Spring cleaning is a long-standing tradition that’s become symbolic of the transition from winter into spring. Essentially cleaning out the crumbs of winter to make way for the spring’s new life and warmer weather, people have been rolling up their sleeves in March and April for hundreds of years — and now it’s your turn.
If you’re looking to participate in this squeaky-clean tradition and bring your home into the new season, consider this your guide. From natural cleaning hacks to tasteful design choices that scream “spring has sprung!”, read on to learn the best spring cleaning tips for your home.
Decluttering
Firstly, you can’t clean in chaos. Pick a good-weather day and empty out all of your belongings; spread it out on the lawn if you’ve got the space. Moving from the top of your house to the bottom with black sacks and boxes, gathering anything that’s out of place, unused, or — in a Marie Kondo kind of way — doesn’t spark “spring-like joy” for you.
This might take you more than an afternoon, and that’s ok – you can declutter a little every day if that works better. Once you’ve gathered your mountain of clutter, get organised. Split your goods into:
- Things to be thrown away
- Things to be recycled
- Things to donate
- Things to sell
After you’ve done that (provided you’ve still got the energy), drop your donations off at the local thrift shop and upload pictures of your items online. Websites like Vinted, Ebay, and Depop make it incredibly easy to sell things fast.
At this stage, you should have a clearer view on what you’ll instate into your home and what no longer has a place.
Clean Inside Your Appliances
Now we’ve reached the cleaning phase, it’s time to get serious. It almost goes without saying that you’ll need to hoover and dust all over – especially the spots that were previously covered by furniture. But let’s peek at the trickier cleaning jobs that always get overlooked – we’re talking about appliances.
The insides of our white goods are much dirtier than we think — especially our fridges and microwaves. So, here are some detailed steps to get them as clean inside as they are outside.
- Fridge – Remove all food before taking out the shelves and drawers. Either pop these in the dishwasher for a quick rinse or clean them in warm, soapy water. Take a cloth and wipe down the bare fridge, removing any food residue and pooling water too.
- Microwave – Aside from simply wiping down the inside, you can also try microwaving a bowl of water that includes a little vinegar, a few drops of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of baking soda for 2-5 minutes. The combination of these natural cleaning ingredients and the hot steam will leave your microwave glistening.
- Airfryer – Remove the baskets or trays (as well as any silicone or plastic inserts) and give everything a good soak in hot soapy water for 30 minutes before gently scrubbing away any leftover food residue.
- Oven – To clean your oven glass, you can use a specialist cleaner or simply cook some orange or lemon slices on a low heat for 5 hours. With this method, the dark grease on the over door drips straight off, so be sure to place a dish or kitchen roll on the floor under the door to catch any residue. As for the shelves, these can be popped in the dishwasher or cleaned using a specialist kit.
- Dishwasher – Often forgotten as the thing that cleans things, you can freshen up your dishwasher by running it on a hot water cycle without detergent and placing a bowl (dishwasher-safe) of white vinegar on the top rack.
Soft Furnishings
When was the last time you cleaned your blankets, throws, or cushion covers? If you can’t remember, then they need to be bumped up to the top of your spring cleaning list.
As soft furnishings go – pillows, throws, rugs, curtains, couches – people are usually of the opinion that if they don’t look dirty, they aren’t dirty. Use the steps below to give your soft furnishings some TLC.
- Couch – Soak a microfiber cloth in dish soap and water and tie it around a pan lid. This gives you a handy gadget for gently scrubbing your flat couch, giving it a much-needed refresh.
- Pillows – It might seem like extra work, but removing your pillow covers and washing them (according to their labels) will make a world of difference to your bedroom or living room.
- Rugs – If you don’t own a wet vacuum, borrow one from a friend or rent one online. Soon, you’ll be hoovering up more dirty water than seems possible from your rug. Another option is to hand scrub the rug and leave it outdoors in a sunny spot to dry, but this takes time and effort.
- Curtains – if a full clean isn’t on the cards, wipe them gently with a wet cloth and spray them with some fabric refresher to remove any musty smells.
Faucets, Showerheads & Shiny Things
If you’re trying to dazzle your guests when they use your restrooms, polishing your silver is the place to start. The bathroom is often avoided because there are so many places for grime, smudges, and smears to build up! But, pop some headphones in, stick a good playlist on, follow the steps below, and you’ll have your restroom sparkling like a disco ball in no time.
Step 1: Remove all products from your sink, shower, and bath. Put them on your bath mat and lift them out of the way.
