Add Even More Polish to One of Florida’s Best Seasons With a Deep Spring Cleaning

Your clocks sprang forward. Winter’s springing into, well, Spring. Now it’s time to spring into action. At West Villages, the annual ritual, while not nearly so dreaded as the chores leading up to April 15, can be fun if you put a little motivational elbow grease into it.

Here are some tips to prepare your new West Villages home for one of the best times of the year in South Florida’s finest community.

Inventory: Before starting, photograph the valuables in your beautifully designed West Villages home. Videotape their location. Archive all of those for insurance purposes.

Organize: Let’s get down to business, but first, strategize. Make a to-do list and assign chores. Get the supplies you’ll need from the new West Villages Marketplace or hardware stores just a few minutes from home. Set a schedule. Rome wasn’t spruced up in a day.

Tune up: Get moving with get-with-it melodies from Spotify playlists here and here that feature clean songs that actually include cleaning themes.

Declutter: First and foremost, declutter. “Studies show stress levels are higher in people who have a cluttered home, and clutter is closely linked to procrastination and life dissatisfaction,” Inc. says. Turn to Marie Kondo for the best ideas. Dig deep: closets, cupboards, pantry, fridge, children’s rooms, garage: everywhere and everything.

Kitchen and bath: Thoroughness counts. Clean floors, vents, light fixtures, tubs and showers. Deep clean and disinfect master-suite vanities. If you have shower curtains, change them. Disinfect or replace your walk-in shower’s squeegee. Clean spa-tub filters.

Windows: So, you don’t do windows, eh? You do now. Enjoy more glorious Florida sunshine with a polish to the glass. While you’re at it, refresh those window treatments.

Carpets and floors. They’re homes to micro-nasties. Freshen them.

Fresh air: Spring cleaning is about taking a deep breath. Make sure they’re particle-free. Here are some great tips for avoiding allergies, including freezing stuffed toys for 24 hours to remove asthma-inducing buildups. Attend to HVAC systems.

Sweat the small stuff: Overlooked places and spaces include sliding-door tracks, baseboards, doorframes and walls. Remember those things that you’re likely to forget: pillows—replace them if necessary—and pets, generally irreplaceable.

The great—and clean—outdoors:  You’re getting close. Now polish, repair or replace outdoor furniture. Then kick back, relax, enjoy the Sunshine State’s enviable Spring—and don’t forget to keep up the good work.

To check out the sparkle and shine of West Villages and enjoy Life Your Way, visit West Villages’ Model Home Centers, listed here, or call the Home Buyers Information Line at 941-960-7805.