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.
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| Where to start your Spring Clean |
Where To Start Your Deep Clean
It’s generally easier to do a room at a time because then if you only manage one room a day you will feel like you have made progress. Either start with the dirtiest room (so you can see the best results) or work systematically through the house from top to bottom.
If you are a list person then write out everything that needs doing in each room so you can tick it off as you are done. Your children might even want to join in so find tasks they can do eg cleaning skirting boards (my children love to clean, but hate to tidy).
Key Things To Focus On When Spring Cleaning
How deep you go with your Spring Clean will depend on your normal cleaning routine. If your house is pretty spotless already then you will be on the hunt for dust and dirt under sofas and beds, clearing all shelves and cleaning those, emptying each drawer etc. For the rest of us here are a few pointers...
Cobwebs
Look up and go round all the corners of your house with a feather duster or long vacuum attachment to suck up all those old spiders webs. They are difficult to see on darker days, but spiders have a way of quietly living in our houses out of site apart from the occasional web.
Dust
You might regularly clean your surfaces of dust, but a Spring Clean is a good time to go round your skirting boards, tops of door frames and any recesses in doors where dust loves to gather. Start with a vacuum and then follow up with a damp cloth for easy and effective cleaning.
Clean The Windows
Sticky fingers, condensation and dust build up on the insides of windows making them surprisingly dirty over time. It’s good to give them a clean and it might even let more sunlight in. If you don’t have any class cleaner then white vinegar will effectively get rid of grease and leave a smear free clean. The outsides might be easier to get an external company to clean because they will have the right equipment and ladders.
Go Through Your Make Up and Toiletries
Make up will normally have a little symbol on it to show how long after opening you should throw it away. You might not want to throw out a lipstick after 3 months but if it’s a couple of years old it’s worth thinking about getting rid of it. Most toiletries will have use by dates on them, they are often imprinted into the plastic seals or printed on to the labels. Anything that is really old and just isn’t being used clear out.
It’s also a good time to get rid of last year's suncream. Suncream becomes less effective after being left in the heat so if you have any left after a hot summer it probably wont work as well. It’s worth clearing it out and adding a new bottle to your shopping list before the hot weather comes back.
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| Most make up and toiletries will have a symbol to how long it can be kept from opening, this suncream can be kept for 12 months before it should be discarded. |
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| Check the use by dates on your cosmetics and medicines as part of your Spring Clean |
Check Your Food Cupboards and Fridge
Do you have various random jars hiding at the back of your fridge? Now is the time to check out what is back there, how long it has been open for and what needs getting rid of. Don’t forget your spice cupboards and dry foods like flour too as they can lose taste or go rancid when open for too long.
Go Through Your Wardrobes
If you have children now is a good time to go through their clothes, remove anything that is too small or no longer worn. You can sell good quality children's clothes or pass them to charity. It’s much easier for them to keep it all tidy if they have less in there. It’s worth going through your clothes too, although I find that as my weight tends to fluctuate and I spend very little on my own clothes that it makes more sense for me to pack unworn clothes in vacuum bags and put them in the loft unless I’m sure I wont ever be wearing it again.
Carpet Cleaning
If the weather is warm enough it is a good time to get professionals in to clean your carpets, but if it’s cold and wet outside still you might want to wait a month or two so it doesn’t take so long to dry.
Remember The Garden
Spring is the time that the garden starts to come to life again, if you have windows or patio doors leading onto the garden you'll want to give the garden a quick spritz too. Pressure wash paving, cut the grass, prune back plants and check under the patio covers to make sure your garden furniture is ready to use once the sun comes out.
As you give your house a good once over it’s a great time to make a note of any repairs or updates that are needed. Note anything from chipped skirting walls and faded wall paper to broken hinges. You can either get a handyman in to sort them all out in one go or work through them yourself, maybe prioritising a few each week until they are done.
