With many of us spending more time at home right now, there’s never been a better opportunity for a good old-fashioned spring clean. With these simple tips, you can work towards a healthier, happier living space, and make the most of your time spent indoors.
Declutter
The first step to any good spring cleaning is decluttering. Though this can often be a daunting job, it doesn’t need to be. Simply work from top to bottom, starting with storage spaces such as wardrobes, shelves, and drawers. If you can free up room in these, then you’ll have plenty of space for storing necessary items later down the line. Start with clothes you haven’t worn for more than six months, books you’ve read and won’t read again, and empty your junk drawers out rather than rifling through them. Before you know it, you’ll have plenty of free storage space to aid in your cleaning mission!
Save on Supplies
With cleaning supplies currently hard to find, it’s a good idea to make what you’ve got go far. Use washable cloths as an alternative to antibacterial wipes, and machine clean with steam cleaners and vacuums wherever possible. A homemade mixture of soapy water can stand in for mop fluid, and letting degreasers and bleach sit for a little while longer will ensure you only use what you need.
Deep Clean Daily Utilities
Now is a great time to do a deep clean of areas of your home that are battered by everyday use. Showerheads, bathroom taps, ovens, and microwaves are all key factors that are often overlooked. Use a vinegar solution to strip limescale from taps and metal pipes. For a food-splattered oven, your best bet is a coating of baking soda and water, to be left overnight. A final wipe-down with vinegar should leave it sparkling clean, and as for oven racks and trays, a few hours soaking in detergent in a box, bathtub, or shower should have them shining like new.
Add Organizational Features
If after all your work decluttering you’re still finding you lack space, then perhaps it’s time to invest in some nifty new storage features. In the kitchen, turntable trays are a great choice for corner cupboards, allowing you to make full use of an otherwise awkward space. Ditch the clutter with a spice rack, and let your most useful pots, pans and utensils swing on a hang shelf unit. Meanwhile in the wardrobe, try packing away seasonal clothes for storage, or adding an extra hanging rail to make use of vertical space.
Upcycle
Can’t bear to part with your old armchair, or finding it tough to dispose of a garden bench with refuse centers closed? Then why not upcycle! With nothing but time on our hands, now is a great opportunity to repurpose old items of furniture into new and useful creations. Transform old ladders into shelving units, or reseat old dining chairs to extend their usage. Before throwing larger items away always ask yourself, could this be used for something else?
Plan and Design
Just because we’re stuck inside for now doesn’t mean you can’t set to work on future plans. Have something to look forward to by drawing up ideas for remodeling and renovation. Pick out your ideal materials, or consider how you might improve on the spaces you currently have access too. Whilst you’re spending a lot of time indoors, you’re bound to find some aspects of your home that you’d like to change. So take note, find inspiration, and you’ll be more than ready to hand things over to a professional when the time is right!
Note that wallpaper on your list of things to have updated!
