As the calendar turns to a new year, many of us find ourselves eager to make a fresh start – and what better way to do that than by giving our homes a thorough cleaning? Whether you’re tidying up, getting organized, or completely transforming your living space, this sense of accomplishment can boost your mood and set the tone for the year ahead.
Expert Tips for a Thorough Spring Clean
To help you tackle your cleaning tasks this year, we’ve enlisted the advice of Lynsey Crombie, a renowned home experts and bestselling author who also presents as the resident cleaning expert on ITV’s This Morning.
Decluttering: Start with a Clean Slate
According to Crombie, the best way to begin the new year is with a clean canvas. She advises getting rid of items you haven’t used in over a year and being brutally honest about what truly serves a purpose in your home.
Crombie recommends going digital where possible and opting to destroy paperwork rather than store it for extended periods. When decluttering becomes overwhelming, tackle the task in manageable sections and enlist the help of friends or family.
Choose one category in your wardrobe at a time—dresses one day, trousers the next—and spend approximately 10 minutes sorting through and deciding which items to keep. Once decluttering is complete, ensure you remove unwanted items from the house promptly. Donate to charity shops, recycle, or place a table outside to allow passersby to take what they need.
Deep Cleaning: Tackle Hard-to-Reach Spots
After taking down your holiday decorations, it’s time for a deep clean. Crombie believes in moving furniture, cleaning behind it, washing skirting boards, taking down and cleaning curtains and blinds, cleaning under beds, and thoroughly cleaning appliances like ovens.
Crombie notes that a sparkling clean home is the best way to welcome the New Year. Once your deep clean is complete, maintaining this cleanliness becomes much easier.
Build a Cleaning Caddy: Always Be Prepared
To stay on top of household chores, Crombie suggests keeping cleaning supplies readily available with the help of caddies. Place one or more caddies strategically throughout your home. Opt for multipurpose products and a variety of cleaning cloths and sponges.
Regularly check your cleaning supplies to ensure they are stocked properly.
Create a Cleaning Plan: Share Responsibilities
To maintain cleanliness throughout the year, create a cleaning schedule that assigns tasks to every household member. Even young children can contribute by putting their clothes in the laundry basket or making their beds in the morning.
Keep your cleaning plan visible to all and ensure it’s simple enough so that no one feels overwhelmed. Example tasks could include mopping floors on Mondays, deep cleaning bathrooms on Tuesdays, and washing windows and mirrors on Wednesdays. Designate every Thursday as “Throwaway Thursday” for disposing of garbage and Fridays for organizing the refrigerator.
Streamline Laundry: Maintain Order
If you live in a larger household, Crombie advises doing a load of laundry daily to keep up with family needs. Ensure everyone returns their dirty clothes to the laundry basket rather than leaving them in their rooms. Use color catchers if possible to save on additional washes by allowing multiple colors to be washed together.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Maximize Productivity
Make sure you understand how to use cleaning products effectively. Read the labels to determine the appropriate amount of time needed for each product to work before rinsing. Use this time to do other tasks like unloading the dishwasher or clearing the kitchen sink.
Clean the Appliances that Clean for You: Regular Maintenance
Regularly clean your vacuum cleaner and replace the filter when it’s full to ensure effective cleaning performance. Also, maintain the roller brush and clean the washing machine and dishwasher monthly, typically after 30 uses.
Dirty appliances like dishwashers won’t clean dishes properly, so it’s essential to keep them clean.
Start at the Top When Cleaning: Work Methodically
When cleaning a room, begin at the highest point, usually by addressing cobwebs and dusting high shelves and cabinets. Dust down walls, mirrors, and windows before moving to lower tasks like vacuuming and skirting board cleaning.
Adopt a No-Shoes Policy: Keep Dirt Outside
Encourage household members to remove shoes before entering your home to minimize dirt and dust. Place heavy-duty mats at entryways and provide shoe racks or baskets for storage. If you have a dog, establish a station with old towels so you can dry and wipe them before entering your home.
Squeegee Your Shower Screen: Save Time and Effort
To avoid scrubbing hard water and limescale from your shower screen, Crombie recommends using a squeegee after each use. If you don’t have a squeegee, hold a thick microfiber cloth to the screen and wipe away soap and water.
Be Realistic: Don’t Strive for Perfection
Crombie emphasizes that striving for perfection is unrealistic and unnecessary. Instead, focus on maintaining a clean and organized home rather than competing with others.
With these expert tips from Lynsey Crombie, you’ll be well on your way to creating a clean and welcoming home for the new year. Start small, and gradually work your way through these tasks to enjoy the benefits of a well-organized living space.
Share your tips and tricks for creating a clean, organized home this year! Comment below and let us know what works best for you. Subscribe to Archynetys for more practical advice and inspiration. Don’t forget to like, tweet, and connect with us on social media!
