OK, I'm tired of winter and even though there is snow outside my window right now, I have decided it is over. Alright, so maybe I still have at least another month before the weather really shifts, but I've already begun to mentally prepare for spring's arrival.

I have an overwhelming urge to welcome the season by cleaning the "winter" out of my house. Spring is after all, a time of transition and an opportunity for refreshing our homes and our lives. We'll get to U.S Inspect's Spring Home Maintenance Checklist in another post, but cleaning really is the most basic form of home maintenance and is a great place to start. And since we are still waiting for the snow to melt, it's a good time to organize and plan our spring cleaning.

A good way to make sure you get to everything your particular house requires, is by creating your own custom checklist ahead of time. The approach I like best is to walk around your house with a notepad, and jot down each task you'd like to do in each room (you can organize your plan of attack later). Here are 10 ideas you might want to include on your list:

1. Clean Ceiling Fans- So you don't turn them on and swirl dust all over the room.
2. Launder or Vacuum Curtains - This is not only refreshing, but it will help to eliminate the dust, dander, pollen and other allergens that may have accumulated on the fabric over the long winter--which could exacerbate spring allergies.
3. Dust- Dust, dust, dust. Clean all the surfaces in the home.
4. Vacuum Furniture - Clean the surface of pet hair, dust and other dirt, and don't forget to lift the cushions and vacuum crevasses too.
5. Clean the Windows - This not only makes your windows look nicer, but helps to let in more light.
6. Open windows - Leave those windows open to air out the house. It smells great and also helps to let stagnant air and indoor allergens escape.
7. Clean the Oven - OK, this task stinks. But I saw a good video online for making it a little easier.
8. Clear the Cobwebs - A dust buster or small vacuum is great for paying attention to all the corners and crevasses of your house and sucking away dust bunnies and cobwebs.
9. Clean the Refrigerator - Clear out old food, wash removable shelves and drawers in the sink, and place a new baking soda box for odors. For more on cleaning refrigerators click here.
10. Organize & Purge - Clean closets, organize drawers, and sort through the stacks--somewhere underneath the piles of mail, laundry and over-due library books is your house! This is also a great time to start a collection of old clothes or other items from each family member for local donation.

Do you have a spring cleaning tip to share? We'd love to hear it. Let us know in the comments section below.