Together they may be two of the most dreaded words in the English language. We're not talking about "income taxes." At least with those, there's a chance you don't have to pay until it hurts. It's "spring cleaning" we're referring to. Read on, as we're about to share a few tips that will not only ensure you do a good job, they may just save you a little time, money and frustration.

Our Spring Cleaning Philosophy

Spring is here and it's time to give your home a deep cleaning. There are two roads you can go down. The first is one paved with loathing and complaints. Needless to say, it is not a very fun road to travel. Chores seem to take longer to complete, and by the end of the day, your back hurts worse than ever.

The second road is one that involves taking a slightly different look at the task at hand. Spring is a very symbolic time of year. From the beginning, it's always been associated with starting anew. If you think of spring cleaning in somewhat the same way, your attitude in terms of doing it may actually change for the better.

Think of how good it will feel to not only have a very clean home, but also one that's organized and clutter-free. At the same time, think about how much easier it's going to be to perform any subsequent cleaning throughout the remainder of the year. It may actually result in a renewed love of the space in which you live. Believe it or not, a good spring cleaning can be as cathartic and invigorating as a move into a new home.

Road number two has a second philosophy attached to it; conserve your energy for the purpose of doing a better job. We know that sentiment sounds almost counterintuitive, but here are some general tips that support the notion.

Spring Cleaning "Rules of Thumb"

1. Clean one room at a time, and over the course of several days.
It sounds like dragging out the process, but the flexibility this practice brings to your schedule is well worth it. Sometimes it's easier to devote one or two hours to a task than it is to devote your entire day. It often leads to doing a much better job.

2. Have a game plan for each room.
Make a list of everything that needs to be accomplished in every room. Understand what it is going to require in terms of labor and cleaning materials. The more organized you are, the quicker your cleaning will go. Organization also plays a big role in our next tip.

3. Purchase all necessary materials in one trip.
There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a project only to realize you need to make another trip to the store. Think through all the individual tasks and buy the materials at the same time, and in bulk. You'll save money, not only on the materials themselves, but also on gas.

4. Work smart.
Decide on an order in which the rooms will be cleaned, as well as the order of the tasks performed within each room. While proceeding, make sure that everything needed is either in that room or in close proximity. Running downstairs for forgotten supplies can quickly become the equivalent of an extra run to the store.

So, now that we have our "Rules of Thumb," it is time to proceed through the house, room by room. The following are tips, suggestions and reminders of not only what to clean, but also how to clean it.

KITCHEN