Your no-nonsense guide to spring cleaning your home

Enjoy your freshly clean and tidy home.

Here are nine spring cleaning tips to help get your home spick and span

Spring cleaning season is here, it’s time to fling open the windows, bulk buy some J-cloths and get your home looking shipshape. All those annoying little cleaning jobs you’d always intended to tackle – we’re looking at you, oven door and hard-to-reach bookshelves – are demanding your attention.

1. Clear the clutter

The first step to spring cleaning is to declutter. Be brave. Get rid of any unloved clothing and furniture you never use. Not sure what to throw out of your wardrobe? Try the hanger experiment: Put all the clothes you don’t wear on a hanger facing the wrong way. Once you wear an outfit, turn the hanger the correct way. After six months, you’ll have a clear idea of which items you need to throw out and donate to charity.

2. The deep clean

Prepping for a deep clean is essential if you’re serious about getting your home spruced up. Clean your home room by room so the rest of the house is free to use. Before you start your deep scrub, dust off all those hard to reach areas, including lampshades, electric cables, the top of the wardrobes, and bookshelves.

Clear all your surfaces then start with the most time-consuming tasks, such as washing the doors, windows, and cabinets and watch your home brighten up immediately.

3. The DIY oven cleaner

No cleaning products on hand to clean your oven? Try a natural alternative by working baking soda and water into a light paste. Coat the inside of your oven and let it work its magic overnight. Wipe away the paste with a damp cloth, spraying a little vinegar to scrub those tricky corners and hey presto.

4. The kettle treatment

Need a quick descaling solution for your kettle? Use lemons to make a super-easy cleaning solution, leave them in overnight and wave goodbye to limescale.

5. The radiator detox

Cleaning a radiator is a doddle if you know how. They also work more efficiently once clean, so there’s a reward for all that hard work. Now, get a dust cloth, bucket, sponge, and stick then follow this easy step-by-step guide.

  1. Start by vacuuming as much dust and dirt from around, inside and underneath the radiator as possible.
  2. Wrap a dust cloth around the end of a ruler, or other long stick and secure with tape.
  3. Push the dust cloth on the ruler from the top of the radiator to the bottom, pushing the dust and dirt down to the bottom. Repeat for each section of the radiator.
  4. Moisten a cloth with soapy water and squeeze out so it is slightly damp. Wipe down the exterior of the radiator and dry with a soft cloth to help avoid rusting.
  5. Vacuum underneath the radiator to remove any dust and dirt that may have fallen down.

Enjoy your clean and more efficient radiators.

6. Sparkle and shine

There’s nothing worse than the lovely spring sunshine exposing those grubby windows. For a hassle-free way to get sparkling windows, start at the top of the window and work your way down in small circles to avoid streaks.

If you haven’t got a clean cloth handy, scrunched up newspaper or an old t-shirt works just as well.

7. Upcycle it

Refreshing your home doesn’t have to cost lots of money. A lick of paint in the kitchen or re-upholstering an armchair can transform your living space.  

8. Space is the place

Clever storage is the best way to keep your home tidy for good. A few sneaky fittings and hooks can leave you with a lot more space.

9. Get in the habit

Now you’ve completed the big annual spring clean, here’s our top three cleaning habits to help you spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your home. And yes, like your mum always told you, it starts with remembering to hang your coat up. 

  1. Put away your clothes every night – get rid of that pile of clothes in the corner of your room, put your clothes in the washing pile or away for another day.
  2. Wipe up – cleaning your surfaces and doing your washing up as you go along means no dreaded weekly kitchen clean.
  3. Don’t trip - putting your shoes away when you get in will ensure your hallway is nice and tidy and will prevent any accidental slips and trips.

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