Weâve all been there. Perhaps itâs after the winter or between seasons, or for no reason at all it suddenly crept up on you and without realising it, it took your mother in laws expression to tell you – itâs time for your home to get a good scrub!
If you fall into that category, then read on – weâve found some top hacks to get your little castle smelling like roses all over again.
First up – make a schedule and then, stick to it. Our parents were full of some really good stuff and the old âfailing to plan is planning to failâ is right up there. So when you know itâs time to your home a good once over, plan for it. Create a room by room plan and detail what youâd like your outcomes to be for each of those spaces and then go for it.
Then, do an inventory of all your cleaning supplies. This will help you determine if what you have is fit for your purpose and if you have the right quantities. It is also a good time to âgreen upâ your cleaning closet. Remember to dispose of out of date or expired products carefully and within the correct legal parameters.
As youâre working through the house, remember to start small and donât move onto the next room or task until the current one is completed and pay special attention to your gadgets, devices and TVs. If your TV screen is covered with fingerprints and smudges you can (gently) use coffee machine filters to wipe it down.
Sanitise and disinfect throughout your home, but certainly in your bathrooms and kitchens. In addition to the usual amount of cleaning that you (should) be doing in these areas, when itâs âspring cleaningâ or any season cleaning time, itâs well worth it to get stuck into grouts and the back ends of cupboards and closets and while youâre at itâŚ
Run some white vinegar through your dishwasher. This will give your dishwasher a good refresh and get rid of calcium build-ups and bad odours besides.
Your fireplace has had some time off for the summer, but winter is beckoning and so itâs a good time to make sure that your heart is hearty and your chimney clean and free of obstructions. This is probably one of those areas where you might want to get a professional in to do it for you.
Deep clean your upholstery. Nothing freshens up your living room than a solid deep clean of your upholstered furniture. It gives your furniture new life and has the bonus of looking and smelling great and if you have pets, itâs a real no brainer so get yourself some professional upholstery cleaning.
If youâre kicking it up a gear and getting ready for a home renovation, then there are some additional areas you need to pay some attention to. Get into your attic, basement and garage and make sure that youâve cast a glance to your woodwork, pipes and heating equipment too. If youâre going to be conducting major renovations, this is good pre-work.
Pet matters. If you have âinside petsâ that sleep on doggy beds or cat perches, then remember to take good care of them too. You can steam clean and deep clean these bits of pet inspired furniture and they will thank you for it.
âŚ.and while youâve got the steam cleaner out, remember to do your trash cans, your kitchen appliances, backsplashes and bathroom tiles. If these have not been done in a while, be prepared to look the other way. You can also turn the steam cleaner onto the inside of your freezer and refrigerator, once theyâve been unpacked and powered off.
When you get to your bedrooms, remember to clean your mattresses, headboards and that mysterious space underneath your bed. Your closets would love a deep clean too and you can finish these up with a deodorizer pod for lasting freshness and that instant âfeel goodâ ahhh moment every time you open your closet door.
Over time, especially if you have four-legged children or the two-legged variety in your home (include your husband in that), your walls are likely to take a bit of a hammering and may even be a little scuffed-up. You wonât always notice whatâs right in front of you all the time, so take some time to give your walls the once over and de-scuff them where necessary. If you live with a smoker who smokes inside your house youâll certainly want to give your walls a good scrubbing to work against stains from nicotine.
When itâs time to get stuck into your home, nothing feels better than the result and the reward centre? (aside from a squeaky clean home), is that you get to live in it, all over again.
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