5 brilliant tips for your spring clean
Hold on to your hats, everyone – spring is here! Which also means a perfect opportunity to get to grips with your home after a long winter. It's high time to clean, organise and do a thorough spring clean to clear out the old and prepare your home for a fresh new start before the warmer season.
Here are five tips to help you get started with your spring cleaning!
1. Make a plan
Before you start your spring cleaning, it's a good idea to make a plan. Write down everything that comes to mind – it makes it easier to keep track of what needs doing and what's been done. Divide up the rooms of your home with specific tasks for each room. As you go through the list and tick off each task, you'll feel more motivated and get a sense of progress. You can start this list today (we believe in you)!
2. Take the chance to declutter!
Did you know that the average Swede has unused items at home worth SEK 16,000? And a big spring clean is the perfect opportunity for a proper clear-out. Go through clothes you haven't worn for years, a piece of furniture you're tired of, old tech or jewellery. According to Blocket, the storage room is the best place to start if you want to sell things you don't use. Whatever can't be sold can be donated or recycled instead.
3. Spring cleaning checklist
To keep things simple, we've made a checklist of obvious and less obvious things to clean:
- Dust and clean open surfaces (shelves, pictures, mirrors, tables, countertops, kitchen cabinet doors)
- Clean closed spaces (drawers, pantry, wardrobe)
- Window cleaning (outside, between the panes and inside)
- Clean marble (read our article: How do you clean marble?)
- Clean rugs
- Wash curtains
- Wash sofa & armchair covers (read our article: How do you clean your sofa?)
- Wash blankets/throws
- Clean the dishwasher (read our article: How to clean your dishwasher)
- Clean floor drains
- Clean outdoor furniture
- Wash down the decking/balcony
- Recycling centre run (plan ahead if you need to borrow/rent a car)
- Declutter your stuff
- Make room in storage for the things you're not ready to part with
- Move winter clothes to storage
- Keep in mind: be careful when cleaning painted walls and wallpaper
4. Make sure you have the right cleaning equipment
Having the right tools makes the whole spring clean much easier and more efficient. It will help you save time and effort and make the job simpler.
Examples of cleaning equipment:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Mop & bucket
- Floor cleaner (check that it suits your type of floor)
- Cleaning cloths & sponges
- Cleaning spray (there are different types, e.g. all-purpose, tiles, kitchen, bathroom)
- Toilet cleaner
- Cleaning cloth/microfibre cloth for sensitive surfaces (e.g. marble, TVs & screens)
- Rubber gloves
- Bin bags
- Paper towels
- Window cleaner & squeegee
- Ladder (if you have high windows)
- Pressure washer (extra, but good if you're cleaning outdoors)
5. Get help from family and friends
Spring cleaning can be a time-consuming process, especially if you live in a large home. Get help from family and friends to make it more fun and efficient. Maybe someone who can be brutally honest about things you shouldn't keep in your wardrobe? Put on some music and do it together. By dividing up the tasks, you'll most likely get everything done faster too. How smart?
Bonus tip: Celebrate your success!
Perhaps the most important part, which mustn't be forgotten! Of course you should celebrate your success with a finished spring clean! Take time to enjoy your clean and organised home and reward yourself for all the hard work you've put in. It can be a simple reward like treating yourself to a nice dinner or a glass of your favourite wine, or something bigger like a trip or a new piece of furniture for your home. You deserve it!
