12 Great Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home
After a long and dreary winter, there is nothing better than a good spring clean of your home to blow away the cobwebs (quite literally) and prepare for the brighter days ahead.
Spring cleaning means going over and above your normal cleaning routine, getting into those hard to reach corners, clearing out your wardrobe or tackling the bigger jobs such as cleaning the oven and fridge. Whatever the task, below is a list of handy tips to make spring cleaning feel like a breeze. Who knows, you might even enjoy it!
1. Start Well
Make sure you have all the tools you need for tackling each room in your house. If required, invest in a new mop, broom, fresh cloths and necessary cleaning products. Regardless of the room, start at the top and work your way down so the dust falling from above can be cleaned as you sweep, hoover and mop your floors at the end.
2. Curtains and Drapes
Before getting started with your cleaning, it might be an idea to give any curtains or drapes a decent clean. Remove any curtains needing a wash and shake the dust from them before bagging and taking them to the dry cleaners. If your curtains don’t need washed, plump them up by before removing them from the window, taking out any hooks and running them through the air-fluff cycle in your dryer (along with a wet towel which will draw off any dust).
3. Dust-Free Home
Remove all lamps, pictures, frames, mirrors and blinds from the room before dusting. Use a dusting brush to lift the larger particles and follow with polish and a cloth. Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down walls, doors and skirting boards.
Good Housekeeping has a few further hints and tips to ensure your home is dust-free into spring.
4. Kitchen Worktops
Break yourself into the kitchen gently by starting with the kitchen worktops, removing all appliances, jars and holders to give you the space for a full surface clean. Lay a bin bag on a flat surface to remove any crumbs or debris from your worktop. Follow up with the appropriate cleaning for your work surface with Good Housekeeping’s handy hints and tips.
5. Kitchen Sink
Although you will be cleaning your kitchen sink on a regular basis, give the sink a thorough scrub with an appropriate spray for your work surface and use a drain unblocking solution to shift any food debris which may be left in the pipes. After cleaning, make sure to use a dry cloth to shine up your taps and leave your surface sparkling.
6. Refrigerator Refresh
A refrigerator will need to be kept clean and fuss-free on a regular basis. However, come spring time there is an opportunity to really go to town on it – removing any hidden grime and making sure all surfaces, including the walls, are given a thorough clean. Either use salt and soda water for a natural way to clean your fridge or use your preferred cleaning spray. Remove any detachable trays, shelves and racks for a more in-depth clean in hot water in the sink. Make sure you dry all surfaces thoroughly before re-inserting and replacing your food, shelving and trays. Cleanipedia has a great guide to cleaning your fridge if you are needing any further direction.
7. Sparkling Oven
Use a suitable oven and hob cleaner to remove burnt stains across your office surfaces and to prevent any stubborn stains. It is, of course, ideal to clean up those stains as they happen, but this is not always possible. House Beautiful has a thorough guide to cleaning those stubborn parts of your oven and making sure its sparkles again.
8. Dishwasher Deep Clean
If your dishwasher is used daily then it will do no harm to do an intensive clean this spring by running an empty rinse with dishwasher salts or cleaner. Before you run the empty cycle remove the filter and rinse it to dislodge trapped food. Check out the Which? guide to cleaning your dishwasher for further hints and tips.
9. Dreamy Living Room
In your living room, pull away any sofas or chairs from the wall to ensure proper cleaning behind them. When hoovering, use the smaller nozzle on a hoover to get into the corners and tougher spots around the room.
A sunny day is the perfect opportunity to spot all stains, fingerprints and smears on TV screens. Use a dedicated solution for screen cleaning and remove stubborn smears and a soft cloth that would result in any scratching.
Home Life has a few further cleaning tips for your living room.
10. Window Wizardry
Whilst the sun is shining, get going on your windows, both inside and out. Begin by washing with a cloth and hot soapy water, then rinse with a separate cloth in clean hot water. Rub dry with a third cloth to ensure you aren’t leaving any water marks behind.
11. Beautiful Bathroom
Bathrooms see a build-up of limescale and damp which can be removed with strong limescale tackling products and an appropriate or old toothbrush for stubborn corners. There is also the option of soaking faucets in a vinegar solution to soften deposits and make them easier to remove. Get into small crevices in the shower with baking soda and a toothbrush, particularly between the tiles and at the bottom of shower doors.
As the purpose of spring cleaning is to prepare for the brighter, lighter and hopefully warmer days ahead, now is a good time to turn down your room thermostats and make any necessary adjustments to your heating systems, such as setting your heating for shorter bursts throughout the day. This will reduce your heating bills and save you money.
12. Clothes Clear Out
Whether it is your own wardrobe or your kids’ cupboards, a clear out of unwanted clothes is bound to leave you feeling satisfied. Start by taking a black bag and sorting through each drawer or section of your wardrobe. Once you have taken out all the clothes you don’t need, lay all the other clothes aside and give your wardrobe a good clean before placing items back inside.
Check out The Independent’s Ultimate Guide to Spring Cleaning your Wardrobe for a list of further wardrobe cleaning tips.
Take a look at our 7 Spring energy saving tips for your home as well as these money saving tips for your household bills.
Have any other cleaning wisdom to share?
Do you have any spring cleaning tips of your own to share? Share them on Facebook or Twitter using our hashtag #SmarterLiving and we might just pass them on.
