As the days finally get brighter, and the evenings get longer, you’ll start to notice just how dusty and unclean certain areas of your home can appear which you were blinded to in the dark winters months. And I understand, at first, it can seem other whelming to tackle your entire home alone, all in the matter of a couple of days.
I have collaborated many tips and tricks that will give you infromative infromation so that you know how to clean your home like a pro.
Top 10 Spring Cleaning Tips
Now I’m no pro, I’m just a woman with a certain set of skills, skills that can make this whole spring clean season a whole lot easier for you. Although I have watched my fair share of cleaning programmes so I’m equipped with all the professional cleaning tips from Kim and Aggie which they have handed down to their viewers through the years.
Just below are my top 10 spring cleaning tips which I have personally tried and had to share them with you today to make your life a whole lot easier because trust me, cleaning turned into a delight once I started using these specific ways to get over certain house maintenance problems
When to Start Spring Cleaning
Typically, the practice of spring cleaning can be done all year round since the phrase is now widely used as a means of thoroughly cleaning a house or home. Although, if you couldn’t guess it used to mean, and technically still does, to clean one’s home in the springtime.
But to answer ‘when to start spring cleaning’, it’s up to you! If you have some time spare, perhaps on a bank holiday or if you’ve taken some time off work, there is no better time to crack on with some housework. Since cleaning out your entire home can be a chore, it’s useful to make a start whenever you can to minimise tasks in the near future.
Cleaning is also a great way to get a new look in your home without too much effort since you’re just making the best of what you already feature within your interior.
House Clean Routine – Make One!
For good results, you need a good plan, and with a good plan, you need to make sure it works for you, so no copying from the internet! Seriously, your house clean routine needs to be something that is personal to you and your goals, so that you are able to work towards it more efficiently and you are more likely too if its something you drafted up yourself.
Disorganized cleaning will give you a lot of missed spots. An effective cleaner will go from room to room, top to bottom ensuring they’ve tackled all those unreachable corners.
If you’ve got a smart device and would much rather keep your cleaning calendar on your device, then you should probably go download Clean My House from the App Store or Google Play store.
If you’re still stuck, he’s an idea of how I went about drafting up mine;
How to Organize House Cleaning Schedule
I wrote down all the task I had had to do, listed them in the order from most enjoyable to least enjoyable; now I know what you’re thinking “how can there really be a different” but trust me there is.
Cleaning my glass table top was far more s
Once you’ve created this list, you’re going to want to get all the annoying things out of the way, while you are at the start of your cleaning mission where you will most likely put up with the gruelling and boring tasks at hand than if you were to leave it till last.
Then go ahead and fit everything into a daily house cleaning schedule, I’d recommend putting the easy stuff at the end of the week, again since its the end of your time cleaning you want to putt the easiest stuff off so you are able to relax more.
At this point you should be ready to start cleaning…that is until you’ve read all of my other spring cleaning tips further down the page!
Use Vodka for Cleaning a Mattress
Now I know what you’re immediately thinking, Kerry has gone crazy.
And yes, I understand vodka is for drinking but trust me on this one, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
So yes, you really can use vodka for cleaning a mattress (if you have any leftover from that party on Saturday night) along with a dash of your favourite essential oil to give it that ‘clean’ smell we all seek for any piece of furnishing in our homes.
Heres how you clean up your mattress;
- Use a damp cloth to remove any excess debris or liquids that are still within the affected area.
- Fill an empty spray bottle with your Vodka, regardless of the quality, around about 2/3 to not overflow the bottle.
- Add your favourite essential oil to give your mattress a refreshing smell. (Mint is my personal favourite)
- Make sure to shake the bottle well to mix the two liquids together well; ensure the lid is tight or you’ll be cleaning the vodka up too!
- Spray the affected areas with your new favourite cleaning solution. Make sure not to the soak the area, spray with care.
- Now leave it to dry completely, don’t bother making the bed just yet, be sure to double check that the mattress is dry before you dress it back up in its usual fashion.
Other Household uses for Vodka
While we’re on the topic of using vodka as a cleaning product, I thought It would be worth mentioning the many other household uses for vodka I have found that
- Cleaning Windows and Fixtures: Just like with your mattress, you are able to clean your windows and lighting fixtures with a vodka-soaked cloth, which will allow you to add extra sparkle and get a streak-free shine.
- Soak your feet: If you’re looking to get a natural clean on your feet, perhaps after a long walk with your kids, then soaking them when you’re home will give you back a natural clean.
- Remove sticky glue: Every bought something with a price sticker on it? well of course you have and I bet you’ve tried to scratch it off too, without it inevitability breaking up on you and leaving the goo behind. Scrubbing the leftover sticker with vodka will obliterate it from the surface.
These are just to name a few of the posobilitties with vodka, I have found plenty more household uses for vodka on List25.
Cleaning with Vodka vs Vinegar
If you’re interested in cleaning your home the eco-friendly way, turning your home into a ‘green-clean home’ then you will have no doubt also heard that people their furniture with vinegar as well as vodka as we have just established just above.
But, what actually Is the difference between cleaning with vodka vs vinegar? If there is even one, to begin with.
