The sun is shining, school's almost out and the clutter and cobwebs you've ignored all year long are still nagging to be addressed. Summer is right around the corner and that spring cleaning you promised your home at the first sight of sunshine has yet to happen. If you're feeling frantic about letting spring slip away without thoroughly cleaning everything in sight, don't fret. Put down the mop and wipe that defeated look off your face. I have some reasons why you shouldn't partake in the annual tradition known as spring cleaning.

1. Spring cleaning originated when homes were heated with wood or coal furnaces. Over the winter, soot and ash would build up on the walls. Spring marked the end of heating season, when the entire house required a deep cleaning and airing out. Today, central air furnaces prevent build-up of soot, making the notion of "spring cleaning" virtually obsolete.
2. Today's modern working mom manages to juggle just about everything, including work, family, kids, errands, scheduling, cooking and cleaning. She can't afford to let things slip to the wayside because, frankly, there's simply no time to play catch up! Unless you can afford to dedicate an entire week to spring cleaning, it's all about maintaining your home throughout the year, rather than becoming overwhelmed with a the gigantic task at the beginning of every spring.
3. Windows, floors, carpets and counter tops, if washed on a regular basis, won't develop the scale build-up which requires special treatment and much more elbow grease to get back to good-as-new condition.

If you were born with supernatural cleaning abilities and cleaned your entire house from top to bottom the second spring rolled in, more power to you! There is nothing wrong with a good spring cleaning. But if you're using the once-a-year event as a way to escape the daily upkeep of your home, then you might want to reconsider your approach to housekeeping. If you're like me, and you tend to let things build up until they become too overwhelming to finish (procrastination in a nutshell), then writing down a chores list will help keep that beginning-of-spring cleaning chaos at bay. Break down your home cleaning into small, manageable tasks and keep your home stocked with all of the necessary cleaning supplies (FamilyCouponNetwork is stock-full of household coupons at this very moment!) so you will be able to welcome the season of sunshine without the need for a huge cleaning overhaul.