Banish the Dust Bunnies
Dust holds odor, feeds dust mites, and provides breeding ground for mold in dark, damp places. Get rid of dust bunnies on all the forgotten surfaces of your home: inside closets, under furniture, light bulbs (unscrew first!), under and behind all major appliances, and on top of the refrigerator. When you dust the tops of your ceiling fans, reverse the direction for the season (counterclockwise in summer, clockwise in winter). Launder your bed dust ruffles and pillows, and take delicate fabrics (wool afghans, upholstered throw pillows, draperies) to the cleaners. Rent a carpet shampooer.

If You Want it to Last, Maintain It
Everyone knows the oven should be cleaned in the spring (for those without a self-cleaning oven: baking soda, vinegar, and vigor), but everyone should also know how to extend the life of other appliances with annual cleaning and maintenance. Before any DIY servicing of a major appliance, check the manual. Use a dryer vent vacuum attachment to remove built-up lint beneath the lint trap and exhaust pipe. (This task can prevent a fire.) Vacuum refrigerator coils and vents to improve its performance. While you're at it, clean that behemoth out: throw away old food and wash shelving and walls with warm vinegar water and a little baking soda for sticky, crusty spills.

Window Washing Weekend
To speed up this dreaded job, use hot water with a drop of dish soap, and a squeegee. Starting at the top, sponge off dirt from the window with a 50-50 vinegar and hot water solution, then squeegee it off in overlapping strokes. Use an extension pole for hard-to-reach windows. To clean vinyl blinds, remove and dip in a bathtub of 2" hot water and ¼ cup of your favorite degreaser. Rinse with the shower nozzle and lay in the sunshine to dry.

In spite of spring cleaning's reputation of drudgery, it reaps serious rewards: you find unwanted stuff and toss it or give it away, you find lost items, you get a little more organized, and you feel a lot better.