How to quickly and easily spring clean your home: eight simple tips

25th Apr 2022

Spring in full swing and we've happily waved winter goodbye and are welcoming the better weather. However, this season also brings one task many of us dread – the annual spring clean. For many, it’s a yearly tradition, allowing us to freshen up our homes and welcome in the new season, but it can seem daunting if you don’t know where to start. The trick is to rope in the whole family if you can break ‘the big clean’ down into manageable tasks and follow some tried and tested tips to make the process easier.

We caught up with Mel Carruthers, from More Organised, for her top spring cleaning tips to help you get the job done in no time.

Make a plan

You might be eager to get started with your spring cleaning, but before you dive in, step back and make a plan. There’s going to be a lot to do here, so a little bit of planning will help you to tackle it efficiently.

Grab a notebook and work your way from room to room, writing down what you want to do in each space and create a spring cleaning checklist.

If you are outsourcing professionals, or hiring specialist equipment, you may need to book those in advance, and you won’t want to have to deal with a professional carpet cleaner on the same day that you are moving furniture.

Check the weather forecast

Every good spring clean requires the windows to be left wide open to let fresh air in, and to dry floors and paintwork. A sunny day will help you see dirty windows better, as well as getting all that extra laundry dry as quickly as possible.

And when it comes to your whites, sunshine is your secret weapon, as it helps to bleach whites even whiter. And no one wants to be dealing with mountains of wet laundry on a rainy day, so keep an eye on the forecast and reshuffle your cleaning plan if you need to.

Put together your spring cleaning kit

Cleaning is quite the trend just now (thanks Mrs Hinch!) so there are more cleaning products and gadgets on the market than ever before. This isn’t an excuse to buy more though – most areas of your home can be cleaned with standard cleaning products that you already have.

There are so many products on the market including more ethical and sustainable options. Cala include Smol products in their new home welcome packs, these are eco-effective if you’re looking to play your part in being environmentally friendly.

Or use well-known homemade products instead. To make your own room spray, simply mix four tablespoons of vodka with a cup full of filtered water in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil, shake, and spray lightly around the room to gently scent your space.

Another favourite of mine is mixing a few drops of white vinegar with some warm water to wash your windows and then polish off with scrunched up newspaper. This old-fashioned method is a winner for a reason!

Pull out your new or favourite cleaning products, make sure you have enough clean cloths, and check that list of tasks again to make sure you have everything to hand before you get started.

Declutter

It’s hard to thoroughly clean a room if there are lots of bits and bobs in the way, so before you get started, tidy up. Put everything back where it belongs and use the opportunity to declutter as you go. Less stuff means less to clean, which is always a bonus!

Remember to make sure you get your unwanted items out of the house as soon as possible. Otherwise, it’s not decluttering, it’s simply moving things around. This time of the year is obviously popular for decluttering and donating, so call your favourite charity shop first to check what they are currently accepting.

Get the whole household on board
if you can, delegate tasks to the whole household, and not only will your spring clean be quicker, it will also help get everyone involved to keep it clean and tidy going forward. Even little ones can help out with some age-appropriate jobs such as putting toys away, straightening up books, dusting skirting boards, or wiping down the front of the washing machine.

Work from top to bottom
It really is common sense but it’s one of my most important tips. When cleaning a room, always start from top to bottom. That way, you won’t miss anything out, and all the dirt and dust will fall down onto areas that you have yet to clean.

Plan home maintenance

You won’t be able to get everything done at once. Instead, take this opportunity to create your spring cleaning checklist of any maintenance jobs that need done around the home. You may also want to include decorating ideas and organising projects in that list too. Write it down, schedule it in and you’ve got yourself a plan for the next few months.

And finally…

If your spring cleaning has revealed some areas of your home that are in need of some more regular tlc, look at how you can be cleaning them more often by adding them to your weekly or monthly cleaning schedule. Next year the spring clean won’t be as daunting.