Today’s the first day of spring – and the perfect time to start spring cleaning your flat or apartment.
Here are our top tips to get your home ready for the brighter days ahead.
Clear clutter first
As well as making cleaning easier, decluttering will give you a psychological boost. For maximum impact focus your efforts on the areas where you spend most time, such as your living room and kitchen.
Start at the top
Vacuuming or cleaning high corners, the tops of interior window frames and light fittings first makes sense as dust, cobwebs will fall downwards as you work.
Freshen up walls and skirtings
Wash or wipe walls in high-use areas like hallways where footwear is stored and around light switches. Clean skirting boards in hard-to-reach areas such as behind TVs and furniture.
Make your windows shine
Get maximum benefit from sunny days by giving the inside of your windows a good clean. Soapy water or vinegar and water, followed by paper towels or a microfibre cloth, will get them shiny and streak-free.
Clear and clean the fridge
Out-of-date jars of condiments, sticky marks on shelves, the UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) in the freezer – now’s the time to get rid of them and give your fridge a clean that makes it look brand new. Once done, make a point of cleaning a shelf or compartment every couple of days so it stays that way.
Shampoo the carpets
If winter footwear has taken its toll on your carpets and rugs, consider hiring or borrowing a carpet washer to give them a new lease of life. Once they’re back to their best, get into the routine of spot-vacuuming high-footfall areas regularly.
