Does a clean house make you feel good?

According to the 2006 Soap and Detergent A s s o c i a t i o n Spring Cleaning Survey, 98 percent of Americans feel better about themselves when their house is clean. In addition to lifting your spirits, a clean house can also help improve your physical health by reducing the dust, dust mites, bugs, mold and other allergens that can lead to health concerns.

The majority of the people participating in the survey felt that spring was the best time to eliminate excess dirt and clutter. Now is the time to eliminate the dirt and clutter in your house and create a healthy home for you and your family.

Start by removing the clutter. Dust and bugs collect in areas where there are stacks of papers, magazines, clothes and boxes. Sort through your stacks of stuff and eliminate at least 75 percent of each pile. More would be even better.

Now that you have removed some of the clutter, start cleaning and reduce the allergens in your home.

Dust your fan blades and light fixtures.

Clean all furniture, taking care to move items off shelves and table tops and dust before replacing them.

Vacuum upholstered furniture. Consider having items professionally cleaned.

Clean all vents in the house and replace the air filter.

Remove window treatments and blinds. Wash or dry clean the curtains and dust off the blinds. Be sure to clean the window sills.

Remove and wash bedding. Dry clean or prof e s s i o n a l l y clean bedspreads, comforters, and pillows. If a family member has severe allergies, this is a good time to consider replacing feather bedding with non-allergenic pillows and comforters.

Dust pictures and other wall ornaments.

Sweep and mop kitchen and bathroom floors. Don't forget to clean behind appliances.

Vacuum carpeting and carpets thoroughly. Rent a steam cleaner or have the carpeting professionally cleaned. A long term solution to reducing allergens in your home is to replace carpeting with wood, vinyl, linoleum or tile flooring.

Scrub bathtub and shower with a disinfectant. Check around bathroom fixtures for leaks that may lead to mold growth.

Making time to thoroughly clean your home this spring can help you and your family feel better while providing a healthier living environment. After you finish spring cleaning, take time to create a regular cleaning plan to maintain a healthy home.

For helpful hints and cleaning tips, visit the Soap and Detergent website at http://www.cleaning 101.com