After a long winter, spring is finally in sight. Before the season is in full bloom and outdoor chores pile up, take advantage of spring showers to tackle the indoors first with easy home cleaning and organizing projects. To get your home in tip-top shape, start by breaking down your to-do list room by room, so you can create an easily achievable goal that will leave your house looking fabulous and you feeling refreshed.

Restore beauty in the bath

The bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in the house, but it can also be the one with the biggest mess. Vanities often become a magnet for clutter. Everything, from towels to toiletries, curling irons to cotton balls, can take over this space and make cleaning a nuisance. Start by reducing your items. Marry any of your multiple containers of the same product into one container. Then, recycle the empty containers to create more space.

Once your cleaning is complete, add drawer organizers, baskets and other accessories to neatly store all necessities. Then add towel bars - such as the new Moen Ashville 18-inch towel bar available in a brushed nickel finish at The Home Depot - robe hooks and shelves as they are easy, inexpensive and decorative additions to help prevent items from ending up on the floor or countertop.

Clean and clever kitchens

Next, move to the kitchen, a favorite gathering place ... and one of the dirtiest rooms in the house. Begin by sorting through cupboards to weed out any unused products, such as specialized appliances, expired pantry foods and containers with missing lids. If it's broken or hasn't been used in a year, it's time to get rid of it. You'll instantly achieve valuable cabinet storage - as well as eliminate objects that collect dust and bacteria.

Now, start from the top and give your kitchen a thorough cleaning - including tops of cabinets and appliances - and finish with a good scrubbing of the floors. Finally, focus on updating the germiest area of the kitchen - the sink. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the sink drain alone, according to Health Magazine. And that doesn't include regularly touched items, such as your sponge and faucet.

Help inhibit the growth of stain- and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew with the new Moen Walden single-handle kitchen faucet featuring Microban antimicrobial protection. Microban technology is built into the faucet finish, so it works continuously, even between cleanings, and won't wash off or wear away - which can help keep the faucet cleaner, longer.

"By featuring Microban antimicrobial technology on our faucet finish, we hope to help homeowners spend more time enjoying their home ... and less time cleaning and worrying about stains and odors," says Andrea Conroy, director of retail marketing for Moen.

Refreshed laundry room

The laundry room, since it is often located near the frequently used garage entry, can become a catch-all for everything from cleaners to coats, and shoes to shop vacs. Free yourself of this clutter by organizing and giving everything its proper place. Items often get stashed on the horizontal surfaces - such as the floor or on top of the washer and dryer - so look to the vertical surfaces of the room to create new, more appropriate places.

Adding wall cabinets is an ideal place to add storage (and keep things neatly hidden). Wall hooks dedicated to each family member can neatly hold coats, scarves and bags. Installing shelves in the coat closet can provide additional room on top and below the garment bar. Over-the-door storage racks can house frequently used items, such as brooms or shoes.

With a few upgrades and organization to key rooms, your home will look its best and the new-found organization will energize your spirit just in time to enjoy the spring season.

For more information about Moen products, visit moen.com or call 800-BUY-MOEN.

Courtesy of Brandpoint

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