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Spring Into Cleaning
Tips to Get Your Home Spic and Span and Safe This Season By Cara J. Stevens
The arrival of spring always seems to bring with it positive feelings of hope and renewal. But as the sunlight shines through the window, it's also likely to spotlight the grimy smudges on the windowpanes and the specks of dust dancing in the sunbeams, reminding you of that fun annual task: spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning, however, means different things to different people. Many simply enjoy letting in the fresh spring air to clear out winter's gloom. "On the first nice weekend day, I open all the blinds and windows and just air out the place," says Dana Grieser, of Chicago, Ill. "Some fresh air and fresh flowers do wonders for a home."
For others, spring cleaning involves changing just about everything in the house to bring in a fresh, lighter look. "Spring cleaning used to be a ritual for my mother," says Carol Granville, a grandmother in Boca Raton, Fla. "She would change from winter to summer slip covers and draperies and change out winter wardrobes for brighter colors."
For parents of babies and toddlers, however, a glance around the house may reveal the specter of potential health hazards looming in every corner. We see allergens in the dust collecting on the light fixtures and on top of the curtain rods, lead poisoning in the paint chipping where the wall meets the window frame or choking hazards in the mangled mess of computer cords and phone lines gone wild. Of course we also consider the safety concerns invisible to the eye: clogged chimneys, failing smoke alarms and dead flashlights, just to name a few.
Top on Dr. Welch's list is the HVAC system, more commonly known as the air ducts. "If you haven't already, throw out the cheap fiberglass filter that comes with your system and upgrade to something better," he says."You can clean them and they don't need to be replaced."
