This is a lovely month to prepare for your spring gardening, organize indoor spaces and add spice with romantic decorating ideas.
Have you taken a close look at your bathroom tile grout to see if it's in need of attention, and even repair or replacement? Make any fixes that are needed to protect your bathroom tiles.
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Countdown to spring: Before the outdoor season calls for your attention, make a list of indoor projects that still need focus. Try to tick off the top priorities this next month or so.
About 8 billion candy hearts will be produced this year; that's enough candy to stretch from Rome, Italy, to Valentine, Ariz., and back again 20 times. — National Confectioners Association
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Built-up grease and grime in the sink's drain can smell up the whole kitchen. Give yours a power rinse by pouring 1/4 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Let it sit (and bubble) for 20 minutes, then rinse with a kettle of hot water. For a final rinse, run the cold water for one minute.
Clean and organize the laundry area with an eye on how it might function better. Would a drying rack or rolling organizer relieve clutter and chaos, or might a corkboard on the wall to pin up stain-removal and care charts be useful?
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Branches of early-flowering trees and shrubs can be made to bloom extra-early indoors. Cut when you see a little color on the buds, smash stem ends with a hammer to improve water uptake, and put in buckets. Store in a cool spot to get the process going.
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Late winter is a great time to assess the pantry's contents and plan meals that use up stocks of cold-weather foods. Take contents of your freezer into account, too. Plan to thoroughly clean the pantry, washing shelves and adding fresh liners, before making a list of needed items and stocking up for spring.
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Ninety-two percent of women can remember the last time they received flowers, and 56 percent of those were roses.
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Use the right tool for the right job: Several times a year, starting now, go thoroughly over all upholstered furniture and mattresses with the small, flat-headed upholstery attachment.
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In warmer zones, seed-starting begins this month (and 6 to 8 weeks before final frost in all zones, depending on the crop). Extra-early starts (January in some areas) include celery, onions and leeks, followed by cool-season crops like lettuces, broccoli and kale. If ground can be worked, sow spinach outdoors.
More: Seed Storage and Planting Tips
Never walk on soil or lawns that haven't drained and/or thawed. You're doing damage to the soil by compacting it. If your soil is compacted, overworked or tired, you may need a soil revival come spring.
More: Soil Revival Tips
Give the sink, toilet, tub and faucets a good scrub, and help prevent soap-scum buildup by wiping surfaces dry after each use. Mildew will fare worse in a bathroom with more light and air: Is a fan needed, and can shades be left open?
More: Bathroom Cleaning Tips
Popular hybrid tea roses need a harden pruning — down to as low as 18 inches — about now.
More: Rose Pruning Instructions
If you don't have a valentine for your valentine yet, you can easily make your own. Cut out a paper heart, draw a lipstick heart on the mirror or simply write a quick note to your beloved today. Trust us, they'll love it.
"Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love." — Billy Graham
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More than 75 percent of women say they're in charge of household organization but others can get involved easily. Try it today: Have a pre-treat contest. Whoever sprays his or her stained clothing first and most effectively — as measured by how clean it gets — gets to choose the next selection for movie night.
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If it hasn't had a cleanout and proper washing down of all shelves and bins lately, now's the time. Replace baking soda in refrigerator monthly for a natural deodorizer.
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To enjoy your Valentine's Day flowers for as long as possible, replace water on a daily basis and re-cut stems once a week. Add an aspirin tablet to water for longer life and never store above 80 degrees F.
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Late winter is a good time to apply natural fertilizer to the root zones of trees and shrubs. (Garden beds, too, will appreciate a top-dressing of the appropriate product formula, which can be worked in as the soil is ready for turning.)
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To keep your floors in good condition for years to come, be sure to clean all wood floors, tile and linoleum every week. Try it today: For shiny hardwood, fill a bucket with boiling water and two teabags. After 3 to 5 minutes use a soft cloth, dampened only, to mop.
Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. If you can't celebrate in Louisiana with some king cake, take a virtual stroll around New Orleans instead.
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When your Valentine's Day roses are starting to wilt, cut the stems shorter and separate the bouquet into a group of three small vases. Got a big bloom? Cut the stem off and float it in a glass bowl.
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Nursery orders that arrive bare-root and dormant in earliest spring will need your immediate attention. If you're expecting asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries and other cane fruits or even unpotted roses by mail, prep those areas at the first opportunity, as soon as the soil can be worked. Want to grow those? Order right away.
As days lengthen, some houseplants may start to awaken. If they begin to stretch, they may need pinching back to stay compact and bushy.
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As soon as you see green growth push through the soil surface on any outdoor bulbs, from tulips to garlic, apply natural fertilizer labeled for use on bulbs.
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Spend 90 minutes cleaning today and your house will feel great all week. Open a window and throw your sheets and towels in the wash. Vacuum and dust all surfaces, clean the sinks, counters, toilets and tub(s). Replace kitchen towels and sponges. Put on fresh bedding, spray a spritz of air freshener — and enjoy the rest of the day.
If the mower, blower and other power tools didn't get a tune-up and sharpening at season's end last fall, take them in for service now. Don't wait until you need them on a weekly basis —or the shop is mobbed by everyone else's tools later in the spring.
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"If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." — William Morris
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"I keep a large shopping bag or box handy at all times to store items I'm donating to charity. Every time I see something I won't be using, into the box it goes. When it's full I take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army." — Enri in Miami, FL
More: Donating Dos and Don'ts
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