16th March 2015
If you haven’t started your spring cleaning then why not?! Spring cleaning gives you a chance to get rid of old stuff and claim your home back after the hoarding of stuff over Christmas. You can sift through and make your loft/attic a little neater and tidier. It might even make it much easier for you to find things that you may have thought were lost for many years. But where do you start? Well it’s a little different with a loft, it’s not like cleaning a kitchen or living room because it’s not generally for show. So below are a few things you should be doing with your loft and hopefully you can claim back what it rightfully yours. know all about how to give your loft a good spring clean.
Sort Your Storage
Before you start anything major, you’ll need to sort through all of the stuff you’ve put into the loft. The best way to do this is to bring it down bit and by and sort it on the spot. Don’t be afraid to throw things away or give them to a charity shop. If you don’t see yourself using it in the next 6 months, and it’s been in the loft for years, there’s probably no sense in keeping it. You should keep going until you’ve got a completely empty loft, so that you’ve got room to clean later on. I’d suggest setting a weekend aside for this, as it might take you a little while to do. I’d also recommend a skip hire should you feel like you’re able to get rid of an awful lot.
Get Rid Of Clutter
One you’ve brought everything down from the loft you can now sort the useful from the useless. You’ll have already had a vague sort out when bringing everything down from the loft, but not it’s time to drill it down even further. This step is when you need to physically sort your remaining things into piles. Your piles should be split into 5 categories: put back in the loft, throw away, give away, keep in another room or sell. Once you’ve got everything into these piles you can now begin to put things back (expect for the things that need to go back in the loft, these need to stay out momentarily so you can clean).
Throw/Flatten Empty Boxes
After sorting all of your stuff you may find yourself with plenty of empty boxes. You can do one of 3 things here which are throw them away, keep them but flatten them or give them to someone who can put them to good use. Don’t throw away good boxes, if they have stood the test of time and are still capable of storing things then keep them or give them away. Only throw away boxes that are broken or mouldy. When it comes to boxes for electrical good, you’ll want to keep these for at least 1 year after buying your goods (as you may end up needing to return it). We would suggest flattening these boxes when possible and keeping them nice and dry. It helps to keep these boxes for when you move home.
Hoover/Clean
Now you’ve been left with only the, hopefully, small amount that is going back up into the loft you can now move onto cleaning. This is going to be a little more difficult for those who have no flooring in their loft or have a lot of fibreglass. Wear a mask for any and all cleaning up here, as you want to make sure you don’t become unwell. We would start from the top down, so dust and de-web the beam at the top first and then work your way down the the loft floor. Then you need to hoover appropriate surfaces, which can be difficult with a wired hoover. We would suggest buying or borrowing a handheld vacuum so that you can hoover as much as you can. Remember to empty the hoover as often as you can as it’ll fill up quick. Once all the dust and dirt is gone you can spray, Febreeze or Oust will be perfect as both neutralise odours.
Check Light Bulbs
Last but not least we are left with the lights in your loft. If you don’t have lights in your loft space then we would urge you to get some as it makes life a hell of a lot easier. For those who do have lights, you’ll want to check the bulbs for any and all lights are working fine. It might be worth changing them regardless as you’re only planning on doing this once a year. If you rarely go into your loft, then you only need to check the bulbs rather than replace them. Many will have tubed lighting in their loft, which works great for providing light but is a pain when the bulbs need changing. If you’re considering lighting, we would suggest lights that take everyday bulbs that are easy to change.
Consider Converting Your Loft Space
Many already have converted their loft space into a spare room, so why shouldn’t you? It stops the fibreglass from going everywhere and is a perfect place to relax as it’s away from everyone else. You don’t even have to turn it into anything, simply having the space “liveable” makes it easier to store your things and makes spring cleaning more of a doddle! You can even add wardrobes and other storage space into your loft, so it’s all neat and tidy. It also stops belongings from being effected by moisture or dust, it’s a win win situation. Get in touch to talk to our Bristol-based loft conversion specialists about turning your loft into a liveable space today.
16th March 2015