March is here and soon your yard will bloom with lilies, pansies, daises and more as the cold of winter melts away to the warmer temperatures of spring. While the yard comes to life with vibrant colors, March is also a good time to get in a little spring cleaning and spruce up your Cobb County home. While spring cleaning may have you thinking of vacuum cleaners, dust bunnies and Lysol, there is plenty more to giving your home a fresh start.

Before you begin, sponges are typically responsible for a lot of the cleaning and you will want to take a few minutes to de-germ your sponges. Since Bleach kills 99 percent of germs, mix ¾ cup of bleach in one-gallon of water and soak your sponges in the mixture for five minutes. This will ensure that you will not spread more germs while you clean.

Now that the sponges are clean, here are some tips for keeping your home shining like new:

• Stainless Steel: Our spacious gourmet kitchens come with beautiful stainless steel appliances, but sometimes it is hard to clean spots with scratching the surface or leaving oily marks. To combat those issues, spray a light mist of wax-based aerosol onto the stainless steel and wipe away with a lint-free towel. Make sure to spray lightly or you will get one of those oily marks. Make sure that you do not use anything with bleach and do not scrub with anything abrasive.
• Refrigerator: Also in the kitchen, the refrigerator can be a source of unpleasant smells if not cleaned properly. First, pull a trash can over to the open refrigerator and dump out any leftovers. Next, pull out all of the glass shelves and bins, and wash with water and a little bit of soap. Lastly, put in a new box of baking soda to help eliminate odors and provide a fresh scent.
• Closets: Spring Cleaning is always the perfect time to go through your closet and clean out any unwanted or unused clothes and accessories. Once you have cleaned out your closet, organize your clothes. Our oversized walk-in closets allow you to organize your clothes by how you get dressed, color or any other method of organization.
• Wash Painted Walls: Do you have kids that like to touch the walls or is it just time to give your walls a good scrub? Cleaning painted walls can be tricky, but to freshen their appearance just take a clean cloth or sponge, dip it in water and rub it over the walls. For stains, use a mix of water and mild dishwashing liquid.
• Create a Different Mood: Spring cleaning isn’t just about shaking out rugs and scrubbing the tile, it is also about creating a new atmosphere. Update your color scheme by changing out your bedding, towels and throw pillows. You can also bring spring indoors by adding some new potted plants and flowers.
• Fire Safety: Spring cleaning is a good opportunity to check the batteries in your smoke detectors. Remember that it is good to change the batteries every six months.

While vacuuming the carpet and cleaning the kitchen countertops are important to spring cleaning, these tips will help you remember that spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to freshen your entire home.

During your spring cleaning, gather up clothes, bedding and housewares that are unwanted, but in good condition and take them to donation non-profits such as Goodwill, Our Father’s Hands, or another organization of your choice.

In addition to cleaning, spring is a great time to purchase a new home in Atlanta. Traton Homes builds luxury new homes in 15 communities throughout metro Atlanta. For more information on all of our beautiful new home communities, visit www.TratonHomes.com.