As we approach spring, you’ve possibly started to think about doing a spot of spring cleaning in your home. Whether that’s a bigger job that you’ve been putting off for a while now or a number of quicker cleaning tasks, it can start to feel a bit overwhelming as we take a look around our home and put together our spring cleaning to-do list. But that’s where a good spring cleaning hack – or a few – can really come in handy.
So, if you’re planning on tackling a specific room or area, or thinking about breaking your cleaning up into smaller, more manageable chunks, these are the spring cleaning hacks that you need to know about.
You may have already ticked a few things off your cleaning calendar for the year, or maybe the brighter weather has inspired you to quite literally shake off the cobwebs, but keep reading to find out which cleaning hacks the experts recommend most, along with some of our favourite top tips.
1. Get rid of kitchen splashback grease
Let’s start with something which might be at the top of your kitchen spring cleaning checklist. Cleaning influencer, @HomeWithRoo, in collaboration with Marigold, has a great hack for ridding your kitchen splashbacks of grease and grime. ‘For ceramic, glass or porcelain splashbacks, spray with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and warm water,’ she explains.
But ‘whatever cleaning solution you use, it can really benefit from being left for five minutes, to reduce the work you need to put in.’ So, you can move onto another task or even make yourself a cup of tea while you wait.
Then, simply ‘wipe down with hot soapy water,’ and a microfibre cloth to have your kitchen splashbacks looking brand new again.
2. Unclog your shower head
‘Often overlooked during the regular bathroom cleans, our shower heads can be prone to blockages and build up of limescale from the consistent contact with hard water,’ outlines Nancy Emery, cleaning expert at Tap Warehouse and Drench.
‘To clean fixed shower heads, simply pour a solution of half distilled vinegar, half water into a plastic bag and fasten it over your shower head with an elastic band, making sure all of the holes are immersed in the liquid.'
'After an hour, remove the bag and run the shower on hot to flush the shower head through.’ And ‘for any clogged spray holes that are still blocked, you can use a needle to remove any lingering dirt,’ Nancy concludes.
You can follow a similar method with removable shower heads too.
3. Refresh your curtains
Chances are, your curtains could be in need of a bit of a refresh. If that’s the case, ‘a little trick you can try for removing smells is to create a homemade lemon and vinegar spray,’ recommends Gareth Coxall, creative director of fabric experts Terrys.
‘Mixing equal parts water, lemon juice and white vinegar together in a spray bottle, you can spritz your curtains to freshen them (and the room) up, without a chemical in sight. This will also deter any mould from growing on the curtains, providing you dry the fabric thoroughly post-spray,’ he adds.
And why not take advantage of the spring weather by allowing your curtains to air. You can either open the windows in the room, to let the fresh air in. Or, alternatively, you could take them outside to hang. Allowing your curtains to air can ‘prevent them from becoming musty and damp,’ Gareth concludes, with spring being a great time to freshen them up.
4. Polish copper cookware and pans with ketchup
We’ve all probably got a bottle of ketchup somewhere in our house. But did you know that it is a great option for cleaning copper cookware and pans? ‘You can actually buff up and bring back shine to your stylish copper cookware,’ with ketchup, Nancy reveals.
‘Apply the ketchup to a clean cloth and use circular motions to scrub the tarnished areas of your pots and pans.’ Once you wipe away, your copper cookware will look as good as new.
5. Remove ring marks with mayonnaise
Another handy condiment to have in your home, ‘mayonnaise works wonders to remove ring marks on wooden tables left from cups and glasses,’ says cleaning expert Nancy.
‘Squirt a pea size amount of mayonnaise onto a piece of kitchen roll or paper towel and place it onto the stain, applying a small amount of pressure. Leave the towel on the stain for 20 minutes before buffing the area with a clean cloth.’
6. Clean blinds with ease
You may have neglected cleaning or dusting your blinds as it can be quite tricky to properly get in between them at times. However, the experts have a couple of great hacks for this. One way is to ‘wrap microfibre cloths around the tongs of kitchen tongs and secure them with rubber bands,’ says Clean Living’s managing director, Sue Caldwell. Then ‘use them to clean both sides of your blinds at once.’
