Spring Break has descended upon households throughout the country. As a child, I used to dread it because it never failed to instill a renewed energy and vigor in my parents ... an unwavering resolve to engage in Spring Cleaning. Ugh. This annual ritual usually consisted of extensive mowing, edging and sweeping of grass clippings ... the first day. Add to this my mother's declaration that during the rest of the week, we'd "tackle one room at a time." This included the worst punishment of all, the garage. Monday morning at school couldn't come soon enough. By the time I headed back to the classroom, I felt as if I'd built an extension on the house.

If you're planning on inflicting the same torture upon your own family during Spring Break, the following checklist will help you outline a list of chores, making assignments easier. (Sorry, kids.)

Depending upon weather conditions that week, head outside first (smart tip: Start with comparatively "fun" chores before you burn everyone out indoors). Walk around the exterior of your home, identifying any areas that need repair. This would include missing or damaged wood shingles on your roof, loose drainage pipes or leaks, as well as peeling paint. You might consider tackling as your first job removing the peeling paint on your home's exterior (with a scraping device) and touching it up with a fresh coat. It will go a long way toward giving your home a fresh appearance, and the new paint provides a barrier between the hot summer sun and the wood covering your home. Painting is definitely a job that you don't want to delay until summertime. The job is twice as difficult when performed in hot weather.

If you've spotted substantial damage to your roof from harsh winter weather, it would be in your best interests to call a contractor now. If you wait until later in the spring or summertime, you're likely to experience some difficulty when you try to find a contractor with a free schedule.

While you're outdoors, also check for clogged air conditioning units, being sure to remove all excess leaves and branches. Clean your landscaping, beds and lawn, removing all weeds and dead leaves. You'll soon see the payoff of your efforts when you notice your lawn, trees and beds exuding a healthier, greener and more lush appearance. If you're going to plant trees, shrubs or new flowers in that landscaping area, this is the time to do it. Springtime weather enhances growth before the summer months arrive.

When you're finished with the exterior of your home, head to the garage, the next closest thing to being outside. This is one job the family should tackle together. The garage is too formidable a room to handle on one's own. It's probably the most labor-intensive room in your house to clean and organize, so divide responsibilities throughout the family, turn on some music to provide distraction and get started.

You may consider purchasing (if room allows) some plastic shelving to be placed against the walls of one side of the garage. Place your tool box, garden tools and/or sporting equipment here. Be ruthless when it comes to throwing items away. Load up the car, and pay a visit to your local charity. Avoid storing harsh household cleaners in the garage -- a fire hazard if your state is subjected to particularly hot summertime weather.

Heading indoors, start with your respective closets. Have everyone perform a "clothing inventory." That means everyone needs to do the 12-month test with their clothing: If you haven't worn it in a year, you'll probably never wear it again. Once everyone has completed their clothing inventories, pile everything up, and either head to the nearest local charity drop-off point or consider holding a garage sale. Give the kids their share of the spoils; they'll realize the benefits of cleaning out their closets regularly.

Your interior checklist should include the areas underneath and behind furniture. They need vacuuming and/or dusting. Recruit your family members to help you move heavy items. Your home also is in need of a good dusting in all of those spots you never make the time to reach, such as the tops of shelves and dressers; the bottoms of tables (along railings and edges); your baseboards; ceiling fans; and even your draperies (which you may simply want to remove and have professionally cleaned, rather than subjecting yourself to excessive dust). This is also the time to call up all contractors and/or inspectors for those inside maintenance jobs you've been putting off -- for example, appliance repairs, as well as filter replacements and chimney cleaning. Other overlooked spots include your windows (clean them both inside and out); washing your kitchen and bathroom floors; and washing all heavy bedding (comforters, pillow shams and mattress covers).

None of these jobs requires a tremendous amount of time or labor to complete. Although the task of performing spring cleaning throughout your house seems daunting at first, dividing the chores up by family member and by days (remember, Rome wasn't built in a day) will help you get through the tasks. Most important, remember to reward everyone for a job well done. Order in dinner at the end of the day, head to the nearest pizza joint or take the family to a movie. You'll be amazed at how cooperative everyone seems when you remember to give out these little pats on the back. For tips on keeping your house neat long after spring cleaning is over, stay tuned.

Published: March 16, 2000

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.