TITUS 2-S DAY - SPRING CLEANING

We are beginning to wind down schoolwork at our house. Three students have completed all their math for the year; one will check off science and grammar in another week. With the lighter school load, I can finally shift into spring cleaning gear.

Yesterday, with the help of a couple of fabulous teenagers, I began working on the kitchen. The refrigerator is sparkling now, and the floor beneath it has been swept and scrubbed. Plastic storage containers have been sorted and purged ...where do those odd lids and bowls disappear to? We've emptied and washed several of the lower cabinets and will hopefully finish cleaning cabinets and drawers today.

The yuckiest part of cleaning the kitchen each spring is definitely washing the tops of the upper cabinets. I don't clean up there every week or even every month. Out of sight, out of mind, right? That's a job we tackle only a couple of times a year. Over the winter months, a thin film of grease builds up and traps dust into a grimey sludge that is almost impossible to remove. Last year, I discovered a secret that makes this odious job a snap....

Skip the general-purpose household cleaners. Instead, mix up a solution of hot water and a small amount of laundry detergent such as Tide. (We use the powdered kind. I've never tried this with liquid laundry detergent, but would be interested in hearing from someone if that also works.) For a gallon bucket of water, we use a heaping tablespoon of detergent. This solution cuts through the greasy, sticky goo like magic. Wash, wipe with a clean damp cloth, and dry...what used to take half of one day is now the quickest part of spring cleaning in the kitchen.

There's lots more to do after the kitchen - I'd love to read your cleaning tips, Dear Readers!