If just thinking about spring cleaning gets you tired, there are always the professionals that are glad to help. Better yet, you can buy a raffle ticket for We Care in Anthem, to benefit Jeremy Pascua. The raffle prizes are enough to make even the most dedicated spring cleaner salivate. Prizes available at press time include a Handyman package, an Indoor Makeover package, an Outdoor package, and an Interior Design package. Raffle tickets are $25 and the winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, April 24 th at Franco's in Anthem. For more information, email WeCareInAnthem@yahoo.com , call Christine Eyde at 623-551-0562 or stop by the We Care booth at Anthem Days.

According to Curt Johnson, owner of Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile, it's important to use a neutral ph-level cleaner, not anything that is too acidic or alkaline. For daily or weekly cleaning chores, hot water is best. He also cautions against using vinegar, which can damage grout.

To make the cleaning job easier, consider sealing your grout (Natural stone like travertine, slate and marble can be sealed as well). Sealing grout lines keeps the grout cleaner, protects the grout from stains, and makes your floor easier to maintain. You can seal the grout yourself using products at home improvement stores, or employ a professional. The professional-grade sealant that Johnson uses will last from 3-5 years.

Clean the Carpet
Rather than just a nice thing to have, a clean carpet can actually prolong its life. According to James Holloway, owner of Finesse Carpet Service, the most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming.  Vacuum thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas.  Walking on soiled carpet permits the soil particles to work their way below the surface of the pile where they are far more difficult to remove, and can damage the fibers.  Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before this happens.

Holloway also recommends that carpets be cleaned every six months. Particles deposited on carpet can cause gradual but significant dulling of carpet fibers, causing wear and dulling of delicate carpet color.  If the soil is allowed to remain too long, it can cause permanent damage to your carpet.

Clean the coils and the vents
Hidden, but crying out for attention is your refrigerator coils. If you don't remove the dust from these coils, you might be buying a new refrigerator a few years earlier than you might like.

Also hidden in the recesses of the dryer is killer lint, just waiting to clog up your vent and perhaps start a fire. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually. Cleaning your lint trap after every load will help enormously, but sometimes lint builds up in the hose behind your dryer.

Tackle the Garage Mess
Is your dirty little secret hiding behind the garage door? Have you had nightmares about garage clutter staging an uprising and demanding your money or your life?

Maybe its time to give into your garage envy - you know, the feeling you get when you drive by the neighbor's open garage, and all you see is nice cabinetry and the fancy flooring. PremierGarage specializes in creating that look for you, from the custom cabinets, rated at 100 pounds per shelf, to the epoxy/polyurethane floors. And the cabinets have evolved into "organization systems," which is really what most people need. Make sure the cabinets you choose will fit the things you store in your garage, like golf clubs, garden supplies, or tools.

Clean the pool filter
March is a great time to make sure your pool is ready to go for next season. Usually, pool filters need to be cleaned once a year, ideally before the pool season is in full swing.

Make your windows "see-through" again
Now that most of the rain is behind us, its time to clean the windows and screens. A good old-fashioned way to clean your windows is to create a mixture of ½ water and ½ white vinegar. Dip a wad of paper towels into the solution, and wipe your windows.

Earl Lund, owner of Absolute Professionals and a 24 year veteran professional window cleaner, recommends that glass be cleaned 2 times a year on the outside and once inside. "Glass is like anything else," says Lund , "if you don't clean it, the windows can be damaged." Lund cautions that using a garden hose to clean windows on the outside of the home can be particularly damaging, because of high mineral content of our hard water that settles and dries on the glass.

Absolute Professionals cleans windows, screens and hardscapes using a high-pressure steam-cleaner. Indoors, they make your chandeliers/light fixtures, cobwebs, ceiling fans, and indoor mirrors shine.

Organize your closet
While you are putting away winter clothes, you might as well clean out the rest of the closet. Remember the rule: if you haven't worn it in the past year, you probably won't wear it again (the exception in Arizona being heavy winter clothes that someday you might actually use.).

Like your garage, you can go all out purchasing organizational systems, and the storage may give you piece of mind and raise your home resale value. www.closetfactory.com will dispatch a closet designer to your home to assess your closet's condition and help you decide on an organizational solution.

Call for Air Conditioner Maintenance
Most air conditioner manufacturers suggest annual maintenance by a professional. Our air conditioning season lasts up to up to 7 months, so air conditioning maintenance is even more important. Frequent maintenance can help extend the life of your air conditioner and save money on air conditioning bills. According to Eric Nichols from Daisy Mountain Air Conditioning, a fine grade of dust settles on the coils. "Running a dirty air conditioner is like putting a piece of cardboard over your grill in front of the car," he says, and recommends yearly service for an air conditioning unit.

Nichols says that a good air conditioning tune-up takes about 1 ½ hours for one unit, and less for the second unit. He warns against companies that do $25 inspections. "You're basically getting a sales call for that price," he says. "They are going to try to sell you something." If a service person says that you need refrigerant, ask where the leak is - air conditioners are closed systems that don't "use up" refrigerant.

The number 1 mistake homeowners make? "Not changing air filters," says Nichols, which can ice up the indoor coil, causing damage to the compressor. He also recommends that you should find the right air filter to complement the design of the duct work. Most new Anthem homes should be using the cheaper air filters, not the expensive air filters that constrict air flow into your air conditioner. The air conditioner has to work harder to pull the air in.

Coddle your Plants
This winter's frost was about the worst in several years for the North Valley . Just check your Bougainvillea and Lantana for proof. Should you rip them out and start over? Xtreme Creations co-owner Jeff Lesard says not so fast. "In the next few weeks, check for green buds toward the bottom of the plant," he says. "If the base is sprouting new growth, the plant is ok."

March is a good time to fertilize plants and trees, and cut back any excess or dead growth. Hold off on fertilizing grass, as Bermuda grass will start to come back in April.

Lesard also advises his clients to use deep watering for trees. "I recommend that once the trees are established, take them off the drip line, and put a hose on them for 8-12 hours on a real slow trickle every 4-6 weeks. Move the hose out beyond the base of the tree so the root will chase the water."