Spring Is In the Air
Spring is the perfect time to refresh our homes and reset our minds before we descend into the busiest time of year, aptly named the ‘silly season’, where entertaining, visitors and celebrations are a common occurrence.
While we all want our homes to look their best, having a spick and span home is about more than just pride. Tidying, organising, decluttering and cleaning can help you stay in control and will help you assess if you really need more storage or just a damn good clear out. Here’s what to put on your to-do list…
Kitchen
· Remove any expired and unused food
· Decant any opened dry food into airtight jars
· Spray cleaner on your oven and leave to soak
· Wipe inside and outside your dishwasher
· Clean fridge shelves, drawers, sides and seals
· Clean oven
· Clean out drawers and cabinets
· Clean microwave, washing turn table
· Wipe down surfaces and clean floors
Lounge
· Assess the areas where dumping grounds occur and consider installing hooks and large baskets, particularly for things like toys, bags and magazines
· Work from top to bottom when cleaning the room, vacuuming spider webs on ceilings, fans and light fixtures, wiping down skirting boards, walls, mirrors, windows, blinds and doors; check for mould
· Remove dust from furniture and appliances. A lint roller deals with dust on curtains and lamp shades.
· Vacuum floors, sofa and rugs and steam hard floors
Bedroom
· Strip the bed and wash the sheets, mattress protector, quilt cover and pillowcases and flip the mattress
· Wipe down all surfaces, including skirting boards, window and door frames, and don’t forget legs of chairs, fronts of dressers and side tables; check for any mould or mildew
· Using the brush tool, vacuum your headboard and mattress. Concentrate on the piping and crevices where dead skin cells will gather and attract dust mites
· Vacuum any spider webs on the ceiling and dust ceiling fans and light fixtures. Use a lint roller for curtains and lampshades
· Clean any glass and mirrors
· Vacuum floors and rugs, and don’t forget behind and underneath furniture
· Make bed with clean bedlinen and pop a vase of fresh flowers on your bedside table
Laundry
· Clear floor and all surfaces so they are free of clutter
· Run empty washing machine with ½ cup of white vinegar to clean it
· Empty the lint trap of your dryer, wiping with a damp cloth, or you can use your vacuum cleaner
· Wipe inside your dryer and washing machine, paying special attention to inside seals and any crevices. This is where your old toothbrush comes in handy
· Clean surfaces, sinks, cabinets and bins
· Vacuum and mop floors
Bathroom
· Remove unused items from your bathroom cabinet
· Clean shower screen and tiles, plus the bath with bicarb and vinegar paste. Another trick is to turn on your shower until the room is steamy, making surfaces damp and easier to clean with a dry cloth
· Clean mirrors and any other glass, such as shelves and windows. Don’t forget window frames, which can build up with mould and mildew
· Scrub toilet bowl and rim with brush and flush. Clean the rest of the toilet. Don’t forget the pipes at the back, if visible
· Wipe sink, taps and around vanity. Pour white vinegar and bicarb down drains then turn on hot water tap to rinse away
· Clean toothbrush holder
· Sweep and mop floors