Spring Cleaning Your Home

Spring is almost upon us which means it’s the perfect time to refresh your home for the sunnier days ahead. Whether it’s completely renovating your living space, replacing some soft furnishings or just adding some cheerful spring décor, there’s lots of ways to revamp and celebrate the changing of the seasons.

After spending lots of time shut up indoors during the cooler winter months it’s time to give your home some much needed love and attention. The perfect way to start is by opening windows and filling your house with fresh spring air.

Then you can start considering clearing some clutter from cupboards and under beds and maybe replacing any tired, old soft furnishings. Along with a freshen up inside, it’s also a good idea to ensure that the exterior of your home is maintained. It’s important to be properly prepared for the upcoming scorching sunshine and summer storms.

To keep things simple and organised you can start by compiling a list of what areas/rooms require some attention. Then you can put them in order of priority and add their associated costs and time frame for completion. From here you will be able to determine which projects are most important and which ones can be tackled first.

Some Ideas For Outdoor Sprucing…

Wash down the exterior of your home and check for any cracks that may need to be repaired. If you feel that a clean is not enough to give the outside a good spring makeover, then maybe you might consider a fresh lick of paint.

Giving all your windows (inside also) a good clean makes a huge difference. If it’s a job too big, then maybe hire a professional window cleaner to come out and do the job for you. You won’t believe how dirty the glass was until you see it freshly cleaned and sparkling.

Replace cracked or broken tiles that you may find and seal any worn window and door frames.

Grab a ladder and clear your guttering to ensure that any excess water can drain properly, but also to reduce fire hazards on the hot, dry days.

Remove any weeds and trim back overgrown plants and shrubs.

Create a herb garden and have a go at planting and growing some fresh, seasonal herbs that you can enjoy in your home cooked food.

Uncover and clean outdoor furniture so they are ready to use for family and friends.

The warm, summer months provide plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy your backyard. You can explore bigger makeover projects if you wish, or just stick to one or two of the above ideas. It really depends on the size of your outdoor space and how much time and effort you are prepared to put into the maintenance and upkeep.

What About Indoors? …Clear The Clutter

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I find myself pulling everything out of my pantry. And I usually discover food where the Use-By or Best Before dates have long passed?!

My space always feels lighter when my pantry has had a big overhaul and is re-organised. It feels good to sort through cupboards and drawers. Clear out any crockery, pots, pans, gadgets and appliances I no longer use.

The same goes for my wardrobe – although usually I’m not too happy about the weight gain since my last spring clean! And I always consider hanging on to my favourite pair of jeans (which I can no longer get into, let alone do up) “just in case”!

Clearing the clutter is a fantastic way to get your spring clean underway and will give you the space and inspiration to continue your efforts across the rest of your home. You could consider giving your unwanted items to a charity shop, or even hold a garage sale at home to make some extra dollars to put towards your spring makeover.

Clean And Dust!

Re-organise and dust bookshelves, cabinets and accessories. You will be amazed at how much dust these places accumulate.

Wipe down walls using a sponge with warm slightly-soapy water or sugar soap. Being careful not to soak them and have water running down onto flooring.

Clean or replace all filters such as water filter, dryer filter and oven range hood. These should be replaced at least every 3-6 months depending on the filter and the manufacturer instructions. The dryer vent should be cleaned more frequently as this can be a potential fire hazard.

Faucets and shower heads can be easily cleaned. Do so by unscrewing them and soaking them for 1 hour in equal parts white vinegar and water. Rinse with warm water after soaking.

Check smoke alarms and change batteries as necessary.

Decluttering, opening windows and a having a big thorough clean will keep mould and dust at bay. This will have you feeling fresh and ready for the summer months in no time.

Organising Your Rooms And Adding The Finishing Touches

Now that your home is clean and clutter free, you can start to organise your rooms to give them a fresh, new look. You may want to rearrange your furniture to have your space feel completely different. Or even move furniture into a completely different room.

If you want to have a full change and inject a whole new lease of life into a room or two, you could think about experimenting with a new wall colour. Or maybe select a fresh new carpet or rug. You could even consider adding a wallpaper to a wall or repaint some furniture.

Or maybe you would prefer just to change a few soft furnishings instead? Think about re-upholstering a tired old chair with a fabulously fun fabric or replacing your curtains and/or blinds?

Smaller but still noticeable changes would be to compliment your existing colours and furniture. Do this using some new spring accessories, such as cushions, throws and bedding.

You could also replace some photos and frames or re-frame some of your art. Fresh flowers, pot plants and candles are all lovely finishing touches that won’t break the bank.

However you choose to give your home a spring makeover just remember that it needn’t cost a lot of money. It’s important to make it feel like a place to relax and unwind. But also an enjoyable space to entertain family and friends.