6th April 2018
Cleaning of any kind, whether spring or otherwise is not often a popular task. Not only is it hard work, it’s true to say it can be as bank-breaking as it is back-breaking! Don’t despair though – there are lots of little tricks which can save you money, time and effort when it comes time to start your spring cleaning.
Kitchen Cleaning Tips
The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home, so it’s important for it to look its best. As well as being the central hub of most homes, being the room in which food is prepared and cooked usually means it’s the first room to get a thorough spring cleaning – so we’re starting off there!
If your oven is in need of a clean, try making your own oven cleaner; lemon, vinegar, dish soap and baking soda can be mixed together to create a great scrub, which should help make cleaning the oven a breeze for a fraction of the cost of expensive oven cleaning products.
Bonus tip: Once you’ve cleaned it inside and out, use an old wire clothes hanger and a cloth to clean between the layers of glass on your oven door as well; you’ll be able to reach across the whole door and right into the corners, making your whole oven shine.
Another kitchen appliance which often needs cleaning is the microwave; again our friends vinegar and lemon come to our aid, because mixing either one with water and popping the microwave on for a few minutes (depending on your microwave’s power category) helps you to easily clean inside. The steam goes to work loosening up dried-on food, making it an easy task to wipe away what remains.
Believe it or not, baby oil cuts through grease with ease, and as it doesn’t smell bad as many high-strength cleansers do, it’s a great choice as a kitchen grease-buster. It also buffs metal appliances to a gleaming sheen. Bear in mind however that although great at shifting grease it doesn’t contain bleach, so will work best when used in conjunction with a kitchen spray with bleach or antibacterial spray.
Have you ever stored fish or other strong smelling foods, and struggled to rid your fridge or freezer of the odour afterwards? If you place a piece of charcoal inside, it will absorb bad smells leaving your fridge or freezer fresh and clean-smelling.
Cleaning Tips For The Bathroom
As the room you visit when you want to become clean yourself, cleaning in the bathroom is just as important as it is in the kitchen. Bathrooms can be a little oasis of calm and serenity, somewhere to unwind in the bath with a book, so it’s great when everything is clean and welcoming.
As in the kitchen, lemon and vinegar are great for cleaning; use it on your shower head as a spot cleaner, or fill a sandwich bag to soak the shower head overnight and loosen tough dirt. Clean the tiles and glass doors of your shower with vinegar for streak free shine.
Dropping a couple of denture tablets into the loo will rid your toilet bowl of that unsightly ring of build-up better than most standard toilet cleaning products; just leave them to dissolve for twenty minutes or so, then use a toilet brush to scrub away any stubborn marks. All of the grime can then just be flushed away.
General Cleaning Tips: Around The House
Of course, the kitchen and bathroom aren’t the only areas which might need a bit of attention. Check out these tips, which will help you keep the rest of your house clean and won’t cost the earth.
An oldie but a goodie: unblock drains with baking soda. Just pour boiling water down a blocked drain, add the baking soda, follow up with a splash of vinegar and warm water and lastly some more boiling water. The drain should be back to working order in a jiffy.
Make a DIY freshener; just mix fabric softener and water in an old spray bottle, and you can spritz some fragrance into your home without the cost!
Our mattresses often see a good few years of use without being replaced; add baking soda to absorb odours which may have built up.
If your carpet is marked and you can’t cover the cost of a professional carpet cleaning machine, try putting a wet flannel on the carpet, and then using an iron set on high to steam the stain and break it down.
Create an olive oil and salt rub – but for your furniture not your meat! Simply rub it on wooden surfaces to remove rings and restore the grain to its former glory.
If you’ve rearranged your living room and left unsightly dents where furniture was, simply leave an ice cube on the mark; the ice will melt, then dry, and the carpet fibres will spring back into position.
Now that your spring cleaning routine is planned, why not get ahead of the game and check out our household checklist for autumn, and get a head-start ensuring your property is ready.
6th April 2018