and praise you. Prep your children and offer them a daily incentive if needed to help or put up with you.

5 - A tip on organizing - I live as though we could move any month. This helps everything have a place and container as well as remind me that I am but a traveler here on this Earth. I am on the move, my home is in heaven, these things I shall not keep. If I haven’t used it in a year, its out o the house! (taking obvious exceptions like a photoalbum or wedding dress, of course.)

6 - Play favorite music to keep things fun and attitudes positive. Dance and sing as you go. Make cleaning into a game as much as possible for little ones. Set up new play zones away from the area you are working on that day.
7 - Celebrate what you accomplished! Take before and after photos for your blog or for the scrapbook.

8 - Think of preparing for tomorrow’s tasks and getting ahead. If you don’t finish the day’s tasks, leave them for next year/month. Keep going. Houses get cluttered when we are always a step behind. Use this week to transition to being a step ahead. Do the most important things first and leave the least important undone if you have to. Try to get tasks done in the first half of the day, leaving time and energy for what the day may throw at you unplanned!
Bottom to top - Think of every surface. For example, in a living room you have carpets, then floor boards, walls with wall decor, and celeing fans. Then you have furniture sides and tops and dusting any decor on top of furniture.

My schedule:

• Day 1 - Laundry Room - this is in the bottom corner of my house and Monday is laundry day, so this makes a good start. Wash EVERYTHING in the house (drapes, sheets, matress covers, blankets, all clothes, anything that can go in and hasn’t been recently - also take anything to cleaners as needed) fold, put away, iron and clean laundry room bottom to top (clean shelves, organize cleaners and other items stored there, sweep and mop floor, and wipe down washer and dryer)
• Day 2 - Periodic tasks (clean all fans, run through house with paint brush and can of touch-up paint, windows on the outside) and kitchen bottom to top (clean and organize cupboars, clear counters, clean out freezer and fridge, organize art/school cupboards, stuff drawer).
• Day 3 - Living room, office, entry (inside and out) from bottom to top, and downstairs closet (re-organize, vacuum).
• Day 4 - Upstairs: bedrooms bottom to top, organize closets, bathrooms top to bottom.
• Day 5 - My guests are coming so I will prepare the meal, fancy up the dining room (i.e. my kitchen!) perhaps tidy the yard and put out guest preparations - special touches in guest room like fresh flowers, folded towels nicely placed with a ribbon, etc. . .

Hope this helps and inspires! I’ll keep you posted on how it goes! For low-toxicity cleaner recipes see the side bar for category link.