After some research and many cleaning sessions of tested and back-checked with experts, I’ve found out the difference between both cleaning your home with vodka and vinegar is that, well there is none in terms of cleaning. Both work well as solutions when mixed with there respective formulas (essential oils for vodka and water for vinegar).
Although personally, Vodka has to take the crown when it comes to being the best household cleaning simply because the smell that the vinegar cleaner emits is something you don’t want to be around just after cleaning making vodka a far more ideal option…if you’re cleaning something it might as well smell nice too!
Use Proper Surface Cleaning Techniques
This is one hack you could try when cleaning any surface in your house. Don’t just wipe off that dirt haphazardly, as at the end you will waste time since you may fail to hit all the dirty spots while you are cleaning.
Instead, move in a consistent direction and it will be more appropriate if you wipe the surface from left to right or top to bottom than as appose to other surface cleaning techniques.
A dull looking surface makes the surfaces look less appealing and even if you just finished cleaning it, someone else may not notice the difference. To avoid using so much energy and end up disappointed, take hold of a cloth which has a microfiber material, then dampen one half of it.
Leave the other half completely dry and then use the dampened part to wipe off the dirt. Use the dry part to clear the wetness and you will have yourself a sparkling clean home with this technique.
Another trick is using olive oil to buffer your surfaces. Other than using olive oil to cook, get a piece of cloth and grab that pan, or pot or appliance than in a circular motion, rub it to get rid off any dirty spots. Allowing you to achieve a polished look once you finish smoothening out the surfaces.
Easiest Way to Clean an Oven
Many ovens go untouched for months without a proper clean, and when people do eventually use their elbow grease they never usually do a good enough job to make a difference.
For the lazy people who can’t be bothered to clean their oven on their own will instead use the self-cleaning function many ovens seem to come with these days. You’ll realize just how terrible this particular function is since the smell that it produces is revolting and totally not worth it.
However, the easiest way to clean an Oven and certainly the most effective is to use a mixture of household goods. Heres how the pro’s do it;
- Remove everything: Whether that’s the oven racks or oven thermometer, make sure to set it aside before beginning.
- Create the paste: Grab a small bowl and mix 1/2 a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Keep adding each till the ratio is as stated, it should form together like a paste.
- Apply some elbow grease: Spread the paste all over the inside of your oven, BUT make sure you do not apply any to the heating elements. The paste should turn brown once set in the oven and in some cases also goes chunky, which is perfectly fine. The general rule of thumb is to make sure every inch of the oven is cleared and you should pay attention to the greasiest of spots.
- Go relax: Let it sit for about 12 hours so the mixture can do its work.
- Apply some more elbow grease: Now, after 12hours, take a damp cloth – anything will do – and wipe away as much of the dried baking soda paste you possibly can, this is where the real effort comes into play but its worth it. Using something like a spatula to help scrape off the bits you can’t quite get off yourself may be a good idea.
- Clean up: Take some vinegar and put it into an old spray bottle, this will help you get rid of the baking soda residue as this mixture reacts and the baking soda because bubbled and foam like.
- Rinse and repeat: Repeat the last step until all the residue has completely gone, and you should be left with a shiny and clean oven.
Best way to clean an oven door
Similar to what I explained on the easiest way to clean an oven, the best way to clean an oven door is to use the same paste you used for inside the oven; no doubt you have a leftover mixture. You want to apply it the inner door side, allover as much as you can.
Let it sit for about half an hour and then come back and wipe it down with a damp cloth to clear off all of the baking soda, again use some vinegar to make sure you are getting rid of all the residue.
Easiest way to clean oven racks
The easiest way I’ve found to do them is cleaning them in a bath, and I know what you’re thinking, that must be unhygienic! Well cleaning the bath before and after cleansing your oven is something you’re going to want to do if that puts your mind at ease.
Simply place your oven racks in the bathtub with enough water so that the racks are covered and then add your favourite dishwashing soap to the bath, around about 1/2 a cup full. And let it sit overnight.
After about 12hours, just like last time, you’re going to want to scrub away any grease that still remains as well as grime and leftover baked bits…
…And you’re done!
Use coffee grounds to eliminate odors from your fridge
If you’re like me, you love coffee and sometimes, yo although you try your hardest you can’t get through it all. But by utilizing what you have and with your leftover beans, use coffee grounds to eliminate
This is seriously effective since coffee is a smell you are already familiar with and it is a smell that is able to effortlessly cover up the overpowering
Wash Towels with Vinegar
Eventually, whether you like it or not, your towels will begin to have a mildew smell to them, this usually comes about because of a poor drying process as well as the general age of the towels as they collectively gain bacteria that
That’s why, even when they don’t smell, we recommend you wash towels with vinegar to get rid of that horrible smell.
How to Wash Towels with Vinegar
Don’t worry, there are no endless amounts of supplies you need to get your towels back to their fresh smell, you can sit back and let your washer to do all the work.
Heres how to wash towels with vinegar; the professional way:
Simply wash your load on the hot cycle and add 1 cup of vinegar to the load. Do not bother to use detergent or anything else, just hot water and vinegar. And that’s it, you’re all done, your towels should be smelling fresh and clean as if they were bought yesterday.
