When the weather gets warmer, you pack away your winter woollen items and will probably feel tempted to do some spring cleaning. The problem is that sometimes this can feel overwhelming or you might start the task and then lose energy halfway in. To prevent it from being a time-, and energy-, consuming project, here are some spring-cleaning hacks to help you refresh your home in a weekend.
Organise Your Cleaning Supplies
Use an old box or crate to store your cleaning supplies so that you can carry them with you from room to room as you clean. This makes it easy for you to clean on the move without having to keep rushing back to the other room to get something you need.
Make a Washing Pile
Create a pile of laundry – towels, clothes, bedding, and so on – that you can pop into the washing machine. This is a good multi-tasking tip because while these items are getting washed, you can clean other things. Remember to do full washing loads as these prevent a waste of energy and water. Here’s a good eco tip: when washing towels, use baking soda and vinegar in the washing machine to make them fluffier than ever. The bonus is that this concoction will also clean the inside of your machine without you having to do anything. When your items are washed, hang them out to dry outside instead of using the tumble dryer.
Declutter!
Get two large refuse bags – one marked ‘donate’ and the other marked ‘trash’ – and carry them both with you throughout the house so that you can quickly pack them with items that you want to donate or bin. There are probably so many things in your home that are in good condition but which you don’t use, so now’s the time to get them off to a charity or hospice so the less fortunate can make use of them. Be really selective about items going into the ‘trash’ bag as you want to throw out as little as possible. It’s actually a good idea to have a third bag, marked ‘upcycle‘, for anything that you can use in new ways. This is especially beneficial for items in your wardrobe, such as that scarf that can become a cool summer belt.
Clean Stubborn Bathroom Stains
A clever trick is to get rid of tough stains in the bathroom sink, shower and toilet by soaking them in white vinegar overnight. If the showerhead is full of muck, tie a plastic bag with some vinegar in it around it, too. Allow the vinegar to soak so that the next morning the dirt will loosen easier. A salt and grapefruit DIY cleaning agent is also great for the bathroom shower and bathtub. All you need to do is sprinkle half a cup of salt on the fleshy half of one grapefruit. Wet the surface you want to clean, such as the tub, and then scrub the grapefruit and salt against the dirt to slough it away.
Hit the Kitchen
- Get rid of grease on surfaces and pots with vinegar. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle and spritz it all over the greasy item, allowing it to sit for about 10 minutes. Then wipe it with a dishcloth.
- An all-purpose cleaner that’s great for the kitchen is to mix together half a teaspoon of your dish soap with two tablespoons of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda in a spray bottle. Add some warm water to it and shake it well before using it.
Fast tip: Always end the kitchen clean-up session by cleaning the stove as it is usually the dirtiest part of the room and you don’t want to spread its grease around.
Spruce up with these General Cleaning Hacks
- Your wood furniture can be cleaned beautifully with two cups of olive oil and one cup of lemon juice. Mix them together and then drizzle the mixture onto a soft cloth to polish your furniture. This is also great to smooth over surface scratches.
- When cleaning carpet stains, you need half a cup of table salt and one cup of soda water. Apply the soda water to the stain to lift it before sprinkling on the salt which will help to absorb it. Allow this to sit for about 12 hours and then vacuum it.
- Make use of old newspapers that are creating clutter by turning them into window cleaners. Mix half a cup of white vinegar with two cups of warm water and half a teaspoon of liquid soap. Put it in a spray bottle and spritz it on windows, before wiping it with crumpled newspaper.
Make it Smell Fresh
Finish off your cleaning session by spritzing a wonderful eco scent in the air. Mix one part water with one part lime juice, and add in a few drops of lavender essential oil as well as two teaspoons of baking soda. Place this mixture in a spray bottle and spritz it all over the house to create a lovely, calming summer scent.
Image credit: geografika / Dollar Photo Club
