TIME FOR RUBBER, GLOVES THAT IS
TOP TIPS FOR A THOROUGH SPRING CLEAN
With the better weather, longer evenings and bank holidays looming, it’s a great opportunity to tackle all of those jobs you usually put off – in particular the big spring clean.
Ambi Pur recently sent me these tops tips and I’ve chosen a few to include here:
1. Invest in a good pair of rubber gloves. Doing this will protect your hands and encourage you to clean a little more vigorously!
2. Keep things close to hand – pop all your cleaning materials into a handy basket or carrier to transport easily from room to room.
3. When cleaning anything work from the top down, moving from the inside to the outside. That way you’ll avoid dirtying what you have just cleaned.
4. Make small ongoing repairs around the house so things don‘t get worse – stick down peeling paper and paint out ceiling stains etc. If you’re not the handy type then don’t just let your home fall into disarray – get someone in and keep your home well maintained.
5. For sparkling-clean windows, use a smear free cleaner and then buff to a perfect shine. Or try your Granny’s idea of newspaper and vinegar.
6. Don’t let the bedbugs bite! Steam-clean or vigorously vacuum your mattress, keeping your bedroom windows open to let everything properly air. Flip over your mattress (top to bottom and side to side) every time you make the bed with fresh linen.
7. Clear your closet – swap your summer and winter wardrobes over and vacuum pack your unseasonal clothes away for next year. Be ruthless – if you didn’t wear it this year and you won’t fit into it again, give it to charity and free up valuable storage space.
8. Sort your drawers! Empty out each one, wipe with a damp cloth and examine the contents – throw away odd socks etc and use drawer organisers for underwear.
9. If possible steam-clean your carpets, or simply vacuum but pay special attention to corners and under furnishings as well as open traffic areas. Make sure your vacuum is clean before you start to avoid that dirty vacuum smell.
10. Drag a damp cloth along the point where carpets touch skirting boards to pick up the hard to vacuum grit and grime which even the most determined vacuum cleaner often leaves behind.
11. It’s time for the annual kitchen drawer marathon! Grab a bin bag and ditch all the useless things you’ve collected over the last twelve months such as out of date vouchers and old take away menus.
12. Clean the inside of your microwave with a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar.
13. Wipe down the inside of your fridge with lemon juice to keep it spic and span and smelling fresh.
14.Clean teapots and stained mugs with a Bicarbonate of Soda paste.
It may not be your favourite way to spend a weekend but just think how virtuous (and clean) you’ll feel!
For lots of interviews full of fresh ideas and useful advice visit PASSION for FRESH IDEAS