Although in some cases, this is not the case, if that is you and you can still smell a faint but noticeable odor, then do the same thing again without the vinegar and this time add baking soda and then you will be able to smell the freshness of your towels.
Best Dusting Techniques
Dusting might seem simple but like any tasks there are set tools and techniques that are perfect for the job, making your whole life a whole lot easier and in addition making your home even more beautiful than it was before.
There are several of the best dusting techniques further down the page, I will let you what to use and how you should be using the specific duster to help you do a professional job.
Types of Dusting Brushes
Microfiber Cloth: Best for dusting and polishing dry or slightly damp surfaces – make sure never to drench your cloth in your particular solution to ensure that you don’t leave solution behind. Use the correct one for the job, fluffy cloths are absorbent and do best to hold the dust while minimising the chance to scratch a surface. Flatweave Microfiber cloths are best for glass and other hard surfaces.
Extendable Microfiber Duster: Similar to that of its cloth counterpart, the extendable microfiber duster should be used for collecting dust and other dirty stains that are up high, in places where you wouldn’t normally be able to reach. Since your dusting from above, you’ll most likely have dust falling on the floor, be sure to hoover this up afterwards.
Lambswool Duster: Best used when dusting large surfaces or hard to get places such as lighting or behind radiators. Ideal too if you’re looking for a duster to use on your surface, since its so gentle you won’t risk marking or tearing the fabric.
Disposable Electrostatic Cloth: Perfect for polishing and cleaning dust prone tablets and TV or even computer screens. It picks up pet hair great too, which always handy if you’re a cat lover like I am.
Homemade Carpet Freshener with Cinnamon
Using cinnamon to freshen up your carpet is a great and cheap way of getting that disgusting smell out of your living space and replacing it with a smell that is much more welcoming.
However don’t be fooled, of course, we aren’t going to go to our spice rack and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on our carpet, we have to mix up a solution first so the carpet can properly take in the fragrance and bring a delicious smell to our nose.
Place baking soda into a jar, any jar will do and puncture holes in the top of the jar lid, so it looks like a large salt or pepper shaker. Once you’ve done that, you can add a few drops of cinnamon to the concoction, the amount you want in there is up to you to experiment with it for a few weeks till you find an amount that is right for you and your home.
Once your mixture is ready, spread it about the house approximately one hour before vacuuming to ensure that you give the mixture enough time to do the trick.
Clean Windows with Vinegar and Newspaper
Wayback, we used to clean windows with our daily newspaper, then soon got lost in the times since more accessible window cleaning solutions were widely available as well as the tools needed to use them. However, if you’re reminiscing of how you used to clean windows with vinegar and newspaper or you just prefer to do things on a budget, you are still able to clean your windows with a trusty newspaper with this particular solution.
What you need:
- 1 or more dirty windows
- Newspaper (preferably already read)
- Vinegar Window Spray
To create the vinegar solution you need to clean your windows, try a recipe of 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap. Mix that in well enough so that the ingredients are properly together and you have your window spray all ready to use.
- Dip your newspaper into the jar/cup or whatever it is you have used to contain your solution in.
- Use a circular motion to wipe all of the spots on the window off. Then once, all marks are off, switch your pattern to a vertical then horizontal stroke until the liquid has fully dried and spread across the surface area and you should be left with shiny and streak free windows.
If you still wish to clean your windows with newspaper, to be a greener home, but don’t want to use your own vinegar window spray, Zoro has some great products that are an alternative to windex.
How to Clean Glass Windows Without Streaks
A common mistake my friends and I used to make was that we used to clean our windows when the sun was blazing hot because it makes sense right? What other time would you ever be outside cleaning your windows?
Well every window I touched when doing this at this time of day would streak and it used to drive me crazy that was unit after I found out how to clean glass windows without streaks thanks to a recommendation from another friend.
The thing is, blaring hot sun is great for drying things, but during the day when cleaning my windows it would dry out whatever solution I was using to fast therefore the windows would be streaked ridden.
Now, I always wash my windows when there are clouds in the sky, still, I have to pray it doesn’t rain but at least they come out all shiny and clean once I’ve finished them without the assistance of the sun.
Wash Blinds in a Bathtub
Blinds are notoriously annoying in terms of being able to wash them;
You can’t leave them hung up to clean because you’re wont to be able to get all parts of the blinds due to how raised they are and sometimes scrubbing isn’t enough on each blind.
And in addition, you can’t take them down and clean them inside due to the amount of solution you may get everywhere and even if you take them outside they may even just get dirtier than before.
However, there is a more efficient way you can get them clean, you can wash blinds in a bathtub easily with a simple soap solution, I’ve given informative instruction of how to wash blinds in bathtub below
How to wash blinds in a bathtub
Simply lay your blinds flat in the tub that is a few inches deep with warm water., and add a mixture of some, you favourite dishwasher soap will do the trick, along with a little vinegar.
Let them soak for about an hour after this time rinse them off with some fresh water and hang them outside to give them a chance to dry, then put them back to wherever they were in the home.