It's that time of year again when spring cleaning is suddenly on everyone’s agenda. Much like the deep clean I undertake before autumn, the spring clean is a time to refresh and revive your home, wardrobe and some of the heavier furniture items for the warmer months ahead.
As with any deep clean it's good to have a plan so that no area is forgotten or mattress left un-turned! In this blog post I’m going to lay out my top 7 tips on how to make sure you get the best from your spring clean so your house feels, and smells, as fresh as a daisy for the warmer months ahead!
P.s. I’ll be doing a deep dive on tips room by room, so if you have any questions about cleaning then simply pop us an email to hello@kinn-living.com !
*update, the Kitchen Edition is live, click here to jump straight to the blog!
Tip number 1: Open the windows! All of them, throw them open and let the fresh air in. You're going to get hot cleaning anyway so if you need to wear a jumper at first that’s fine, but let that fresh air circulate and get rid of the dry, stuffy air of winter. (if it's raining then I personally recommend waiting for a sunny day to do your spring clean)
Tip number 2: Now onto the heavy furniture! If you can, I recommend hiring a professional cleaner to come in and clean your rugs, carpets, mattress and sofas and anything that is upholstered in your home. If you can't hire anyone don't worry, you can do this yourself! Baking soda is king in this department! First hoover the material/mattress and really try to get as much dust out as possible, once you have done this I recommend that you spot treat any stained area with a damp cloth (never put water directly onto the stain). Then sprinkle with baking soda and leave for as long as possible. If you can, drag your mattress, upholstered chairs and rugs outside and leave them in the sun for a few hours. Then simply vacuum this up and pop them back in place.
Tip number 3: So you've cleaned down the tables and chairs, flipped the mattress and beat the rug, you've dusted your plants and keyboards... what next? The cupboards and the fridge. I start with the kitchen cupboards. Empty everything out onto the floor... yes everything, and start by throwing away anything out of date... with things like nuts check the packet or jar to make sure flies haven't decided to lay eggs inside (it's a breeding ground for them!). Once you've binned what isn't good clean the inside of all of the cupboards and the fridge (you can use our multi-surface spray for this). Put back anything you want to keep. Now is a great time to re-organise the layout.
Tip number 4: Make sure you move everything, and I mean everything. what do i mean by move? I mean don't just dust around picture frames and plant pots, pick them up, move them and dust everywhere, even the hard to reach corners you might miss. I recommend buying a feather duster (they don't have to be real feathers, i have a great one that can be thrown in the washing machine from Jysk).
Tip number 5: Once you've dusted everywhere I recommend you clean any countertops, ovens, showers, baths and toilets etc. That way you don't have to mop and vacuum twice. Don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into your cleaning, scrub and rub as much as you can to really get the fine grains of dirt out.
Tip number 6: The end is in sight! Now is the time to whip out the vacuum and suck up any dirt and debris that has made it onto the floor. If you’ve dragged the furniture outside for some sunshine I recommend moving it back inside after you have finished mopping/steaming the floor and it has dried (this shouldn’t take long to dry if you have all the windows open). Our natural floor wash works great with a steamer (simply spray the steamer head… don’t add it to the water container directly), and with a traditional bucket and mop!
Tip number 7: The final hurdle. I like to leave my wardrobe until last. But with spring it’s time to switch out your winter clothes for summer. Make sure to empty the entire wardrobe and give this a good clean as well. I’ll do a separate post on how to spring clean your wardrobe!
Bonus tip! Personally I recommend sending the partner, pets, kids, grandparents whoever else is in your home out for the day... or rope them into help, but if they aren't helping then pack them off with a picnic or for a long walk so you can roll up your sleeves in peace!