15 quick and easy spring cleaning tips
As the seasons change many of us get the urge to declutter, deep clean and spruce up our homes and gardens. These 15 spring cleaning tips will help you prepare your home and mind for the new season.
After a long, cold winter spring can feel liberating. Trees and flowers are bursting into life and we can finally throw open our windows and let fresh air into our home. Spring is also traditionally a time to clean and declutter our homes and our lives.
And to help you get a head start this year, here are 15 quick and easy spring cleaning tips.
1) Create a plan
Before you begin the spring clean, it’s good to make a plan. List which rooms are your priority and work your way through it. Creating a plan will help the order of events be clear in your mind, making the task not so daunting.
2) Declutter
Once you’ve decided on a plan of action, you can start by decluttering any belongings that you no longer use. Decide whether you want to donate, sell or take to the tip. By decluttering your items, you’ll also avoid cleaning certain items or areas that you don’t even use.
3) Store things you don’t need away
It’s hard to keep a cluttered home clean. But we don’t necessarily want to get rid of everything we’re not using right now. If you don’t have much storage space in your home, consider renting a self-storage unit. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer you’ll feel in a home that has space to breathe.
4) Tackle room by room
Cleaning can sometimes be daunting and you might start in another room before you’ve even finished the first room. Start your cleaning room by room, and don’t begin another room until you’ve completed one.
5) Open windows
Opening windows during your spring clean helps to eliminate any odours and freshens up your home. It will also help get rid of any strong smells from cleaning products used during the clean.
6) Wipe down walls
Many people forget to clean their walls during a spring clean. Kitchen walls especially can have a build-up of oil and food stains, so it’s vital to wipe these down with warm soapy water or delicate cleaning products to not chip the paint.
7) Deep your clean carpets and rugs
Carpets and rugs often build up with pet hair and crumbs so it’s important to give these a deep clean every now and then. A vacuum that also washes your carpet is an ideal tool for this task. You can read tips to tackle stubborn carpet stains here.
8) Clean your microwave
Clean the inside of your microwave by placing a bowl of water and vinegar in there until boiling. This will help all stains wipe away easily. You can also use lemons for a fresher smell.
9) Don’t forget your fridge
Remove the shelves and compartments in the fridge and soak them in warm soapy water. This also allows you to access all areas of the fridge so you can deep clean and get rid of any expired food or jars.
10) Get rid of expired makeup and lotion
Expired makeup and skincare lotions are not only bad for our skin, but it takes up valuable space in our home. Recycling any products that have gone off will help you to neatly organise your collection. It;’s also a good idea to ditch any products that contain these ingredients.
11) Clean your washing machine
We often neglect our washing machines. It’s important to clean the drum and the detergent compartments. For a quick clean, you can put it on its hottest cycle and add some detergent.
12) And your dishwasher
Dishwashers often build up with bits of food and sauces etc, so giving your dishwasher a deep clean every now and then will help to freshen it up. You can buy dishwasher cleaning tablets or some white vinegar will do the trick.
13) Move furniture
It’s important to pull out beds and sofas to clean behind as these areas often build up dust and cobwebs. If anyone in your family suffers from dust allergies, then this is extra important as it could be affecting them. Find out how to deep clean your bedroom here.
14) Test smoke alarms and security alarms
A spring clean could be a good time to test the alarms in your home. Check and replace batteries in smoke or security alarms for extra peace of mind.
15) Tackle your garden
It’s that time of year when the weather warms up and we wish we’d sorted the garden sooner. Spending a bit of time tidying up the garden and sorting out the weeds will help in the long run.
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Photo by Toa Heftiba
