Not sure where to begin with a spring clean? We cover all the major areas of the house and to look out for the bits you might not normally clean on a regular basis.
When to start spring cleaning
When you should start your spring clean is entirely up to you but as suggested by the title, it is generally completed at the start of Spring so we suggest you choose a day (or days) when you can get really stuck in because a Spring Clean generally involves a good clear out and clean of every living space in the home.
How to start spring cleaning
Before you begin to spring clean, first take a walk around the home and scope out the areas which need the most work.
Ask yourself the following:
- Are there any areas you tend to skip?
- Do the windows look a bit mucky?
- Do you have hidden clutter and knick-knacks that haven't seen the light of day in years?
The benefit of a decent spring clean is you get to give the home some proper attention and let go of all the things you don't need!
Cleaning tips for the bedroom
Where we lay our head down and enter slumberland is an area we should strive to make as hygienic as possible. When tackling the bedroom, your first place should be the clothing.
- Clean out your drawers and throw away any weathered and worn out socks or underwear.
- Vacuum bag your winter clothing and replace them with spring/summer clothing (though with British weather, it's always best to keep a few Winter coats set aside).
- Discard any clothing you're not a fan of and give them to your charity shop of choice.
With the clothing finished and possibly thinned out from the throwaways, you're now set to start some standard cleaning.
- Clean and dust your drawers, wardrobes, and doorknobs.
- Dust the top of your ceiling and light fixtures. Wash your window sills, and clean the blinds.
- Wash your pillowcases, duvet and mattress protector.
Once the bedroom is looking a lot cleaner, it's time to finish off with dry cleaning the bedroom floor. Dry mop away dust or dirt before moving on to a wet clean, the amount of water you should use depends on the type of flooring, which we've explored in our article on how to mop.
Cleaning the bathroom
From the first place we enter in the morning to the last place we leave before heading to bed, the bathroom can get a bit out of control if we're not careful. To begin with, you could start with your cleaning products:
- Recycle empty shampoo bottles and expired grooming products
- Take any damaged, unused or out-of-date medications to your local pharmacy
- Dust and clean your bathroom storage cabinets
Once that's out of the way, you can focus on the rest of the bathroom.
- Clean the inside of your toilet with an all-purpose cleaner.
- Wipe down the walls, clean and wipe inside and around the bath or shower.
- Use a microfiber cloth or sponge and wipe down the towel racks, doors, blinds and windowsills.
Next, it's time to move onto the bathroom floor. Use a damp mop on the floor with fresh water and cleaning solution (don't re-use the mixture between areas). Finish mopping up the floor and avoid leaving the water standing around by drying up immediately after cleaning.
Clean hallway
Like all areas in the home, it makes everything much easier when you clean from top to bottom. Begin by cleaning your light fittings and brushing away the top of the ceiling from any dust and cobwebs. If your home has bannisters, slowly move down the staircase, dusting each one as you descend the landing.
As you stand at the entranceway, survey your cupboards and pick out anything you wouldn't miss, placing them in your bag of unwanted items. After that, don't forget the entrance mat. These usually end up the least considered thing to clean in the home. So if it has been a long, long while, be sure to give the mat a good vacuum, and if it's machine washable, a trip to the washing machine.
With all that dust lying around, it's the best time to dry mop the Hallway floor clean of all the dust. Finish off the hallway with a wet clean using a recommended cleaner like the James Floor Clean and Quick Dry.
Spring cleaning the kitchen
The kitchen can turn into a cavern of hidden horrors if you're not careful, with last year's leftovers dominating the could-be freezer space. The first check will be to see if any foodstuffs are out of date and any condiments you could care less about left in the recycling bin.
Next would be to have a good dusting around the walls and inside/outside your storage cabinets. Dust can accumulate pretty much anywhere, so having a good scrummage with the duster can do wonders in keeping the whole area looking tip-top.
Then move on to the kitchen appliances such as the microwave and oven. If they look a bit grimy, this is where a good spring clean comes into play, giving you the focus to cleaning your most-used appliances. After you're satisfied with how everything is looking, it's a good opportunity to provide the kitchen floor with a good mop and clean. If you notice the flooring looking a little dull after all the use it gets; then this might be an ideal time to use a floor polish to refresh its appearance.
Spring cleaning living room
Begin by taking out any of the clutter lying around the living room, i.e. books, controllers, mugs, and move them out of the living room. Begin by dusting the ceiling, corners of the room and the doors themselves. The dust may fall to the floor, but that's fine we'll leave the floor till last; right now, continue to dust any framed photographs or items hanging up on the walls.
The main battle you'll have with the living room is dusting away all the hidden nooks and crannies littered about the room. We'd recommend tackling the following areas:
- Dusting the ceiling fan or light coverings
- Vacuuming the crevices in the Settees or chairs (cleaning slipcovers and pillow covers)
- Dust down the bookshelf, and consider donating any books you don't feel like keeping anymore.
Finally, you should give the lounge flooring a dry mop and wet clean to finish the proceedings. It seems like a lot of work but don't fret, instead stay comfy in the knowledge you're now halfway there to a spotless home!
We hope that gave you a few good starters on where to begin your spring clean! If you want a way to give your floors a great clean, you can clean, polish and restore them with our James - The Finishing Touch floor care collection.
Download our free Spring Cleaning checklist!
Schedule your cleaning efforts by room or delegate cleaning duties to the whole family with the help of our Spring Cleaning Checklist.
