Photographer: Brigid Arnott
The time is nigh to dust off the winter layers in your home and prepare to throw open the doors for entertaining and enjoying the warmer months. In other words: it’s time to spring clean! Not sure where to start? These spring cleaning tips from professional cleaners will help motivate, guide and inspire.
But, first thing’s first: follow a room-by-room house-cleaning checklist so you can methodically tick off each job that needs to be done around the home, but these clever tips from professional cleaners will help you work smarter not harder.
Then it’s a matter of decluttering, dusting and diving into a deep clean of every room. Start your blitz by rethinking clutter, advises organising guru Tanya Lewis of Eco Organiser. “Ask yourself, ‘Do I need it? How does it make me feel? Does it add value to my life?’” she says.
Of course, spring cleaning your entire house takes time, and if you’re strapped for time but want to make a visible difference to the state of your home, try one of these 10-minute spring cleaning tasks and feel a sense of accomplishment stat!
Our best spring cleaning tips
Spring cleaning basics
- Make your cleaning supplies mobile. Cleaning an entire house means carting cleaning products from room-to-room. Make this task as easy as possible by placing colour-coded cloths, scrubbing sponges, cleaning products and anything else you might need, in a hand-held cleaning caddy.
- Work the room and you won’t miss anything. Start at the door and move clockwise around the room, cleaning everything on and against the wall, then clean furniture in the middle of the room. When you finish cleaning a room, close the door. Then, when you’ve finished cleaning every room, go back and inspect each one, leaving the door open when you’re happy with the result.
- Spray the cloth, not the surface, so you don’t have to spend time wiping off any excess.
Kitchen spring cleaning tips
- Wipe down kitchen shelves, organise your pantry by checking use-by dates of your food and ensure it is well sealed ahead of summer. Identify your true food staples and plan ahead, to avoid food wastage and only store what you need.
- So you’ve cleaned all of the horizontal surfaces, including benchtops, window sills, table tops and more, but are you forgetting the vertical surfaces? Wipe bathroom cabinet doors using a mix of sugar soap and hot water, then revisit all of the handles with rubbing alcohol on a microfibre cloth.
- Don’t forget to spring clean appliances, including the oven, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher and the fridge.
Bathroom spring cleaning tips
- Try vinegar and water as a natural bathroom spray. Apply it to the bathroom ceiling and walls, steaming up the room with hot water in the shower before mopping from top to bottom. (Note: avoid using vinegar on natural stone or marble surfaces).
- Clean around the showerhead, taps and spouts using an old, firm toothbrush and replace or wash your shower curtain. On glass use a limescale spray or make your own paste with baking soda and vinegar.
- Once you’ve finished cleaning the shower screen, apply a layer of dishwasher rinse aid to the glass. It will prevent soap scum building up and keep your shower screen cleaner for longer!
Dusting
- Use a lint remover to remove dust on your lampshades and curtains.
- A hair dryer can remove dust from a computer keyboard, the bottom of a handbag and the corner of a cupboard.
Flooring
- Vacuum everything – the floor, the inside of the fridge, the oven, the toaster and the cutlery drawer. Just be sure to wash and disinfect the attachment thoroughly between areas.
- Mops can be used for more than just cleaning the floor. Use extra hot water and a dash of dishwashing liquid to remove dust from walls and clean skirting boards too.
- “Regularly give rugs sunlight and air,” says Col Williamson of ChemDry ProClean. “Vacuum them before and after, too.”
Window coverings
- ‘Dust’ curtains by placing them in the dryer. Simply toss curtains into the dryer (check the label for specific fabric care instructions first) and run on a quick, low-heat cycle. The lint filter should pick up most of the dust particles. To add a fresh scent, apply a few drops of essential oil on wool dryer balls before starting the cycle.
Put your dishwasher to work
- Your dishwasher can do more than you think. This appliance not only works wonders on your dishes but can help you clean kids’ toys, kitchen sponges, toothbrush holders, cleaning brushes, flower vases and rangehood filters and more!
