Many of us just cannot get motivated to do a spring clean because the chore seems so daunting.
What if we tell you, we have the easiest and fastest ways to get on top of your spring cleaning? Our proven method is used by professional cleaning companies. You will be amazed at how easy this task can be!
Read on to find out all the secret tips, spring cleaning hacks, and products to make your spring cleaning tasks super easy.
1. Create a Spring Clean Checklist
There’s no point trying to do everything at once. The best way to approach a spring cleaning is to break down all the cleaning tasks you have to do into small bite-size chunks that you can easily manage. Doing it systematically is the best approach because it means you can get things done around your other priorities. When a task is completed, you will have a sense of satisfaction to motivate you to move on to other tasks. Before you know it, you’ve tackled your entire list!
Begin by creating a checklist of all the things you need to clean in the home. To make things even easier for you, we have created a list for you! Simply download our free Calibre Cleaning Spring Cleaning List here.
2. Marie Kondo your home
Decluttering is the first step to spring cleaning. You can do this room by room to make the task easier.
To declutter, sort things out into three piles:
- Keep
- Throw
- Donate
For decluttering to work, you may have to be a little firm with yourself. Don’t hang on to that broken rice cooker just because it was the first rice cooker you bought in ‘uni days’. Likewise, clothes and shoes that don’t fit should go into the ‘Throw’ or ‘Donate’ bin no matter how much you love them.
Choose a good day to declutter if you are tackling the outdoors (for example, garage, tool shed, garden shed, veranda and so forth).
3. Dust before you clean
Spring cleaning is probably the best time to get on top of your dusting and removing the cobwebs from your ceiling and walls.
Here are some must-have dusting tools to make the task easier:
- Extendable lambswool or microfibre duster.
- Sabco Ultra Grab Flexible Duster. Ideal for hard to reach places like televisions, furniture, and vents.
- Morgan Cobweb Broom. Ideal for gutters, cornices, architraves, ceilings, and skirtings.
- Microfibre cloths. Microfibre is a brilliant material because it catches dust easily and is washable. To wash, simply throw in your washing machine and choose the hot water rinse. Do not use washing detergent on microfibre.
Read this for Tips on How To Minimise Dust Accumulation in the Bedroom
4. Wash your windows
Cleaning the windows in your home is not difficult if you know all the tricks. Here are some window cleaning hacks that will make your Spring Cleaning super easy.
- Clean the windows on a cloudy day. Here’s the secret: The absence of sunlight minimises the risk of streaks. This is because the heat from the sun, makes the window cleaner evaporates faster than you can wipe it resulting in streaks on the windows. On a cloudy day, you also do not have the glare of sunlight so you can see better.
- Vacuum your windows
If you only do a major spring clean once a year, chances are your windows would have collected a fair amount of dust and grime. The best way to remove this is to give your windowsill a good vacuum before you start wiping. If you start wiping without vacuuming away the dust first, you will end up with ugly black streaks that will take longer to remove.
- Clean outside your windows
Hose down the windows first to remove the top layer of dust and dirt. Close all the windows in the house and use your garden hose to give it a quick rinse.
- Clean inside your windows
Use a step ladder to reach higher places. If you have a screen, remove this and clean with soapy water. Clean the glass with a window cleaner or a solution made from equal parts white vinegar and water.
- Dry the glass
Use a microfibre cloth, clean coffee filters, newsprint, or flour-sack towel to dry the glass after you have cleaned it. You can also use a small squeegee with a sharp nick-free rubber blade. To find out how to use a squeegee like a pro read our article on window cleaning here.
5. Clean sliding door tracks
Sliding glass door tracks are easily overlooked in Spring Cleaning but trust us, you will love the squeaky, clean new look when you are having friends over for your summer BBQ. The best and easiest way to remove all those trapped dust and grime is an old toothbrush. Loosen the debris then vacuum away. Wipe with a clean wet sponge and dry. Simple!
6. Clean overlooked surfaces
Here are more easily overlooked surfaces to include in your spring cleaning:
- Door frames (top and sides)
- Skirting
- Switches
- Fans and vents
- Baseboards
Dust to remove surface dust and dirt first. Then wipe with a simple soapy solution made from warm water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Wipe dry for a clean polished finish.
7. Deep clean your carpets, rugs, and upholstery
You can hire equipment to steam clean your carpets, rugs, and upholstery but we recommend that you call a professional carpet cleaner instead. Carpets should be steam cleaned at least once a year. If you have a young child or a family member who suffers from respiratory illnesses and allergies, you may want to steam clean the carpets in your home at least once every six months.
8. Clean your furniture and appliances
Get help to move heavy pieces of furniture around and vacuum underneath. Move kitchen appliances away from walls and clean the walls behind. A dry microfibre cloth can lift most surface dust and dirt. Our blogs have a comprehensive step-by-step cleaning guide that will make it easy for you to clean all your kitchen appliances. Read our blogs here.
Looking to reupholster your furniture? Check this out!
9. Refresh your furniture
Bring the shine back to your leather furniture with an upholstery cleaner and conditioner. Use a suede brush to polish the leather. Wood furniture can be restored with a simple homemade cleaner and polish. Mix ½ tsp olive oil and ½ tsp vinegar (or lemon juice) in a plastic spray bottle. Spray onto wood and wipe down with a microfibre cloth.
10. Vacuum curtains
Curtains do not require heavy-duty cleaning unless they are stained or extremely dirty. Fix a brush attachment to your vacuum and use this to brush down dust and dirt from your curtains. Sheer curtains can be cleaned by putting them in a tumble drier on gentle speed.
11. Spring cleaning the inside of your home
Clean one room at a time to make your spring cleaning easier. Here is a list of what to clean in each room.
Bedroom
- Dust and clean doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and trimmings
- Rotate and turn mattresses
- Wash blankets and comforters
- Hang pillows out in the sun or send for professional cleaning
- Declutter the wardrobe
- Steam clean carpet and rugs
Kitchen
- Dust and clean doors, walls, ceilings, windows, kitchen cabinets and drawers
- Clean behind fridges and microwaves
- Clean oven
- Clean refrigerator and freezer
- Clean dishwasher
- Clean small appliances
- Discard expired spices and food
Bathroom
- Dust and clean doors, walls, windows, ceilings, and cabinets
- Dust and clean vents
- Clean the toilet bowl, sinks, shower stall and bathtub
- Declutter by throwing out empty bottles and jars
Living / Dining
- Dust and clean doors, walls, windows, ceilings, cabinets, and trimmings
- Steam clean carpet and rugs
- Clean and refresh furniture
- Declutter
12. Spring cleaning the exterior of your home
Ideally, your spring cleaning should also include the exterior of the home. Here are some exterior spring clean chores to consider:
- Power wash siding and exterior walls to spruce up your exterior and street appeal. If you are worried if your exterior walls can take the pressure of a power wash, hire a professional cleaner to do the job for you.
- Clean and repair the gutters. You will need a professional for this task.
- Declutter and clean out the garage, tool shed, garden shed or car porch
- Clean and repair outdoor furniture and patio.
- Wash pavement and driveway.
- Clean your garbage bins
13. Conduct an annual safety inspection
Check to ensure the batteries in your smoke detector are working. Consider investing in a fire extinguisher for the kitchen and garage.
A good spring clean is going to leave your home looking brand new again. With our simple to follow spring cleaning hacks, this task can be done in next to no time. The results are amazing! Happy Spring Cleaning!
Are you planning on hiring a professional cleaning company to handle your spring cleaning for you? Calibre Cleaning is available in various areas across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra. End of lease cleaning services are also available in the aforementioned areas, as well as Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, and Brisbane.