Step 2: If possible, remove your shower head and soak it in a bag of distilled white vinegar and water for 30 minutes. Use a toothbrush to scrub away any stubborn limescale from the holes before replacing and wiping down.
Step 3: For faucets, spray some vinegar onto the underneath where the water comes out and give it a sharp scrub with a toothbrush. Once clean, polish the silver parts (you can use the soft side of a lemon peel for this — it works wonders!)
Step 4: Using a dust cloth, spray window cleaner onto your shower door and windows, making sure it doesn’t drip onto the floor below), and wipe in quick, circular motions until the streaks vanish.
Step 5: Unscrew your plugs from the sink and shower or bath tray, pour high-strength bleach or drain cleaner to ensure you have clear water drainage, while eliminating any bad smells coming from them.
Step 6: Time to add the finishing touches – use a vinegar spray on your bathroom mirror to remove any water stains and toothpaste residue. Now every surface should be gleaming!
Try Natural Alternatives
Has all that cleaning made your home smell like a science lab? There’s a surprising amount of harsh chemicals on the ingredients list for most household cleaning products — but it doesn’t have to be that way. If the smell of bleach and stain remover has got your eyes watering, here are some natural alternatives to cleaning products that you might want to try:
- Baking soda. When mixed with a little water, baking soda (or baking powder) forms a glue-like paste that’s perfect for rubbing into your tile grout with a toothbrush and lifting stubborn stains. This miracle pantry item also works to whiten the rubber on sneakers and can remove stains and grease from surfaces like stainless steel fridge doors.
- (Distilled white) vinegar. This is perfect for descaling your kettle or making your own counter-top spray by diluting with some water and dish soap and adding into a spray bottle. Vinegar can also be placed into a plastic bag and tied over faucets and showerheads to dissolve limescale and scum.
- Coconut oil. This can be used to give your wooden chopping boards a new lease of life and prevent cracking.
- Coffee. To prevent any foul odours from stinking up your fridge, simply place some coffee grounds in a bowl on one of your fridge shelves to act as a natural deodorizer.
“Luften” or “Airing Everything Out”
It’s tempting (and quite common) to go months over the winter without opening your windows. And, as nice as it is to keep the heat in, by the end of February, your home may well be feeling more than a bit stuffy.
Once you’ve started ‘the big clean’, make an effort to go into every room and open all windows. Leaving them open for a good few hours while you finish cleaning is ideal for flushing out stale air and drawing fresh air into your home.
This is actually a German practice known as “lüften” meaning “to air out” and is done morning and evening by some households.
Repairs & Odd Jobs
While you’re enjoying all that fresh air, now is the perfect time to tackle those jobs you’ve been putting off since last year. But, if you want your home to be fully ready for spring (and your garden to be somewhat usable), try the following tips.
- Clear away any fallen leaves and debris from your pathways or driveway. Some litter may have blown in, too, so recycle it if possible.
- Do a scan of each room and make a note of anything that needs a fix – for example, that blown bulb in the kitchen downlights or the pulley on the bathroom light. Work your way around the house and take time to fix what you can.
- Don’t neglect the hallways, corridors, and places like the greenhouse or garden shed (if you have them). Clean these as best you can and remove any loitering clutter. For corridors especially, take note of any scuff marks or chips in the paint for our next tip.
A Lick of Fresh Paint
While the actual cleaning may only take an afternoon, “spring cleaning” is not just limited to scrubbing floors — it also extends to the general practice of preparing your home for a new season. And, what better way than to prepare for spring’s arrival, than by freshening up your walls with a lick of paint?
Make a note of any walls or skirting board that has succumbed to the general wear and tear of the home over the winter months and needs a new fresh coat. This might look like scuffs, wear marks from door handles, or just “artwork” from toddlers let loose with crayons. Whatever it is, get yourself a matching sample tin and smarten up any patches.
You may want to repaint a wall entirely, changing colour palettes and opting for more spring-like colours such as sage greens, pastels, brighter whites, and baby blues. We’ll leave that up to you.
Seasonal Decor
Another way to freshen up your walls is to consider adding spring-themed seasonal decor. Here at Displate, we know first-hand the impact that a well-placed poster can have on a room.
With that being said, as a finishing touch to your spring clean (before you light the candles and put on some jazz), try adding a few posters from Displate’s collections. From nature prints and florals to designs specifically themed around spring and the new season, we can help.
While you decide, take a look around our Displate blog for more style guides and decor tips to keep up to date with.
