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Filled with fear at the thought of another spring clean? We're here to help.
If the thought of spring cleaning after months of hibernation feels like a huge mountain to climb, you’re not alone – 44% of respondents in a spring cleaning survey classed the task as ‘dreadful’.
Enjoyment of the annual tidy up also wanes as we get older. Less than half of the respondents aged 65+ agreed with the statement that they enjoy the spring clean.
We’ve spoken to cleaning experts and gathered our own top tips together to help you restart your love affair with your home, giving your cleaning routine a new lease of life.
Too often we decide on a whim that we need to declutter and clean the whole house the same day. However, there’s a chance the rest of your household may not feel the same.
A good spring clean takes time, so why not put aside a weekend on the calendar and warn everyone in advance.
As well as giving you a chance to delegate some of the cleaning tasks, it also means your time and attention won’t be demanded elsewhere.
Buying in advance will save you reaching the last room and running out of an essential item.
Plus, with a whole host of stylish and sustainable products now available to buy, it’ll feel more like retail therapy than shopping for necessities - try Lakeland, John Lewis and Ikea for inspiration.
Consider doubling up on purchases so that you can leave a set on each floor of your house, saving future time and effort carrying them up and down stairs.
Distilled white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice can all be used to achieve great results on drains, sinks and microwaves without needing chemical-based formulas, so make sure you set them aside ready for the clean or add them to your weekly shopping list if you don’t have them.
If you’ve chosen a weekend for your spring clean, then even the most organised home will benefit from a final declutter on Friday night.
Check the fridge, freezer and kitchen cupboards for items that may have expired, load the dishwasher and give each room a once over.
Waking up to an already tidy house the next morning will immediately make the task ahead feel lighter.
A study conducted by Joseph Joseph showed that cleaning is just as beneficial to our mental health as it is to the reduction of bacteria in our homes. According to its survey of 30 people, 60.9% of participants felt happier and more productive after cleaning, 52.2% felt at ease, 47.8% felt less stressed and 43.5% felt calmer and more relaxed.
Only 4.3% felt more stressed after cleaning. Participants said they enjoyed the end results, feeling a sense of accomplishment and the data collected seemed to confirm this.
Although the physical activity of cleaning increased their heart rates, once they’d finished, their heart rates dropped to a lower rate than before they started - suggesting that being able to see the results of their hard work had a calming effect.
So, start the day with a positive mindset knowing you’ll feel even better once it’s done.
While it may seem obvious, starting from the top – both in terms of upstairs to downstairs and ceilings to floor is the most effective way to clean and is the way professional cleaners work.
Henry Patterson from Housekeep, a London based cleaning agency, confirms staff are trained to wipe the highest surfaces first and work down to ground level.
“You should do this every time you clean,” Patterson says, “but it’s even more important during a spring clean as you’re likely to be dislodging more dust than usual.”
Dust, wipe, hoover and mop in that order. Following this simple rhythm for each room will also appeal to the sense of order we need as human beings, allowing you to mentally tick off the list as you close the door on each completed room.
Depending on the size of your home, it’s likely you’ll find that tackling upstairs one day and downstairs the next is the best approach. But don’t try to rush your way through day one and end up too exhausted to face the task again tomorrow.
Take breaks, get family members who aren’t helping to keep you supplied with regular drinks and set yourself an end time. It’ll make getting up the next day to finish the job much easier than waking in a cloud of exhaustion.
Employ some tricks when spring cleaning with a longer-term benefit. When you’ve cleaned the oven, make sure you line it with an oven liner or simply pop a large baking tray at the bottom to catch crumbs and drips.
Removing this regularly to clean is far easier than scrubbing around in a tiny box... trust us.
For many years I’ve also popped some newspaper in the bottom of my kitchen bin to absorb any irritating bin bag leaks.
Another great tip for masking odours is to drop in a cotton wool ball scented with a few drops of your favourite essential oils.
Just remember to regularly replace anything you put in the bin that’s outside of the liner.
If you live in a hardwater area, make sure you leave a bottle of limescale cleaner in the bathroom so that it’s close to the shower and can be sprayed on screens immediately after showering.
For style over function, either purchase a sustainable product with a lovely design or decant your preferred cleaner into a plain refillable bottle.
Even a simple solution of water and distilled white vinegar is an easy fix to prevent limescale build-up.
This has the added benefit of being able to be used on stainless steel sinks in kitchens and utility areas.
When you’ve finished, sit back and take time to appreciate how good your home looks. Make sure you’ve purchased some fresh flowers to dress the newly cleaned rooms.
If you can, ban family members from the kitchen for one night and head out to eat. If you know that one of the busiest rooms in the house will remain clean for at least one night, it will make the joy last longer.
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