We
all love to walk into a home that looks and smells fresh and clean. There is a
great deal of evidence that a clean living environment improves both physical
and mental health, but many of us only skim the surface and don’t clean the
things that really matter. An annual deep clean can give us the motivation to
do the chores we forget or put off. It doesn’t even have to be spring.
Declutter
A
first, logical step is to get rid of things you no longer need. Having less
stuff in the house will make it far easier to clean the things you have left.
The trick is to be thorough and brutal. Take everything out of your cupboards
and wardrobes and make piles of things to keep, throw away, recycle, donate or
sell. You can make a surprising amount of money selling stuff you don’t need
at car boot sales or online, and taking things to charity shops lets you help
others as well as yourself.
Once you’ve got rid of everything, it can be useful to take as much of the furniture out as you can, too. The fewer things in the way, the better.
Once you’ve got rid of everything, it can be useful to take as much of the furniture out as you can, too. The fewer things in the way, the better.
Start
at the top
Spring cleaning means cleaning everything
in the house. A good way to go about it is to start at the top of the house
and work your way down, as well as starting at the top of each room. Get rid of
the cobwebs you’ve been meaning to have a go at for months, dust the tops of
cupboards and take down the lampshades. Wash windows and scrub skirting boards.
It is important to clean floors and carpets last, otherwise you will end up
with dust falling and spoiling your hard work.
Carpets,
curtains and upholstery
Carpets
and soft furnishings are especially important. They are often one of the last
things people think about, yet are known to trap germs, odours and allergens.
Smokers and people with pets or young children are especially advised to give
these things a deep clean at least once a year. Duvets, pillows, curtains and
cushion covers can often be washed or dry-cleaned, and carpet cleaning machines
are available which remove a surprising amount of dirt and grime. To eliminate
stains and odours, use a specialist product aimed at the offending substance.
General purpose cleaners often don’t work as well.
Hire
what you need
While
most of the cleaning can be done with products you already have, cleaning a
carpet properly requires a professional-quality machine. This does not
necessarily mean getting a professional company to do it, though, as it is much
cheaper and more rewarding to do it yourself. Some people could consider buying
a carpet cleaner, but for most people the best option is to rent. 9 out of
every 10 people in the UK live 10 minutes or less from a rental outlet - they
just don’t know it yet.
