A guide for a spring clean of your home
Introduction
The concept of spring cleaning (in the United Kingdom) evolved during the 1800s out of the necessity to keep the house warm in winter. March and April became recognised as the ‘perfect’ months in which to thoroughly clean the house by washing walls and paintwork, beating carpets and textiles, polishing furniture, and scrubbing floors. This was because the weather was warm enough to open doors and windows but not yet warm enough to encourage insects such as flies in from the outside.
Nowadays of course, deep cleaning your home also provides an opportunity to change the weight of curtains - to perhaps cotton or linen - and to simplify window treatments that seemed cosy in the winter but now feel rather heavy.
Spring Cleaning
When planning a thorough clean of your home, whatever the scale, it is extremely helpful to walk through the space armed with a notebook and camera (phone) and survey the room, not in terms of measurement, but noting and recording with a view to cleaning and repairing. This is not the time to think ‘Oh it’ll do’, ‘It’s fine’ or, even worse, ‘No-one will notice’. This isn’t about other people’s reactions.
Preparation Checklist
Do you have all your materials such as:
» Mops
» Microfibre cloths
» Sponges
» Household rubber gloves
» Bags and bin liners
» Bleach (use very sparingly)
» Toilet/floor cleaner
» Specialist cleaning products such as oven cleaner.
Once you have all the tools, it’s time to prepare for your spring clean.
Clear the Decks
This is an extremely important stage of the spring cleaning process and emotionally may be the most difficult. Beginning with the bedroom, go through every single drawer and cupboard in the entire house placing each item into one of four boxes: things to keep; things to wash and keep; things to donate to the charity shop and things to throw away either in the recycling bin or the local tip.
Clear shelves, empty drawers and cupboards and fill the bins; clean each item before placing into the bin (wrapped in tissue if required) as you work through each room.
As you move through each room, consider the following:
» Open the windows.
» Wash the curtains or have professionally cleaned.
» Dust and clean any other furniture.
» Dust art and decorative objects.
» Wash windows and windowsills.
» Wash walls if required.
» Vacuum, sweep and wash floors.
Is your property clean and ready for a viewing? Contact us today.
