Spring
Clean Your Home
Spring Cleaning -
Sparkle and Shine
It’s that time of the year and you have
decided that it is time to do some good Spring Cleaning. It is
time to make your home fresh and clean. Have a look at the ‘Declutter’ page
on this site to get some helpful advice before you start with your
Spring cleaning. A house that hasn't got clutter around
is a house that makes cleaning much easier and faster.
To achieve the best results, start with a manageable
chunk of work. If you go for a complete Spring Cleaning marathon
you may end up leaving your house in a very messy state. Tackle
small jobs and if you run out of time or energy you will feel so
much better knowing that you have accomplished a bit and have not
left your house in a complete tip.
The best way to Spring Clean is to tackle one
area or room at a time instead of emptying every cupboard or taking
down all the curtains all at the same time. If you lose your enthusiasm
halfway through or need to do something else, this will ensure
that the whole house will not be turned up side down.
Cleaning tips !!!
Start at the top and work your way down when
dusting.
Tackle one room or job at a time.
Clean often as it takes a lot less time to remove
new dirt than old.
Use old cotton socks as mitts for cleaning difficult
woodwork.
Rub heel marks with pencil eraser to remove marks.
Wash walls from the bottom up to avoid any streaking
Shine windows using newspapers.
Rubbing alcohol can remove that dull haze from
mirrors.
Dust before vacuuming or washing the floor
.
Kitchen Spring Cleaning
Cupboards/Cabinets -
Considering the weather is not at its best; take an hour out of
a rainy afternoon to clean out your pantry and kitchen cupboards.
Make sure to throw away any out of date foods and empty containers. It
is also important to go through your medicine cabinet - replace
anything past its use-by-date.
Dust the tops of any cupboards before
you wash and polish them
Use a mild detergent and a damp
cotton cloth wash down all the exterior and interior doors and
shelves of your cabinets. For a beautiful shine use furniture polish
and a dry cloth on the outside doors and drawers.
Pots and pans -
If you feel your copper pans have lost their shine, dip half a
lemon in table salt and rub the exterior of them, then rise and
dry with a soft cloth. This combination lightens the copper and
brings out the color.
Oven - Cleaning your oven is a job that gets
overlooked as it is a very messy job. If this is a job
that you dred doing, call a professional oven cleaning service
to get the job done.
Utensils and Cutting Boards
Use boiling water to sterilize wooden
utensils and chopping boards.
Plastic boards can be sterilized
in the dishwasher.
Sinks and Dish Drains
Brighten up dull taps by wrapping
them in a cloth soaked in limescale remover, lemon juice or distilled
white vinegar and leave for a few hours. This method should
not be used on gold-plated taps.
An old toothbrush can come in very
handy when you need to clean areas that are not easily accessed. It
can also be used to get rid of grease on tiles. Simply slip
on some rubber gloves, dip the toothbrush in a solution of
sugar soap and scrub.
Tidy up the sink by scrubbing away
any lime scale and grime with a sponge or brush. Replace old scouring
pad and sponges with new one at least every month to keep up good
hygiene.
Use a drain cleaning product to
cleanse your kitchen sink drains. This will help to cut the grease
and grime build up in the pipes and create a fresh smell around
the sink.
Tiles
Use an old toothbrush and a mild
bleach mixture to scrub away the grime from the grouting.
Refrigerator
Have a go at empting out all the
out-of-date products in your fridge. If the products have expired
discard them. This will make it easier to wash and wipe down the
internal fridge. Using a mild detergent and wet cloth wash all
the shelves and walls of your refrigerator. When you have finished
place an opened box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda inside to help
the fridge smell clean. The baking soda will absorb the odors.
Dust and wash the top and outside wall and doors of the refrigerator.
Skirting Boards
Wash and wipe down all the skirting
boards using a mild detergent and damp cotton cloth.
Bedroom Spring
Cleaning
Beds and Bedding - Once
washed, hang out duvets and pillows to dry. To stop the filling
from dropping to the bottom and going lumpy be sure to give them
a good shake every hour. Turn over mattresses. After
washing, re-hang curtains whilst they're damp. Vacuum blinds
and curtains on low suction.
Bathroom Spring
Cleaning
A bath and/or shower can be one of the
most unhygienic areas in your home.
