Leap to the Walls

The holidays are now well behind us but, in many places, the weather still has us homebound, staring out the window longing for warmer months. This is an easy time of year to become bored and mopey, especially if you are alone in the house for any period of time. I find when I am bored and mopey, the best thing to cheer me up is to start a major project!

Since it is a leap year, we have a whole extra day this month to get some much needed cleaning done so for the entire month of February, I say it is time to tackle our often neglected walls.

In order to take on this big task, we need to start with a plan:

Schedule. First, go through your home and divide it into sections (rooms, number of walls, etc.) and write those sections down on a piece of paper. Decide if you want to tackle them one section a day or one section a week, then write down scheduled dates and times when you will focus solely on your walls. How you make your schedule is up to you, but the important part is that you make it realistic so you can actually stick to it.

Clean. Once you have your plan set, start right away on improving the appearance of your walls. Begin by cleaning them. There are many products you can use on your walls, but my favorite is an ammonia/water solution. This works well on most wallpaper, tile and paint (test a small area first). I just use a rag and scrub away, using a ladder where necessary to ensure you clean from floor to ceiling. Some walls may need a more gentle treatment or special cleaner. Use whatever safely gets the dirt, dust, cobwebs and last month's jelly off of those walls.

Repair. Once your walls are clean, think about what else you can do to improve them. Do they need any old nail or tack holes filled in? Is the paint chipped or the wallpaper peeling? Is there a spot that would not come clean and needs to be covered or repaired?

The idea is not to become a major construction project but to make your walls more visually appealing. Consider using small dabs of spackle to fill in holes, spot painting as long as you can match the color, reapplying sections of wall paper or just hanging a picture to cover a blemish. Do not shoot for perfection, just shoot for improvement.

Go Beyond. If you really want to take it one step further, go ahead and repaint or re-wallpaper your walls. If you are painting, I recommend priming with Kilz primer so you do not have to wash the walls first. Kilz is great for covering up dirt, stains or odor that may have built up on your walls.

Remember, you have an entire month. Try not to get overwhelmed. Just take it one wall at a time. Some walls you will breeze right through while others made need some extra TLC. If necessary, reassess your schedule when you run into a wall the needs a little extra time.

By the time the birds are chirping and the flowers start blooming in March, your home will feel fresh and clean, ready to take on the new season. Not to mention, you will feel great from staying so active and productive through such a chilly dreary month!

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Far Above Rubies, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Growing Home, 5 Minutes for Mom and Time Warp Wife