Or, another option is to grab an old sock – think how many odd socks you have that have lost their pair – and put it on your hand ‘to wipe down blinds, trapping dust as you go,’ suggests Penny Moyses, founder of the Clean & Tidy Home Show.
7. Declutter using the ‘ski-slope’ method
If you find it particularly difficult to part with items and get decluttering, there is a handy method which might help. The ‘ski-slope’ method of decluttering has you break down a room into sections, instead of feeling overwhelmed as you stare at a messy or cluttered space.
By ‘breaking down a room into separate zones, you can glide between one after the other, crisscrossing across the room to reach your end goal,’ according to the experts at method and Ecover. Having three distinct piles; ‘keep’, ‘dump’ or ‘donate’ can also make this spring cleaning task that bit less daunting, they say.
8. Get your mirrors looking gleaming
Our mirrors, particularly our bathroom mirrors, can end up caked in everything from toothpaste and hairspray, to smudges, watermarks and general grime.
‘To quickly remove this dirt, mix one-part of white vinegar to four-parts of water in a spray bottle, spray the solution onto the glass and wipe up and down or side to side with a microfibre cloth,’ advises Colm Lalor, commercial director at bathroom company nuie.
That vinegar solution ‘can actually prevent your mirror from steaming up while you shower,’ Nancy agrees. Just try not to polish the mirror in a circular pattern or return to areas that you’ve already wiped, as this can cause streaks.
9. Remove pet hair in seconds
It can be tough to keep a house clean with pets but one of our favourite hacks is an easy trick to get pet hair off upholstered furniture and carpets. Simply ‘put on a damp rubber glove and run your hand over the area,’ remarks Alison MacLean, head of marketing at St. Modwen Homes.
‘The hair will stick to the glove, making it easy to remove. Simply rinse the glove when needed and repeat until your carpets and furniture are totally hair-free.’
10. Add a fresh, spring scent while you mop
Whether you’re using one of the best mops or not, there’s an easy trick to make any room smell fresh and clean as you mop. Cleaning influencer @HomeWithRoo, while working with Vileda, recommends adding ‘a few drops of rosemary essential oil or slices of lemon to the water in your bucket.’
‘This trick will make your home smell lovely and fresh, without using any chemicals. Plus, rosemary essential oil has lots of other benefits too. It’s a natural antiseptic and has antimicrobial properties, it helps keep wooden floors in good condition and the smell deters pests like mice from entering your home.’
11. Disinfect sponges in the microwave
Sponges can easily become dirty and germ ridden, so give them a bit of a refresh by sprinkling over a small amount of lemon juice and then popping them in the microwave for two minutes.
The heat will nuke germs and you’ll be left with a fantastically fresh-smelling sponge. Do make sure your sponge is metal-free.
12. Make your home fragrant with cinnamon
Cinnamon has a heavenly scent that will make your home feel super homely and welcoming. And this trick is just so easy. Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on a small area of carpet or a rug, then hoover it up. Simple!
13. Scrub your bathtub with grapefruit
Now this is one environmentally friendly way to clean your bath. Cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle it with some salt and rub it around the bath. No harsh chemicals or strong-smelling products needed.
14. Use vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner
Vinegar is a good all-rounder and is excellent for everything from shifting limescale to cleaning windows or your fridge. To use it as a cleaner, mix it with equal parts of water. Don't use your best balsamic, though. White vinegar will do the job perfectly.
15. Love your lemons!
Lemons are a hero in the world of DIY cleaning products. The acid in them helps to remove dirt, limescale and rust, leaving everything pristine. Try lemon juice on taps and around their edges, where dirt builds up and can be hard to remove.
Lemons will also tackle stains on chopping boards - leave the juice for a while, then rinse. Another trick is to add lemon when steam cleaning a microwave. Fill a bowl with water and slices of lemon and cook in the microwave for five minutes. You'll be able to wipe away any built-in grease with ease afterwards.
16. Embrace bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda is super versatile and will clean almost anything. It works a treat on rust and is also great for cleaning your oven and fridge. A small bowl of it placed in the fridge will remove odours, too.
