Spring cleaning is nothing short of tradition, an activity that can revolutionize our relationship with home after a cold season of near-hibernation. Despite the fun that spring cleaning can bring, it can also be a laborious effort – which is why these tips are here to help you plan and execute an effective spring-clean!
Have a Clear-Out
Perhaps the most fun part of any spring-clean is the clear-out after winter, and the freedom that results from throwing out clutter you’ve been hoarding for some time. The only rule for your decluttering session is this: be ruthless. Marie Kondo’s famed decluttering method has a more positive spin on this rule, with the winning question “does this spark joy?” But whichever way you choose to look at your clear-out, be prepared to say some difficult goodbyes – especially to that dusty duvet set you haven’t used in years, but haven’t thrown away “just in case…”
Clean Your Bathroom – Properly
Even though we clean our bathrooms regularly, Spring presents the perfect time to take a closer look – and take more drastic action. You’d be surprised just how much grim can proliferate without you noticing. Look at your grout. Has it always been that color? And have those black spots always been there in the sealant around your bath? Bring your bathroom back to tip-top condition with an afternoon of deep-cleaning: scrub the grout back to its original color and use bleach-soaked kitchen paper to lift mould out from sealant. Even your toilet bowl can benefit from a proper clean; pour a litre of vinegar into the bowl and leave it overnight, then scrub the next day to remove any limescale. Good as new!
Cupboards and Cabinets
Next up, your cupboards and cabinets. Having judiciously cleared out everything you don’t use or no longer need, you should find it much easier to clean and organize them, whether in your living room or kitchen. Pull everything out and clean your storage spaces, as dust and grime can quickly accumulate where we aren’t looking. The tops of cabinets and doors in the kitchen are like fly-paper for dust, with the increased amount of airborne oil resulting in a greasy film that can be tricky to remove – so get scrubbing! This is also a perfect opportunity to pull out your Milwaukee tools and fix any niggling issues with your furniture, such as loose or squeaky hinges. WD40 also works wonders on stiff doors and latches.
Kitchen Appliances
At last, time for the short-straw jobs that may have been the reason you were putting off spring-cleaning to begin with… Ovens and microwaves alike can get extremely grimy extremely quickly, and much of that grime can seem impossible to remove. Time to bring out the heavy hitters… Your oven may have a “clean” mode which turns the heat up to maximum in order to burn off any stains, though if your oven is older and less efficient at removing smoke this may not be the safest option to take! For especially stubborn stains, you can use bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to soften, and a stanley blade to carefully remove what’s left. Cream cleaner does a fantastic job on hob surfaces, and plenty of detergent can help clean your extractor fan’s grease traps.