I Hate Cleaning

Now we’ve officially come out of the winter hibernation, the warmer weather is upon us and the spring beauty is finally here! Complete with a little sunshine, fresh air and some pumping tunes to make it (relatively) fun, it’s time to give your home a top-to-bottom buffing ready for those summer holidays. Spring cleaning is an essential part of a happy home. The season is a time of renewal; so why should deep cleaning your house be any different?

The greenery outdoors and fresh, warm air usually makes us want to prettify the indoor space too. But for those that need some extra encouragement to get the full cleaning kit out, it can be hard to find the motivation to make a start. With a cleaning checklist in place and a plan of attack the daunting task of spring cleaning can be stress free and efficient. Here’s a few tips to get you going:

Air Out Your Home

If you’re lacking the enthusiasm to get your hands dirty with the big cleaning chores, start by opening up all the windows in your home. The fresh air will give you a healthy dose of motivation and help to clear out that cold, stuffy winter air. Encourage the spring air to come in to boost indoor air quality and reduce air pollution. It’s amazing how much fresher and better your home will feel and smell afterwards! Airing out your home should be done regularly – especially if anyone in the house suffers from allergies or asthma.

Declutter – Be Ruthless!

It’s ridiculous how quickly clutter can build up in the home. Before you begin to tackle the actual cleaning side of things – get rid of as much stuff as you can. This will make life much easier for you come spring cleaning time. Be ruthless too, saving something you haven’t touched for 12 months in hope it’ll have use again isn’t worth it. If you do find it hard to part with certain things, create a storage system to clear out without actually throwing away.

Arrange to have a skip bin delivered to your home to help with the declutter process. This will give you the opportunity to throw away bulk items, rubbish and unused pieces without overflowing your regular bins or needing a tip pass to dispose of. It’ll also ensure all your spring cleaning materials are handled in an environmentally friendly way instead of clogging up landfills.

Rearrange the Space

There’s nothing better than using spring cleaning as an excuse to rearrange the space. Breathe new life into your home by changing around the main living room, the bedroom or the outdoor space. This will make space feel brighter, fresher and better for the warmer months and gives you a chance to clean under furniture and appliances too. Keep entryways clear, allow 3-feet of space around all furniture so your home doesn’t feel cluttered and avoid pushing everything up against walls. Allowing furniture to ‘float’ like this can create a space that feels more inviting and cosy.

Show Your Floors Some TLC

Most of us do the mopping and vacuuming on a weekly basis but spring cleaning gives you the chance to really show your floors some love. And even with regular cleaning during the week, they’ll certainly be craving a deeper clean! Vacuum and shampoo or steam clean rugs and carpet, scrub out any stains and add some nice-smelling powder. Focus on high-traffic zones first and any places where furniture can be easily moved to get underneath and clean. Use this time to polish floorboards, scrub grout between tiles – especially in the bathroom and some sparkle to all flooring.

Clear Out the Fridge and Pantry

There’s a fine line between getting rid of your old fridge and pantry items and actually spring cleaning them both out. Whilst you definitely want to do a fridge and pantry declutter, a deep clean scrub is definitely in order. Check expiry dates, be ruthless and don’t be shy on wipes and hot soapy water to rid those germs. It’s a good idea to wipe down containers, sauces etc with a damp cloth that have been subjected to spills. Once everything is clean and ready to go back in, arrange everything in an organised fashion so it’s easy to see what you have come next meal time.

Freshen the Furniture

Your furniture is exposed to grotty hands and general wear and tear every day – especially if you have young children running around the home. Use spring cleaning as an excuse to breathe new life into couches, chairs and other pieces. Clean upholstered furnishings, take cushions and throw rugs for cleaning and to be aired outside. Wax wooden furniture and buff with a clean cloth (don’t forget to wipe down with a damp cloth first though).

Clean Window Treatments and Light Fixtures

Take down curtains and wash, use old socks to clean individual panels of slat blinds to remove dust and give windows a good scrub while you’re at it. Clean out window and sliding door tracks as debris and dust easily builds up here. Use warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush to wash window security screens and rinse thoroughly. Remove dust from light fixtures, ceiling fans and exhaust vents and wash with warm water and dishwashing liquid to clean.

Room by Room and Forgotten Spaces

Spring cleaning can get a little overwhelming, even for the most organised of us. To prevent this, tackle one room at a time and move onto the next room only once that space has been finished. Don’t forget those forgotten spaces like pesky spots that are usually overlooked with a regular clean. Behind the toilet, kitchen bin, washing machine and under the couch cushions are common areas.

Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be a huge mission. With the right planning and some backup (get all hands in the household involved one weekend) your house will be looking brand new and you’ll step into summer feeling refreshed and revived.

Author Bio

This article is written by Jayde Ferguson, who writes for Instant Waste Management – leading waste management solutions through skip bins and waste management plans. You can catch Jayde on Google+ to discuss this piece.

cleaning tips, spring cleaning