Fed up of a stinky bin? Sprinkle in some bi-carb to eliminate odours - add a couple of sheets of newspaper as well, as this will soak up any leftover moisture.
Another great use is freshening up mattresses. Often neglected when it comes to cleaning, mattresses will also benefit from bicarbonate of soda. Simply sprinkle on, leave for at least an hour, then vacuum to reveal a super-clean bed.
17. Utilise the power of salt
Salt is great whenever you need to create a scrub. You can also mix it with hot water and pour it down the sink to keep things fragrant and flowing smoothly.
18. Bake off!
Cornflour is most commonly used for baking, but it will also clean your carpet if you spill something oily or greasy. Cover the stain for 20 minutes, then run the hoover over it. Get your silverware super bright, too, by using a mixture of cornflour and water.
19. Oil it up
Paint stuck on your hands? Use vegetable oil mixed with a little salt to gently scrub it off. Vegetable oil can also be used to polish wooden furniture - just mix two parts oil to one part lemon juice and buff with a cloth. Avoid your best antiques, though.
20. Organise your bed linen
Tired of searching for a matching set of bed linen? Make life easy for yourself by storing each set inside one of the pillowcases from that set. Everything will be so much easier to spot and it’ll save you lots of time.
21. Clean with cola
If you're out of bleach or are looking for a non-toxic trick to clean your loo, take a look in the drinks section of your supermarket! Cola has a mild acidity that will lift mineral marks and stains from your toilet bowl and pipes. A standard size should be enough to pour around the rim and into the bowl.
Make sure everything is coated by giving it a wipe around with a cloth and then wait approximately an hour for the cola to work. Finish with a couple of flushes to wash everything away.
22. Keep things tidy with cling film
This is an amazing little trick for keeping your fridge nice and clean. Line each shelf with a layer of sticky cling film and every week replace it with a new one. Any crumbs or spillages will be lifted and thrown away with the plastic. You can do the same with your grill pan and oven, using silver foil.
23. Decide what to give away
If part of your spring cleaning includes a bit of a declutter of your wardrobe, you might like to try this neat idea. Hang all your clothes with the hangers facing the wrong way round. When you wear something, turn the hanger the right way around. If you remember to do this each time, you’ll know what you are and aren’t wearing and what you can give to charity at the end of a certain time frame - say, a year.
24. Remember your dishwasher!
Dishwashers don't have to be restricted to cleaning just dishes! You've got a ready-made and easy-to-use sterilising machine under your nose in your kitchen, which can clean a multitude of household objects.
Fridge drawers, kids' grubby bath toys, oven shelves, microwave plates, dirty dustpans and brushes - even your summer flip-flops will get a deep clean in your dishwasher.
However, use your common sense and don't try to clean anything too delicate that might melt or disfigure. If you're washing anything metal, be sure to dry it thoroughly to prevent rusting.
25. Let bread be brilliant
We've all accidentally smashed a glass in the kitchen - mistakes happen. But did you know a handy slice of bread will pick up any tiny shards of glass from the floor that you may have missed with the dustpan and brush?
Simply use it like a sponge and the bread will act like a magnet and pick up the glass, then you could always wrap it in newspaper to safely discard it in the bin.
FAQs
What order should you do your spring cleaning in?
Even though you may be tempted to start with the easiest task – or conversely, the most untidy area – Rachael Kiss, Alliance Online’s Marketing Manager, recommends starting ‘with the messiest jobs first.’
‘You don’t want to have to keep redoing your jobs because you’ve made them messy again, so leave tasks like unloading the dishwasher, hoovering the floor and reorganising the fridge until last.’
How long should it take to spring clean your home?
No two homes are the same, so the time that it will take to spring clean your home will depend on a couple of things. Depending on the size of your space, how many people live in the home and how many items you have it can vary. But a proper spring clean could take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days, depending on your spring cleaning checklist.
‘A spring clean should be a thorough clean – we’re talking getting into every nook and cranny and moving your furniture so that your space feels truly fresh and clean, ready for the new season,’ says Olivia Young, cleaning expert from Astonish.
Hopefully these tricks will help you give your home a good spring clean without taking half the season!
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