How to Spring Clean Your Home

We all know that spring-cleaning is necessary, but it can be easy to procrastinate when you don't really know how to spring clean your home? Regardless, this is a necessary task to enjoy that things stay hygenic and comfortable for you, your family and your guests.

So you've put aside a day and are ready to give it some elbow grease and are prepared to tick the big task of spring cleaning off your list. To help, Urban.com.au have prepared a guide of the best spring cleaning tips in 2019 for how to spring clean your house in a day.

Use this as an opportunity to freshen up your place, declutter a little bit and look forward to relaxing in a clean space once the job has been done.

First, make a plan

You'll be surprised how much more efficiently you will use your time if you put together a small plan first. Decide on some goals, what you would like to achieve or at least how much cleaning you can handle. Depending on the size of your place, a single day may be fine, or it may require a multi-day project. Is this purely a cleaning endeavor, or are you looking at reorganising as well? This may be an excellent opportunity to create some more space in your apartment.

Make a list of all the tasks you plan to tackle. This will not only help you determine your schedule, ensuring you don't forget anything but also what supplies you may need. You can use all of the spring cleaning tips and tricks in the book, but without a level of planning and organisation, you'll likely leave something out.

To help ensure that you don't go insane, it's also a good idea to decide on time intervals for breaks. Set a timer every 45 minutes so you can focus on cleaning for that time, then give yourself a physical and mental rest to look forward to. You'll be surprised how much quicker this makes a long day seem.

The spring cleaning checklist

You may be wondering how to spring clean your room, or the whole house? This can take some time unless you are living in a micro-house, so the following checklist will help you to ensure nothing is missed while also offering a few spring cleaning hacks to help along the way.

1. Start with wardrobe

Now is a great time to donate any clothing, shoes, or accessories that you haven't pulled out of the closet in a few seasons. Keep in mind that the chances are if you haven't worn something for a whole season, it's unlikely that you will during the next one.

2. Next, the home office

If you have a home office, you will know that it is one space that can get very cluttered. File or shred any unnecessary paperwork and organise the remaining stuff into a neat pile. You may even want to do some digital cleaning on your computer to free up some disk space or clear out all of those icons on the home screen. 

3. The first big one, the kitchen

The kitchen is always another clutter-heavy area. Now is the time to donate any glasses that don't match, whittle down all of the mugs, and get rid of pots and pans that are in a miserable condition. Just like you did with the wardrobe, get rid of the items you don't use. Then tackle the food in the refrigerator and pantry.

4. Living rooms and bedrooms

The first thing you should do is move the furniture out of the room so you can properly clean the floors. Vacuum or mopping around the edges does not qualify as a proper spring clean. Get everything out of the way to make your task easier and far more thorough.

Spring cleaning tips and tricks

Once you have decided when to start spring cleaning, there are tricks you can use to ensure you get a high-quality clean, making all of your effort worthwhile. These include:

• Avoiding dust bunnies

When cleaning, start from the top of the room, and clean down. Wipe the ceiling, fans, and light fixtures before the walls and furniture in the room, so you are moving with the falling dust. Move all appliances to ensure thorough dusting.

• Avoid using paper towels

Not only is this a less-than-reliable implement for cleaning, but using paper towels isn't great for the environment. Use a washable cloth and save what will likely be around four or five rolls of paper towels for a house clean. Reusable microfiber cloths are perfect for everything, including mirrors and appliances, and you just chuck them in the washing machine to use another day. This is also a more cost-efficient option, as well.

• Cleaning stainless steel

The best way to clean any stainless steel is with a small amount of specified stainless steel cleaner that you rub with the grain. After this, use a different microfiber cloth and a few drops of baby oil, once again rubbed with the grain.

• Check smoke detectors

Spring cleaning is also a great time to check your smoke detectors to ensure that they are in working order and that the batteries don't require a change.

• Washing fabric

The fabric in your home collects dust and bacteria, so the spring clean is a great time to wash curtains, bedding, and rugs. The same applies to the carpets; you can hire a carpet cleaning machine and buy some shampoo to really give them a deep clean. Finish off by vacuuming the furniture and flipping your mattresses (which should be done every six months).

• Window washing

Glass cleaner and a squeegee is the best way to rid your windows of any grime. You'll likely notice a lot more natural light filtering into the house after this has been completed as well. The best way to clean the window tracks and sliding doors are with some cotton wool tips that have been dunked in white vinegar.

• Don't forget about grout

Spring cleaning in the bathroom means paying attention to the grout. It can be tedious, but using a grout stain or bleach will restore the colour bringing new life into the room. Be aware that you may need to re-caulk and bathroom areas that are discoloured.

More than just cleaning

Despite the name, spring cleaning doesn't just have to be about cleaning work. You can do something a little more fun to really drill that new refreshed feel in with something like a decor update. 

Mount the TV, organise the closet, buy some new bedding or add some more potted plants Spring is a great time to grow some indoor greenery and flowers and plants are a great way to add colour and life to your space. Top it off with a scented candle, and kick back and enjoy your refreshed home. We should also mention that while all of this applies to homeowners, it is also necessary for renters, it is after all your space and the better it feels, the better you will.

How to enjoy spring cleaning

We know, spring cleaning can be a big job and life would be better if we didn't have to do it at all. Hiring a professional cleaner is the only way to make this a reality. This isn't the worst idea as a professional will save you a lot of time, and you can be sure that the job is done to a high standard; however an in-depth clean like the one described above will not be cheap.

If you decide to stick with the DIY route, it's best to keep the end goal in mind, the satisfaction and comfort you will get out of a truly clean home. This is a lot easier if you own your home or have just bought a new apartment as this kind of upkeep is a way of protecting your investment and ensuring it stays in excellent condition if the time comes that you decide to sell it.

Be thorough and treat this task as a great way to refresh your home, keep everything inside of it, including yourself, healthy and lower the stress levels by ticking a big job off the list. Some people even find the act of cleaning therapeutic, lean into that idea, and you'll be enjoying a sparkling new home in no time.