Top 10 Tips for Spring Cleaning and Decluttering!
Spring cleaning was a big deal in the days when we had to beat our carpets, black our doorsteps and run our laundry through the mangle.
Soot and dust would build up over winter with the use of fireplaces and ranges.
Nowadays we have robot vacuum cleaners and cleanrunning central heating. But it's still a lovely feeling that first day you can throw open all the windows and refresh the air inside your home.
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Sunshine also brings focus to the dust, window smudges and those little signs of wear and tear we may not have noticed in the gloomy days of winter.
Maybe you already follow one of the grand dames of cleaning and decluttering such as Mrs Hinch, or Marie Condo.
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If you're not already a convert, here are a few ways to tackle your home in those beautiful days of Spring.
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1.Create visual white space to allow calm and focus for yourself and the household.
Clear surfaces and knowing where everything ‘lives’ makes us feel in control of our home, and our lives. The spaces between books on your bookcases are perfect for beautiful ornaments, houseplants, or family photos.
2. With our homes are doing double duty as offices, classrooms and gyms, it's never been more important to compartmentalise and keep things out of sight.
If you can't avoid working in your bedroom, living room or kitchen, see if you can put your laptop and notebooks away in a drawer or cupboard when you've finished for the day..
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3.Our homes can often be surprisingly polluted spaces, accumulating very fine particles suspended in the air and sitting on surfaces. (It’s said that the inside of homes can have poorer quality air than outside).
Ventilate your rooms regularly, wedge the doors open and allow a through breeze to get the air recycled quickly.
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4. Indoor plants are such a boon for our physical and psychological well-being. Show them love not just with watering regularly, but also dust their leaves carefully, supporting with one hand. Or leave them outside in the light spring rain for a refresh.
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5. Don’t try and do it all at once. Choose 3 ‘hot spots’, one wardrobe or a small room. Set a timer on your phone for 25 minutes and some high energy dance music (or whatever makes you happy!) and create those piles - bin/recycle it, donate it, or sell it.
If you're donating we highly recommend freecyle, or your local charity shop. They will sometimes collect large items or donations. Selling is easy with Facebook marketplace (top tip, if you don't want your friends/family to see what you're selling you can tick a box to block them).
It's such a good feeling giving or selling something to someone and free-ing up space in your own home.
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6. Pace yourself. If you can, do your de-cluttering one day and your spring cleaning the next. Clean from top down, start with a feather duster or vacuum the coving, corners, ceiling lights, top of picture rails, door frames etc.
Clean the windows, hoover your curtains or blinds (very gently on low setting with the right attachment).
7. Vacuum your upholstery - sofa, chairs, mattresses and then get the white vinegar and lemon out to clean the hard surfaces to a sparkly shine.
8. Don't get distracted or side tracked. Now's not the time to pore over the old family albums. Get the rest of the family involved, (or send them out for a walk as appropriate). Get one room done and sit and enjoy it.
Then plan the next room. Pick a sunny, mild day again and don't forget the tunes!
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9. If you've recently downsized or have a lot of stuff to de-clutter, why not consider a house clearance company, or hire a small storage unit?
Cookes Storage Service is a premier provider of self storage services, providing a highly regarded storage service in Sutton Coldfield.
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10. Finally - make your home your sanctuary, but don’t stress yourself out in the process. Be kind to yourself and avoid overwhelm by planning your Spring clean now.
- 22nd March 2021
