The flowers are blooming, the birds are serenading, and the house still feels like it’s stuck with winter blues. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer. So where do you start?

“Now is the perfect time to do those tasks that get put over to the side during the year,” said Justin Sightler, owner of X-tra Clean, an Andalusia company with 27 years in the cleaning business.

“For us, and I’m sure everyone else, this is the time of year where we get busy dusting baseboards, cleaning cobwebs out of the corners, doing all that detail dusting that we let go during the year,” Sightler said. “For us, dusting is the big thing.”

Once all the minor cleaning is completed, Sightler recommended tackling the bigger projects.

“What that means is don’t forget about cleaning your carpets and upholstery,” he said. “There are a lot of studies that show how air quality is in direct relation with your health. If the air inside your home is free from dust and allergens, you breathe better. To do that, you have to clean that carpet, those couches and chairs, and even mattresses.”

Sightler said those with newer carpet should know professional cleaning can be a condition of the warranty.

“When carpet comes from the mills, it’s treated with protectors that help last longer,” he said. “If it’s cleaned with the wrong type of cleaner or incorrectly, you could void the warranty.

“With that said, if you decided to rent a shampooer and do it yourself, be careful,” he said. “If the pH level in the cleaner is too high, it can remove the protective coating on the carpet.”

Spring might be synonymous with warmer temperatures, but for allergy sufferers spring can be a difficult time of year. When spring cleaning, don’t forget to thoroughly clean filters, ducts and vents to help decrease exposure to airborne allergens.

“Now is a great time to do that pressure washing outside, too,” he said.

And once all the work is finished, open the windows and let in the fresh air.