We think it is safe to say we are all ready for some sunshine, warmth and longer days. Being able to throw open the windows of our home and let in the fresh air does something to us all where we get the impulse to have a bit of a tidy or a sort out. But how do you spring clean a house? If you’re looking to have a bit of a clean but aren’t quite sure where to start, here are our top spring cleaning tips and tricks. Pop on your favourite cleaning playlist and off you go!
Start Small
First off, start small! You might feel invigorated and like you want to take on the world right now, but three rooms, two cupboards and a few hours later, you may feel differently. Stop procrastinating and start on a small, achievable goal, so you can easily see your results and feel the benefits. Our starting small suggestions include:
- Cleaning the microwave - Take a lemon and cut it in half. Take a microwavable bowl and add some water, and half the lemon (squeeze the lemon in the water a bit). Put the bowl in the microwave on high for a couple of minutes. Carefully remove the bowl and use a damp cloth to wipe any residue.
- Cleaning and organising your fridge - You can use the other half of the lemon to refresh your fridge by placing it on a plate in the fridge to trap bad odours. Whilst that’s doing its work, throw away anything out of date or unused for a long period of time, wipe down shelves and take out any containers/drawers and give them a good wash.
- Cleaning the windows - Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle, you can use a microfiber cloth (or newspaper if you fancy), and work towards your streak free finish.
Work Room to Room
Following our starting small theme, try and complete one room before you move onto another. Again this gives you something achievable and a stopping point after it if you need it, and that feeling of achievement whenever you enter the room. It could be the time to prioritise a room that has been either neglected, or very well used over winter and will see the most benefit from a good clean. Our home spring cleaning tips to tackling each room are:
- Move anything out of the room that shouldn’t be there. Mugs, clothing, toys etc.
- Set up a number of bags or boxes - rubbish, charity shop, sell and store. As you go through the next steps, you can just add bits to each of the relevant boxes as you go.
- Clear any obvious rubbish and pop it in the bin/designated box.
- Tidy the room as it is, so everything is back in its place.
- Pick one item in the room to deep clean.
- Spray a cleaner on all wipeable surfaces, and wipe off.
- Dust everything else down.
- Hoover around, and take the time to get to all the corners, behind the sofa etc.
- If you like to spray any air freshener, or add a diffuser,do that and you’re done.
Don’t Go Overboard on Products
It’s super easy to be drawn in by certain lifestyle pages and influencers into all the cleaning stuff you could use, and that is great if cleaning is really your bag and you have the time and money. If you’re looking to just give your home a spring refresh, and make sure any germs and nasties are gone, then you may be better to invest in one really good all-purpose cleaner and some microfibre cloths. This will cover most of the rooms in your home, you can wash and re-use the cloths, and it allows you to see any areas that may need a deeper clean and different products.
If you’re looking for more natural spring cleaning products that have stood the test of time and been passed through generations, you can consider the following:
- Lemons - As mentioned can be used to clean your microwave, but they also can be used to remove water stains from a stainless steel sink, to kill weeds and refresh your wooden cutting boards.
- White vinegar - To remove shower head build up, to clean windows or to clean a greasy hob.
- Bicarbonate of soda - Is great for refreshing carpets, can help clean your washing machine and can even refresh stained food containers.
It’s Not Just Rooms!
Spring cleaning isn’t just about refreshing your rooms. You could also consider:
- Spraying down your garden furniture ready for the hot weather of summer.
- Giving your mattress a refresh, flip over and breather.
- Cleaning all your makeup brushes, or cleaning out your handbag.
- Giving your tech a deep clean - your phone and keyboard will thank you!
- Having a sort through the junk drawer of the home, to make way for all the weird and wonderful things you can collect over the next year.
As a brand, we champion sharing knowledge, skills and loved moments across generations, and that doesn’t stop at spring cleaning tips. If you have any further tips for spring cleaning that you share with your family, feel free to share it on our social channels!