The weather is warming up and spring has sprung, which means it’s the perfect time to give your home a good spring clean. After spending so many months at home, and largely indoors, during lockdown, your home is probably in dire need of some sprucing up. Not sure where to start? Check out these tips to help make your spring clean a breeze.
Map out a plan of attack
Unless you live in a 1-room micro-apartment, a thorough spring clean is not going to happen in a day. Before you start your spring clean, spend some time mapping out a plan of attack and put your organisation ideas down on paper. For best results, include a designated date next to each task or category so that you can consciously put that time aside for the tasks ahead.
The best way to handle a thorough spring clean is to organise the task room by room. Then, break down the cleaning into manageable tasks by making a bulleted list of what needs to be done. For larger areas, like the kitchen, try to put aside a few days for this task. The kitchen is by far the biggest task to declutter in any home, as there are lots of cupboards, a pantry, laundry room, and appliances to clean.
Declutter and tidy
Before you can start deep cleaning any space, consider a thorough declutter. Sort all the items that you want to keep, from the things that you want to donate, sell, or toss out. Once you’ve gone through your belongings and decided what is worth keeping, tidy the space and put everything in its rightful place. Once all the shelves, countertops, floor areas, and surfaces have been decluttered, organised and cleared, you can start cleaning.
Get into nooks and crannies with a vacuum
Vacuum cleaners are an incredibly useful appliance when it comes to general cleaning – and this is especially true for when you are spring cleaning. A vacuum cleaner is a perfect tool to clean in all those hard to reach places that will usually be left out during a general clean. This is where all the vacuum tools and nozzles really come in handy – take your time to select the correct nozzle for reaching into crevices, to dust or for cleaning soft furnishings, upholstery or window dressings. These nozzles are also ideal for cleaning out drawers and inside cupboards and cabinets.
If you’re in the market for a new vacuum cleaner, then consider investing in a model that has a HEPA filtration system, which will not only clean your home but will also purify the air in the room you’re cleaning. Vacuums with a HEPA system offers an advanced level of cleanliness, as they are able to trap particles that are as small a 0,1 of a micron, ensuring that they capture allergens and bacteria, as well as all the usual household dirt and dust – leaving your home and the air you breathe cleaner after use.
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Unpacking the nitty-gritty
When it comes to your cupboards, you need to take everything out, so that you can clean them inside and out. This is especially true in the kitchen. Empty each cupboard one at a time, so you can get a clear idea of all the things you have and what you would like to get rid of.
So often, you forget about tins, spices and old Tupperware lids that are stored out of sight at the back of cupboards. Rather throw out anything that is past its ‘best before’ date or is no longer in good shape. Then use a dusting brush attachment to vacuum out any crumbs and dust, before you spray the surfaces down with an anti-bacterial cleaner and wipe them down. Once this is completed, then can you repack your shelves with edible food and useful items.
Tackling soft furnishings
It is also important to clean soft furnishings such as curtains, duvets, pillows and cushion covers every now and again. If your washing machine does not have a special programme designed for curtains, pillows and duvets, then wash them with the most delicate programme possible or send them away to the laundromat for specialist cleaning.
Clean your appliances
Don’t forget, your home’s appliances need cleaning too. Your fridge, freezer, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine all work hard year-round to make your life easier but, they also need a spring clean every so often to keep them looking as good as new. Keeping reading for tips on the best way to clean the appliances in your home.
Ovens: Stubborn stains and grease can be removed with a specialist oven cleaning product which can be sprayed on and left for a few minutes to soften baked-on food residue so that it can be wiped away.
Microwaves: Your microwave can end up looking extremely grimy due to the mixture of splatters and smells that are left inside after use. It is pretty simple to clean a microwave. Simply combine 1 cup of water, with the lemon of 1 lemon / orange / lime into a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar to the mix. Place it inside the microwave and turn it on high for several minutes until the mixture boils and the window steams up. Let it cool for 5 minutes before removing the bowl. Take out the turntable plate and put it in the dishwasher, and wipe down the inner cabinet of your microwave with a sponge.
Hobs: Hobs take a battering as they are used daily for cooking meals. Use a stainless steel cleaner to clean both ceran and stainless steel hob surfaces. It works quickly to remove grease and baked-on food residue, leaving the hob surface gleaming and good as new.
Fridges: Before you can clean your fridge, remove all the food stored inside and place them in a cooler box while you are cleaning. Now you can remove all the shelves, door racks and vegetable drawers, and wash them thoroughly using warm water and antibacterial soap and leave to dry. Some fridges have dishwasher-proof shelves and door racks, which allows them to be easily and hygienically cleaned in the dishwasher. You may find a little build-up in the drain hole at the back of your fridge, and this ought to be cleaned with a bottle brush and some warm, soapy water. Wipe down the fridge’s inner cabinet, and then it is time to replace all the shelves, rack and drawers inside.
Freezers: Remove all the food from the freezer and store it in the fridge while cleaning. Then remove all the drawers and wash them with warm, soapy water, removing any crumbs or food residue. Make sure they are completely dry before returning them to the freezer. While they are dying, you can wipe down the inner cavity of the freezer, ensuring that you dry it thoroughly and leave no moisture or residue. If you do not want to empty the entire freezer, then clean one freezer drawer at a time, as all the food can then remain in the freezer.
Washing machines & dishwashers: Even appliances that help you clean, such as your washing machine and dishwasher, need cleaning once in a while. Running low-temperature wash cycles will save you money on your utility bills, but it will also lead to grease and dirt build-up over time, so it is essential that you run regular maintenance programmes in order to keep everything working as it should. Consider buying a washing machine or dishwasher cleaning solution which has been purposefully designed to give washing machines and dishwashers a really good deep clean. If you use it together with a hot water wash, it will get rid of any unwanted build-up.
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