When it comes to tackling the annual spring cleaning, the whole task can feel daunting. But it doesn’t have to. With a few little hints and tips, sprucing up your home ready for the new season can actually be an enjoyable task and one that’ll make you feel proud of your home once it’s sparking in that warm spring sunshine.
The kitchen
Kitchens are usually one of the dirtiest rooms in the house. They get a lot of use every single day, and often the mess of the day’s meals can leave a lasting impression and one that sticks around long after the food has been consumed. As a result, kitchens are one of the top rooms that people want to deep clean.
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to start at the top and work your way down. Start by wiping light fittings and the top of cupboards – you’ll be surprised at how much dust accumulates in the space of a year! Once these have been done, you can move on to the tiles and surfaces. It’s best to take everything off the surface and use a cloth and a bleach or grease spray to wipe the whole side down in one go. Should dirt and grime have accumulated around the cooker, tackle this by using the handle of a spoon underneath the cloth and wiping round with enough spray to make sure its damp. Alternatively, steam cleaners, such as this Karcher one, are great for targeting cleaning without detergents.
Once the surfaces are clean, you can wipe down the appliances with an antibacterial cleaner to make them sparkling once more. It’s important not to use bleach on microwaves and fridge-freezers as it can cause them to rust. If you have utensils out, throw them in the dishwasher or give them a soak in the sink to get rid of dust and germs before placing everything back in its rightful place.
Cupboard doors should be next, along with cookers and ovens. Cupboard doors usually just need a quick wipe with a cloth to get rid of spills and dust, but cookers and oven may take more work. An oven can be brought back to life with the help of Oven Pride. This tough cleaner gets to work on burnt on grease and grime overnight, revealing a sparking oven at the end of it. Cooker tops however will require a bit more elbow grease. White vinegar and baking soda are two magical ingredients that remove burnt on food easily. This video has loads of tips – including how you can get into those hard to reach areas.
Once your surfaces and cooker are as clean as can be, it’s time to tackle the floor. If you have lino or tiles, you’ll want to sweep it first, before using hot water and a good floor cleaner to buff it up. You can use an additional mop if you wish to dry it, meaning you’ll be able to walk on your new, clean floor in a jiffy.
The living room
Living rooms can either be an escape from the madness of the rest of the house or a crazy space that the whole family spends time in. No matter what your living room is to you, it’ll need a good clean once a year. If you’ve got a carpet, consider hiring in some professionals to clean it for you. Alternatively, you can hire a carpet cleaner for a day or two and do your whole house. Once your carpet looks new once more, it’s fine to give it a thorough vacuum. Move furniture to access skirting boards, then wash or wipe down soft furnishings, such as cushions, curtains and throws.
If you’ve got wooden floors however then clean them with a wood cleaner, but make sure the cloth or mop is almost dry as too much water can damage the flooring. Again, a steam cleaner is a good option for cleaning without using chemicals.
The bathroom
Another room that gets dirty very quickly, bathrooms can be tranquil spaces, but many often find that they simply don’t have the time to use them to their maximum potential. And as a result, they appear unloved. When it comes to spring cleaning the bathroom, its best to take everything out and start again. Many of us have numerous bottles of half empty shampoo, conditioner and shower gel piled up, so putting it all into a box will let you see exactly what you have to work with.
Once you have an empty space, it’s time to get to work. Wipe down tiles with bathroom cleaner to get rid of water marks and grime. If you find there’s mould around the shower, you can either use a bleach-based cleaner and an old toothbrush to get into the hard to reach areas and in between tiles, use a special cleaner, specifically for mould, or use the vinegar and baking soda solution as mentioned above. Whichever route you go down, it’s also important to clean around taps as water can get stuck here and cause grime to develop. Once the bath, shower and sink are sparkling, it’s time to clean the toilet. Work outwards in, so wipe the top, handle and base before tackling the main event. Make sure you use hot water to kill germs and clean the seat and rim next, before giving the inside a good spray with bleach.
Once your bathroom is looking like new again, it’s time to put your toiletries back. But to make sure you don’t undo all your hard work, give them a quick wipe and throw any away you don’t use or are empty!
The bedroom
Bedrooms don’t usually get too dirty, but you’ll want to give it a clean every so often. It’s worth dusting furniture first to make sure you won’t be creating more mess. Once this has been done, strip the bed, vacuum the mattress and flip it over. It’s recommended that you flip the mattress every three months in order to prolong life, but some can need doing more often. While doing this, it’s also a great time to wash pillows and duvets to ensure they are bug free. Some people find taking them to the laundrette easier as the washing machines are bigger. If you can dry them, a top tip is to pop a few tennis balls in there too to stop the fibres from clumping.
When it comes to the floor, the same applies as with the living room – but don’t forget under the bed. The amount of dust that collects under beds is startling.
Do you have any top tips for spring cleaning your home?
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