20 Signs It's Time to Start Spring Cleaning

We all hit a point of no return when it comes to the state of our homes. For months we trudge through the chaos of holidays and the kids being trapped indoors because of various winter weather systems (I’m looking at YOU, Snowpocalypse), and along with our sanity, our homes bear the brunt of the damage. When the weather finally morphs into something more livable, the kids and pets venture outdoors, leaving us with the buildup of clutter, filth and inexplicable items that have long outlived their welcome. Here are the telltale signs that it’s time to break out the mop and broom … and in some cases, the HazMat suits:

1. The kitchen floor has a cheerio-textured finish.

2. You can’t remember if the unfolded clothes in the laundry basket are clean or dirty.

3. You find missing shoes in an unmade bed.

4. No one is brave enough to go and see what’s making “that smell” in the garage, so it continues to fester.

5. More cups are on your bedside table than in the cabinet.

6. There are more empty boxes in the pantry than full ones.

7. Leftovers in the refrigerator are no longer recognizable as their original dishes.

8. The kids have been eating cereal out of mugs for days.

9. The hair clumps in the shower resemble Cousin It.

10. The family is sharing one towel because the rest are mildewed.

11. There are five shampoo bottles in the shower, three of which are empty.

12. The newest magazine in your house is three months old.

13. Two-thirds of the light bulbs are blown.

14. The dust on the windowsills looks like gray snow.

15. Clothes have covered the laundry room floor for so long that you’ve forgotten the tile color.

16. The soap scum is so thick on the shower glass that it appears to have a frosted finish.

17. Air Freshener no longer makes a difference.

18. Ants have found the stray toothpaste blobs on the bathroom counter.

19. Easter Grass and Christmas tree needles are living together in your den carpet.

20. The dog won’t eat off the floor.

The time has come if you found yourself nodding while reading this list and casually looking around at the shattered remnants of your home. If it looks like Guns N’ Roses threw a party in there, get off the couch and get going on a little spring cleaning. You’ll feel better afterwards, and might even feel frisky enough to invite the neighbors over … at least until the toddler tornado tears through the living room again. But at least you won’t have gray snow on the windowsills anymore, because that’s so last month.

Related post: 10 Ways to Keep a House Clean With Young Kids