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Clean Up Your Spring Cleaning Plan In New York

Believe it or not, spring is just about here. New flowers are sprouting in Central Park and the cherry trees at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will soon begin to bloom. This is the traditional season for spring cleanup. It's a time to get organized and clean out the mess that accumulated from the hibernation of winter months.

Each household member should be in charge of tidying up and organizing his or her own space. Then work as a team in the kitchen and other communal spaces. For more aggressive cleaning such as cleaning out the air ducts, you will have to call a professional.

When planning to clean, it is a good idea to have a strategy in place. Make a list of what is to be cleaned, repaired and organized. Plan where to start. Get rid of the bags of old clothes and books you have been meaning to donate. Clean all of the floors and surfaces, repair where needed, patch and paint walls and caulk the bathtubs. This is the perfect time to invest in organizational elements that can help keep your home stay well-managed all year round.

Related: Kitchen Cleaning 101

Renew with caulk, patch and paint

Springtime is the time to renew the living space. Get rid of the mold and redo the caulking in the bathtub. It is time to fix the cracks and fill in those holes in the walls. Welcome in the spring season with the fresh scent and cleanliness that a coat of new paint provides. Have fun picking new colors to complement the warmer weather. Check out the line of Benjamin Moore paints, including many colors and finishes to choose from, all-in-one paints with primers and eco-friendly paints.

R & R General Supply
1807 Astoria Blvd.
Long Island City, NY 11102
(718) 278-8479
www.rrgeneralsupply.com

Hours: Mon to Fri—6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat—8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun—9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organize your life

Spring arrives with a sense of rebirth, making it the perfect time to throw out the old and bring in the new. Get rid of the junk that has been piling up. Organize your papers, books, CDs, DVDs, blankets and sweaters in neat storage containers, boxes and storage ottomans. Aberdeen Clear Storage Boxes come in a variety of sizes to store an assortment of clothes and shoes. The Mesh CD Box fits neatly anywhere to store media. Also, utilize that space under the bed to store items neatly packed away in the IRIS 37 Quart Under Bed Chest.

Gracious Home
1201 3rd Ave at 70th St.
New York, NY 10021
(212) 517-6300
www.gracioushome.com

Prices: Clear Storage Boxes $7.99 - $21.99, Mesh CD Box $16.99, IRIS 37 Quart Under Bed Chest $19.99
Hours: Mon to Fri—8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat—9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun—10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

An attractive solution to manage the stuff

No matter how much you clean, throw away and organize, you will always have different sizes and shapes of various items that need to be kept neatly together. Items that are used every day need to be put away so that they look neat, yet remain easily accessible. Attractive Stack-able Rattan baskets in a variety of sizes work nicely as a décor element to the room, as well as being functional in keeping your much needed stuff within reach. As you toss away the winter blues, fill the home with beautiful baskets to keep everything neatly in place.

MUJI
The New York Times Building 620
8th Avenue (40th St.)
New York, NY 10018
(212) 382-2300
www.muji.us

Hours: Mon to Sat—11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun—11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Jump into the closet and get it together

Springtime is the perfect occasion to get the closet space together. Pack away the winter clothes and design the closet to best store your spring and summer's finest. Do you need more hanging space? Can you consolidate the hanging with stacking double-hung rods? Add shelving to store the shoes, pocketbooks and sweaters. Invest in a custom designed closet, or design your own closet system, with the components that you need. Rubbermaid has a closet kit that is easy to install in any standard-depth closet that is between four and eight feet wide. Instead of digging through mountains of clothes, everything can be displayed neatly for quick finds.

Rainbow Ace Hardware
1449 1st Ave (between 75th St & 76th St)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 288-4868
www.rainbowacehardware.com

Prices: Rubbermaid Classic Custom Closet Kit $94.99
Hours: Mon to Fri—8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat—9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun—10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Attractive shelves to pick up the floors

As you sift through and sort out the items that you can free yourself from, there will still be the things that you want and need to hold on to. Keep the floor clean and clear off the desk and countertops. Use wall space to hang attractive decorative shelves. Items can be stored neatly in pretty baskets on a shelf. Sweaters can be folded to be displayed on a shelf as they would in the store. Run shelves up from the floor to the ceiling to make an entire wall functional storage space. Get ready for spring with the cleanest floors your house has ever seen.

Canvas
123 West 17th St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 461-1496
shop.canvashomestore.com

Hours: Mon to Sat—11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun—Noon to 7 p.m.

Related: Is Air Duct Cleaning Worth It?

Carol Ruth Weber began her career as a Theatrical Costume and Set Designer and segued into the world of Interior Design. As an interior designer she has twenty-eight years of experience in all phases of the business. You can read more of her work on Examiner.com and she can also be contacted at WeberLifeDesign.


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