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Your home is your refuge in this crazy world and as tidy as you might be, dirt and grime settle in the atmosphere, onto every surface; of course, this happens at a gradual pace and as you are there every day, you don’t notice the dirt so much. The days turn into weeks, the weeks into months and while you mop the hard floors, vacuum the carpets, and wipe down surfaces, the interior takes on a jaded look.
The yearly spring clean
In Australia, the best months are September and October; a spring clean involves covering all heavy furniture and removing all ornaments and delicates, you will need a few old bedsheets for the furniture and flooring. This is also the time to order new quilt cover sets and pillowcases, which you can find online. A typical family home would take 2 days to completely clean from ceilings to floors, so book a long weekend and you can work at a leisurely pace.
Tools and equipment
The stuff you’ll need includes:
- Cleaning materials, buckets, cleaning solutions, dry and wet cloths.
- Range of soft brooms (long enough to dust the ceilings). Dustpan & brush.
- 4-inch paintbrush (for dusting tops of doors and hard-to-reach spots)
- Scrubbing brush for tile grout and porcelain cleaning.
- Pair of stepladders.
- Glass cleaner for windows and mirrors.
- Scouring pads for bathrooms and kitchen.
This would be an ideal time to get the entire family involved; delegate to the kids, and you could make them responsible for their rooms.
Deep cleaning
Start on the top floor and work one room at a time; remove all ornaments and small items, then cover the furniture with old bedsheets, open the windows and start dusting the ceiling, especially around light fittings, dust the room thoroughly then leave it for 15-20 minutes to allow the dust to settle, carefully remove the dustsheets and take them outside where they can be ruffled up to release the dust.
Carpets & curtains
Deep spring clean the carpets (online contractors) and dry clean the curtains for a thorough deep clean, rugs should also be deep cleaned. A carpet cleaning contractor can be in and out in a few hours and he needs to arrive when you have done most of the cleaning already.
Hard floors
Hardwood floors can be waxed and polished, while a mop and hot water effectively remove grease and grime, the water should be black when finished. Vinyl, for example, only requires a good mopping to maintain that new look.
Waste materials
You would be surprised at the rubbish a family can accumulate in a year, order a medium-sized skip, and use plastic bin liners to ferry the waste to the skip; check with the hire company regarding what you can put in the skip and what you cannot. Old digital devices that no longer work, broken-down appliances, and foam packaging are probably lurking somewhere!
We hope that your annual spring clean goes smoothly and that you enjoy the freshness of a sparkling home.