Purchase a shower squeegee and wip away
all traces of water immediately after taking your shower. This
helps in two ways - prevents unsightly water spots and reduces
the amount of bacteria laden residue.
Tiles - Use
an old toothbrush and a mild bleach mixture to scrub away
the grime from the grouting.
Living Room
Spring Cleaning
Upholstery - When
you clean upholstery with a rented cleaner, practice first in an
unobtrusive area to make sure that the treatment does not discolor
fabrics or cause dyes to run. Make sure that you know how to use
the machinery.
Keep your leather furniture in good
condition by dusting it with a soft clean cloth first, then removing
the grime by wiping the surface with a damp cloth.
Dusting - Start
at the top and work your way down. Use a duster to clear away cobwebs
from the cornicing and tops of all hanging pictures. Dust any hanging
blinds. Dust all your furniture using furniture polish. Don’t
forget to dust all your knick-knacks and ornaments.
Sofa, Couch, Settee - Take
all the cushions of the box frame. Vacuum the sofa area and down
in the side cracks and crevices. Spray the cushions with a disinfectant
spray and beat to fluff up and loosen any particles and vacuum.
Use a mild detergent based cloth and sponge clean the fabric (test
a small area first to make sure you do not harm the fabric).
Vacuum or Mop - Once
you have finished dusting everything in the room it is time to
vacuum or mop the floor. Give the room a few minutes to let all
the dust and cobwebs settle down to the floor level.
Carpet Boarders - Using
a carpet cleaning spray, a toothbrush and a small container of
water; clean the build-up of dust and dirt away from the carpet
edges. Spray some of the carpet cleaner on the carpet edge; dip
your toothbrush in the container of water and scrub away to remove
any build-up of dust and dirt. You will be amazed at the difference
this makes to the appearance of your rooms.
Skirting Board - After
you have vacuumed the floor now is a good time to clean the skirting
boards. Using a mild detergent and clean damp cloth go around and
wash all the skirting boards as dust will have accumulated and
vacuuming will not get rid of this dust and grime.
Bedroom Spring Cleaning
Beds - Strip all
bedding, vacuum the mattress and spray with a disinfectant spray
to kill all germs. Allow the mattress time to dry. Once the mattress
has had time to dry, vacuum again to get rid of any loose particles
and then turn your mattress over to the other side (you should
turn your bed mattress over every month). Do the same process to
the new turned up mattress - vacuum, spray, dry and vacuum again.
Storing winter clothes
Winter Coats - Take
all your winter coats and jackets to be dry-cleaned and then store
them in the closet. Keep the plastic bag/covers over your coats
to help protect them from dust and dust mites. On that note, be
sure to purchase some cedar block or ball to place or hang in the
closets to help keep away moths and dust mites.
Blankets & Covers - Before
storing away your blankets and covers either wash them or have
them dry-cleaned. For best storage place them in vacuum sealed
bags. To give them an added bonus of freshness try placing scented
soaps or scented balls in between the folded layers.
Spring Clean - All
Rooms
Curtains and Drapes - All
net and lace curtains should be washed regularly. If they are washed
regularly it will remove all the dust collected and help to keep
them bright and white.
Once you have washed the curtains
re-hang them while they are still wet as this will help keep their
shape.
Use your upholstery nozzle on your
vacuum and gently vacuum the dust from your drapes and curtains.
Lamp Shades and Light Fixtures
- When Spring cleaning, don’t forget those forgotten
jobs of lamp shades and light fixtures.
Lamp Shades (depending
on their material) Cloth lamp shades should be vacuumed carefully
and then use a clean, damp cloth on the lampshades to remove any
dirt and grime by wiping gently. Glass and plastic shades should
be wiped down with a clean, damp cloth and then dried with a lint-free
dry cloth
Light Fixtures – Put
the shine and sparkle back in light fixtures. Vacuum away any
dead bugs and dust that have collected in the fixture. The best
way to wash your light fixtures and chandeliers is to take them
down and give a good wash with a mild detergent and then dry them
with a lint-free dry cloth.
Spring Clean Services
In some countries there
are Spring Clean Services available. If you don't have the time, energy
or ability to Spring Clean your house try to contact a Spring Cleaning
Service or Agency. If you cannot find a Spring Clean Service
in your area check with the different Cleaning Services/Agencies
to see if they offer any kind of one time only cleaning.
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