Nothing beats the feeling of having completed a spring-clean and getting to enjoy your freshly cleaned and tidy home.
As the days start to get brighter, you’ll begin to see dust and dirt that went unnoticed during winter. While some look forward to a spring-clean and enjoy the process, others dread the thought.
We put together some tips for spring cleaning that will help you get started and more importantly, finished! (The first step is super easy!!)
Getting started can be the hardest part, but remember how good you will feel when it's done!
Told you this step was easy! Often windows have been mainly kept closed throughout the winter. The introduction of fresh air can be one of the easiest ways to spur your own motivation and get the process started.
De-cluttering before cleaning is really helpful! It means you have fewer obstacles in your way when you're cleaning. Also, it means your cleaning will be more efficient; you are less likely to spend hours looking at old photos, playing old cds and trying on clothes that haven't seen the light of day in 10 years. Enjoy the nostalgia and memories but get them out of the way before you clean!
I have personally found Marie Kondo's book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" very useful in providing an effective strategy for tackling clutter methodically, but of course there are lots of tips to be found online as well.
We often spend longer than we need to because we get distracted while cleaning. Maybe it's our phone, the TV, finding an old magazine under the bed (anything to distract from the task at hand).
Save time with a little planning. Prioritise the areas that need to be cleaned. Write a checklist for all the tasks that need to be completed in each area and decide how long it should take e.g. bedroom: change bedclothes, dust surfaces, vacuum, etc. 1 hour.
If you really want to motivate yourself, you could set a timer/alarm to let you know how you're going. If you need extra motivation, build in a tea/chocolate break, you may not even want to take it if you're progressing well.
After you've made your prioritised task-list, ensure you have everything you need for cleaning to hand. If vacuuming, ensure the vacuum bag isn't full. This will help you to keep going without unnecessary interruptions as you have everything to hand to get the job done as quickly as possible, leaving you more time to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
In our industry we get enquiries from people who have previously rented machines to clean their carpets or upholstery. However, they usually tell us they didn't realise how much time and effort would be involved in doing this as well as the additional cost of the cleaning products that had to be purchased. For not much more money, the job could be done by experts with top-of-the-range equipment with less hassle and in a fraction of the time, and, most importantly, with better, longer-lasting results. For certain tasks, getting the professionals in can be extremely worthwhile.
Aaghh...relax and celebrate that your spring clean is over for another year! (hammock optional....but highly recommended!!).
I hope these tips will be helpful for you! We'd love to hear any additional tips that you have found useful. If you wanted to share any tips that you find helpful for spring cleaning, please visit our Facebook Page and join the conversation there. And of course, if you need a quote for carpet, rug or upholstery cleaning, please get in touch on 01-8400799 or info@aqua-dry.com
Happy Cleaning!
Hannah
