What is Spring Cleaning and Where Should You Start?

What Is Spring Cleaning? 

Traditionally Spring Cleaning is the term given to a full house clean taking place at the beginning of spring. As the days get longer and the sun gets brighter the dust and cobwebs around the home become more obvious so it’s a good opportunity to do a deep clean and get rid of anything no longer needed. The warmer days mean windows can be opened to let the air in and make everything feel a bit fresher.

Spring Cleaning originated long before the days of bright electric lighting and central heating so now the onset of Spring doesn’t really have the same impact of highlighting the dirt everywhere that it used to, but it’s still a good idea to give your house a good once over and thorough clean every so often. Rather than waiting until the start of spring though you could choose any time to get started, you might even be motivated to do a deep clean when you take down the Christmas decorations.

Where to start your Spring Clean

The Most Recommended Cleaning Products, Gadgets and Appliances

Head to any shop or website and the huge choice of cleaning products is overwhelming. How do you choose? How do you know what works? It’s understandable to be a bit dubious about marketing which will focus on the positives and you don’t want to waste money on things that don’t work. I have asked a group of bloggers what their favourite cleaning products are that they have spent their own money on. Having been in a position to review lots of products and just generally working to keep their homes clean they have tested a lot of products out and so saving you the hard work these are their recommendations of the cleaning products, utensils and appliances they wouldn’t be without. 

What are the best products for cleaning?

Is It Worth Selling Unwanted Children's Clothes and Toys?

You might still wear a much loved jumper that you bought 10 years ago, but children’s clothes aren't worn for as long. Even if you keep bits for younger siblings there will be some clothes and toys that are still in good condition, but you don’t need any more. The easiest thing to do is to bag them up and pass them to charity, but if you have the time it can be worth selling items to go towards the cost of replacements, but what is the best way to sell unwanted children’s toys and clothes? This post looks at the different ways you can sell children’s toys and clothes.

If you decide to sell there are lots of ways to make money from old children's clothes and toys

5 Top Tips for Getting Your Home Christmas Ready

Can you believe it is December already? The last year has been so tough on everyone with many ups and downs throughout the year. After a grinding halt being put on last year’s Christmas celebrations it is no surprise that this year people are hoping for a return to some of our usual Christmas celebrations including nativities, parties and of course seeing family and friends. 

I must admit it has definitely brightened my mood seeing Christmas markets bustling and houses adorned with Christmas lights whenever we have to go out at dark. But with it looking likely we will be able to spend Christmas with loved ones, our thoughts turn to our homes and getting them ready for any visitors! So below I am sharing some top tips on how you can get your home Christmas ready so that you can sit back and enjoy the festive season. 

Christmas is coming, tips on how to get your home ready

Can You Repair Scratches On Wooden Flooring Yourself?

Wood flooring is a great choice in a busy home because it is easy to clean. Mess made by spilled drinks and muddy shoes is quick to wipe away and you can sweep up dust and crumbs in seconds. Wood floor does tend to get scratches and dents over time though especially if you have children or pets charging about and dragging furniture around the room (no matter how many times I ask them not too). I generally accept the rustic charm of our imperfect floors, but occasionally I want to get rid of the more obvious scratches.

You can easily repair minor scratches on wooden floor yourself, or at least make them less visible

The best way to get rid of damage to wooden floors is to call in professionals, but if that’s not an affordable option for you or it seems pointless as damage is continuous then there are ways you can make scratches and marks less obvious. So what is the best way to remove scratches from wooden floors yourself?

How to Dry Clothes Quickly Inside

With 5 of us living here we wear a lot of clothes each week. In the summer I can keep my washing basket under control thanks to the fast drying power of hanging my clothes outside, but in winter it is much harder to dry clothes quickly. I don’t want my house to look like a laundrette with airers in every room, but what is the best way to dry clothes inside?

If you have lots of washing what is the best way to get it dry quickly?

Tackling Humidity and Damp and The Karcher Window Vac Review

We have a problem with damp in our house and from October to April we have an endless battle to remove as much moisture from the air as possible to reduce mould. There are two main tools in our fight to prevent mould: a dehumidifier and our Karcher Window Vac. 

How we tackle condensation and damp

Great Apps to Help Organise Your Life

I have always been a list maker, it’s the only way I stand a chance to remember everything. Where once I used a physical notepad I have now mostly switched to using apps to keep me organised. With a family it’s not just me that needs to stay organised, apps help my partner and I know what’s going on and prevents duplication and arguments. We always have our computer or phone to hand and lots of apps are designed for users to collaborate and sync across devices making it really easy to be organised. These are my favourite apps for keeping family life organised. 

A collaborative shopping list makes shopping for the family easier

Easy Low Mess Arts and Crafts Ideas For Young Children

My children love getting arty, but my younger children are the type to paint the paper, themselves and everything in sight in the 30 seconds I nip off to go to the toilet so for a long time I avoided craft sessions. Then I realised that they were missing out and it made more sense to choose products that made it harder to make a complete mess. I would love to call this "No Mess Craft Ideas" but my children can make a mess with anything, so I'm going with low mess.  

From low mess painting, to craft kits and water painting. These are the products I love for preschoolers and young children to get creative with, without needing hours to clean up afterwards.

Art and crafts activities don't have to be messy or take ages to set up

Full Disclosure - About This Blog

Full disclosure: I do not live in a clean, tidy house. It is not one of those homes you see on Instagram and think “wow, that’s beautiful”. It is a family home where we all own far too many things and those things are regularly left on every available surface. I have 3 children, a partner and a cat. We live in a 3 bed terrace house on the border of Essex and London. Some days I think my families ambition is to undo every bit of cleaning I do, or maybe they are just having fun, who knows. It’s ok if you home isn’t spotless and hopefully through this blog you will find ways to have a cleaner home and be more organised.

If you are a long time fan of a Mrs Hinch and have a house so clean you could eat your dinner off the floor then you are welcome here too. Don’t let the chaos I live in take away from the value of the tips and reviews. Hopefully I can make all your hard work a little easier too.

Living with 3 children there are constant challenges to keeping our home tidy and clean