Be a spring clean queen with these top tips
Cleaning is rarely something to look forward to, but there’s something about a thorough spring clean that is enough to make a house-proud person excited to get their Marigolds on.
That fresh feeling after you’ve preened and polished your house from ceiling to floor is super rewarding and will make your home feel renewed.
In fact, we recommend you add these extra steps into your cleaning routine, not just in time for spring, but whenever you feel the need to give your home a new lease of life.
And with our cleaning tips, it won't even feel like hard work...
1. Play hide-and-seek cleaning
If you were dirt, where would you hide? Yes it's time to tackle those long-neglected corners, cupboard shelves and spots under the furniture.
Empty out the kitchen and bathroom cupboards and clean with a squirt of Flash Lemon All Purpose to cut through grease and give them a light, citrus scent.
Grab a feather duster to tackle the high-up cobwebs, or use the extension on your hoover. And, as well as vacuuming under your furniture, spritz the carpet with Febreze Fabric Refresher to eliminate that musty smell.
2. Clean the skirting boards
Skirting boards often look fine, but on closer inspection you'll see they bear the brunt of little feet and spillage splashes.
First get rid of the dust with a clean, dry micro-fibre cloth (or a dryer sheet, see number 6). Then clean off any marks, scuffs or stains with a Flash Magic Eraser, which will make them disappear without damaging your paint work. You can use this on marks on your walls, too.
3. Clean your shower doors
Water spots on shower doors and walls driving you nuts? Get your karate moves ready and prepare to wax on, wax off with a thin layer of car wax. The secret? The slippery wax keeps water spots off the surface and prevents them from staining. Do this twice a year and, voila, you’ll have a shower cubicle that’s forever streak free and spotless.
4. Tackle limescale
Have your taps crusted over? Is your power shower more of a dribble? This could be down to limescale. Use Viakal to eradicate the chalky deposits left over by hard water, and even better it protects them from further limescale damage, so you can save this step for your big cleans.
5. Wash what you can
Launder any removable cushion covers and, if possible, your sofa cushion covers and curtains, too. Be extra careful when washing them, though, as any shrinkage could be disastrous. For help, see our guide on understanding what those laundry labels actually mean. If you're still unsure, handwash them to be on the safe side.
Another option, and what you can do for those bits of fabric you can't wash, is to whip out your Febreze Fabric Refresher again and eliminate any odours that you may have gone "nose blind" to. Your guests are bound to notice the difference!
6. Dust with dryer sheets
Having trouble getting dust under control? Here’s a thrifty tip: use your old dryer sheets as dusters. Their static-repelling function makes dusting a breeze, and it coats the surfaces with any leftover surfactant, which means it’ll keep dust at bay for longer. Genius!
7. Flip your mattress
Is there a mattress equivalent of a chalk outline where you sleep? Then you should rotate or flip your mattress. You should do this every three to six months to avoid sagging, which is bad for your back. You'll be amazed at the difference and this could improve your sleep tenfold.
8. Clean your windows
Fill a spray bottle with water and pop in two tablespoons of white vinegar. Spray your windows with the solution and, using balled-up newspaper (which is better at avoiding streaks than kitchen towel), wipe in small, circular, then long vertical motions, followed by horizontal, wipes. You can see clearly now! And don't forget to dust the sills while you're there.
9. Prolong the freshness
Pop some Febreze Ambi-Pur Plug-ins into your spare sockets around the house to infuse your home with a gorgeous scent of your choice - such as Sweet Citrus and Zest, Natural Soap or Coastal Escape. The scent lasts for up to 90 days, so you can just plug in and forget all about it while your home continues to smell clean and fresh.
Use these spring cleaning secrets wisely and go forth with your duster. Good luck!
For more tips, check out our Cleaning Wizard page.
Do you have any cleaning tips you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below.