It might be called spring cleaning.  Not to be confused with organizing, these are projects that make our homes sparkle.  Our parents had time to deep clean each room and even wash the windows.  However in our busy world, we seldom can get the dishwasher loaded and unloaded.  Here is a basic checklist for The Big Clean for freshening your home. With summer here, we have a little extra time to do the extra little touches too!

Create a schedule and a checklist first, then ask your family team what they want to tackle with you over several weekends.  Choose a room to start in, work as a team, working around the room perimeter and then the middle of the room. You will know where you started and where you ended.  You can add an extra incentive with extra moola for your kids too! Host a family celebration for all your hard work at the end of each baby step.

Room by room
Dust the ceiling fan
Dust the edges of the door frame
Polish furniture
Vacuum around the baseboards
Vacuum the curtain
Wipe down the front of the cabinets or furniture
Dust the light fixtures

Kitchen
Vacuum refrigerator coils
Clean your oven and stove top, including grill area
Wipe down inside your refrigerator and freezer
Dust top of refrigerator
Check for expiration dates on canned goods

Office
Archive paper from tax preparation and other files
Shred tax preparation that is older than 7 years old
Dispose of old software
Dispose of old technology

Outside
Clean the patio furniture
Wipe down the front door
Polish the door handle
Clean gutters
Run sprinkler system and look for leaks

General
Change the batteries in your smoke detector
Pick up fresh flowers once a week for your entry

Need more help? Hire youth from your church or a once a month house cleaner to pitch in.  Freshening up your home makes everyone smile!