After spending more time at home over the past few years, our houses are now in dire need of a good spring clean! With the days finally getting longer, now’s the time to get to scrubbing and make your home gleaming for the warmer months ahead.
Here are the Why Bother top tips for how to navigate spring cleaning your home and, if you’re still feeling a little short on motivation, why not download our spring cleaning checklist and break the task down into more manageable chores?
Plan your route
It is always best to plan your route before you start cleaning so you can follow an organised path and tick off each room one by one. We suggest starting with the room that needs the most work and finishing with the room that needs the least.
Clear the decks
Before you start cleaning, it is best to clear out all small moveable items from each room and set them in a corner ready to put back once you have finished cleaning. Doing this allows you to clean without obstacles. For example, in a kitchen make sure all of your surfaces are free from appliances such as toasters, kettles, mixers, utensil pots etc. In a bathroom, clear all shampoo bottles, soaps, and towels and so on for each room.
Start with a soaking
For kitchens and bathrooms, you will need to let particularly grubby areas soak before cleaning. For kitchens these areas tend to include chrome surfaces such as sinks, draining boards and taps, and often used appliances such as ovens, microwaves, and cookers. For bathrooms these areas tend to include chrome surfaces such as taps and shower heads, as well as shower screens baths, sinks and toilet bowls.
Spray these areas with your chosen cleaning chemicals and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes before scrubbing clean.
For further tips on how to best clean your kitchen and bathroom read our Cleaner’s Guide to Better Housekeeping – The Kitchen and Bathroom.
Work from top to bottom
No matter which room you are cleaning, it is always best to clean from top to bottom so that any dust and debris can fall to the floor and not dirty something that has just been cleaned. Start from the ceiling (yes, your ceiling does need cleaning!) and work your way down in stages – from lights, walls, cabinets, fixtures and fittings, surfaces, appliances/furniture and finally floors.
For further tips on how to best clean your living room read our Cleaner’s Guide to Better Housekeeping – The Living Room.
Time for a rearrange?
Moving things around can sometimes help breathe new life into your home and is proven to elevate your mood. Whether it is just a new place for your favourite lamp to live or a full room transformation, a rearrange can be the cherry on top of your perfectly polished pad.
For more useful tips and tricks from Why Bother Cleaning, visit our Blog page.