After the hibernation of winter, when the sunlight finally dares to enter our homes, we finally get the burst of energy we need to start transforming our houses with the Great British spring clean. But, however good our intentions are, when the sunshine and warmer weather actually appear, aren’t there better things to do? We just don’t have the time to go and buy a whole new cupboard full of cleaning products to add to the hardly used collection under the sink.
So, instead of setting aside a precious weekend or several to give your home the spring cleaning blitz that it deserves, just follow this simple spring cleaning checklist, full of time and money-saving spring cleaning hacks that will transform your home in no time at all.
1. Use your lint roller as a duster
It is likely that after the depths of winter, there is a fine layer of dust that is preventing your home from looking bright and shiny. However, instead of soaking, washing and scrubbing, simply grab that lint roller out of your wardrobe. Gently run the lint roller over and in between fragile lampshades to pull all of the dust off.
Lint rollers are also great to pick up the pesky strands of hair and leftover dust trapped in the corners of the room after cleaning. You can even brush a lint roller over cushions and the fabric of your furniture.
Spring cleaning tip: While you’re busy with your Great British spring clean, spend some time on your handbags and rucksacks. Once you’ve emptied your bags, use a lint roller to pick up the last remains of dust and crumbs.
2. Shine up stainless steel with olive oil
A glimmering kitchen can bring your home to life, and stainless steel appliances can be just the thing to give you a professional-looking kitchen. However, over time, stainless steel appliances can end up looking dull and drab. Furthermore, they can end up with fingerprints and stubborn grease stains that can be hard to remove.
To clean up any stainless steel you have, make sure to clean it with a microfibre cloth rather than an abrasive pad, no matter how stubborn the stains are. Abrasive pads will scratch the lovely stainless steel coating. Another top tip is to only buff with the grain of the stainless steel. Just like wood, stainless steel has a grain to follow too.
Then finish the clean by rubbing olive oil onto the surface and wiping dry with a towel. Now your kitchen will gleam, shine and sparkle just like a showroom.
3. Oven cleaning made easy
Let’s face it; oven cleaning is a necessary evil. It is by far the worst task on the spring cleaning checklist, but with a clean oven, you’ll not only feel better – but be able to see how your food is getting on without opening the door, saving your energy usage.
Make oven cleaning simple by whipping up a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water and then spread it throughout your oven (avoid the heating elements). Let it work its magic overnight and then wipe the remains off with a damp cloth the next day. If you’re still struggling, spray some vinegar on top of the baking soda to create a foam and then buff away. If you have an extractor, here’s how to clean your oven hood.
Spring cleaning tip: Make deep cleaning a thing of the past by regularly cleaning your oven with a spray solution of water and baking soda.
4. Clean your washing machine
Make sure your clothes stay clean and fresh after every wash by keeping your washing machine clean. This is the easiest of the spring cleaning hacks as all you have to do is pop a dishwasher tablet in the drawer of your washing machine. Then, set the machine to go on an empty cycle at 60 degrees. This will help to kill any bacteria that are lurking in the drum.
5. Bedroom freshness
If your bedroom is smelling less than pleasant, it probably isn’t your socks, but your mattress that’s to blame. Fortunately, you can easily freshen up the mattress by sprinkling baking soda all over the bed. Leave it for at least eight hours and then vacuum up the powder. During this time the baking soda will neutralise the smell by balancing the pH levels, so it’ll smell fresh and clean.
6. Cleaning toys and tools
Your dishwasher can do a lot more than clean your dishes. In fact, you can make the most of your sanitising dishwasher with a range of household products. A great example is plastic children’s toys (those without batteries) that can be popped into the top rack of your dishwasher to be made clean again. Similarly, you can even do the same with gardening products such as wellies, and any garden tools that don’t have wooden handles. But do be mindful of which toys you choose to clean this way, they need to be able to take the heat without melting.
7. Go mad for laundry detergent
You don’t need a cupboard full of cleaning supplies to get your home up to scratch again. All you need are a few essentials. Laundry detergent is one of those as it not only cleans clothes, but you can use it as a carpet cleaner, to wash dishes and even mop the floor.
Make laundry detergent more usable by mixing it with water and keeping it in a spray bottle; you can then spritz the floors, carpets and surfaces to freshen them up. Just make sure to use a safe, non-bleach detergent.
8. Get shining with vinegar
Another great spring cleaning hack is the multi-purpose power of vinegar which can be used in a variety of spring cleaning tasks. One is by rubbing stained taps with vinegar to get them to look shiny. If you are suffering from limescale in any areas, then soak the limescale appliance in vinegar, or wrap it in a vinegar-soaked cloth and leave until the item descales all by itself.
Spring cleaning tip: You can also use vinegar to disinfect your gadgets and devices, just mix a solution of equal parts water and vinegar, dampen a cloth in the solution (make sure it isn’t wet) and run it across your devices.
9. Clean mirrors with shaving foam
This may seem almost too unbelievable to be true, but you can achieve a fantastic effect by spring-cleaning your mirrors with shaving foam. Simply squirt the foam onto the mirrors and wipe clean. The foam will not only remove smears, but it can also prevent mirrors from fogging up. This is a brilliant spring cleaning hack that will save you time when removing those pesky smears!
10. Clean your cleaning materials
Once your home is spotless after a Great British spring clean, you can then clean your cleaning materials instead of throwing them away. Soak sponges and cloths in a lemon juice and water solution. Then pop them in the microwave for one minute and leave them to dry (not too long!). The microwave works to kill any bacteria which will mean your sponge will be safe to use on the next cleaning task.
