Spring is just a few weeks away.
Everybody knows that it wouldn't be spring without the dreaded spring cleaning.
There are multiple items that you can do around the house to get ready for the warmer weather that is coming.
A great place to start though is outside.
After being stuck inside all winter, the last place you want to start is inside.
Go outside, enjoy that fresh cool air, and follow some of these outdoor spring cleaning tips for a better looking yard and home.

1. Fertilize! Now is the best time to get the grass growing again.
   Yes it will grow on it's own, but give it some fertilizer and it will grow green that much faster.
   Don't forget that while you fertilize it is also a great time to get rid of weeds as well.
   Go to your local hardware store and pick up a bag of weed and feed.
   Right now most hardware stores have spring cleaning sales going on right now.
   
2. While we were inside all winter, a lot of debris and dead plant waste has ended up in your yard.
   Remove this stuff right away.
   The longer you allow this waste and debris to remain the longer it is going to take to get your yard looking good.
   This waste will prohibit plant growth under it.
   Get out the rake and get under all shrubs and low canopy trees as well.
   Left over leaves from the year before will eventually rot down, but until then they will create a home for mold.
   
3. Are your gardening tools in working order? If not, now's the time to clean them up, sharpen blades, or even buy new ones if you have to.
   This goes for gas powered tools as well.
   Your lawn mower sat all winter.
   Instead of running that old gas through it, take it in, have the tank drained and a tune up done on it.
   This will save you in the long run later this summer.
   
4. Now that your lawn mower is running great, lets think about removing excess thatch that is built up in your yard.
   Thatch is a major reason that yards across the country do not grow well.
   What is thatch? If you look at your yard closely you will see a blanket of dead grass under any new growing grass.
   This is thatch.
   If left for too long it will become too thick for good root development to occur.
   Thatch limits the amount of oxygen, moisture, and nutrients that are able to get to the roots.
   
5. After you "dethatch" the yard, you should also aerate it.
   By removing plugs of sod, you will in turn loosen the soil.
   This allows for better root development.
   water and nutrients can find their way to the roots easier as well.
   
6. Do you want to move any plants in your yard? Since in early spring most plants have not begun to grow yet, now is the time to transplant them.
   You will not damage the plant as much as if you would transplant it when it was in full bloom.
   
7. Spring cleaning wouldn't be considered spring cleaning if you didn't tackle the garage! I know a lot of things have cluttered up in my garage over the winter.
   With the warmer weather about us, now is a great time to take everything out of the garage and get rid of everything you don't need.
   You should reorganize as well.
   

There are plenty of other spring cleaning tips and ideas out there.
We have just provided seven to get you thinking and out of the house.
The spring cleaning items above is a good place to start because the yard will start to grow.
When it does you can be right there with it or you can fall behind like so many others.
A lot of people dread spring cleaning, but enjoy it.
Start outside where you want to be.