The 7-Step Guide to a Successful Spring Clean

Spring is almost here! And with the arrival of the new season, it’s time to dust off those cobwebs, open those curtains again and embrace the longer days and shorter nights. We can’t get enough of the spring clean season here at MoveNow Properties, and if you’ve read our other guide on the best time of year to sell your home, then you’ll have discovered that spring is the prime time to get your house on the market. For those of you who are thinking of selling your home, or indeed for anyone who feels that their house is in need of sprucing up this season, then read our handy guide. We have all the tips that will have your house looking fresh in no time.

1. Declutter your home

One easy but effective way to remove excess clutter that might have built up over the Christmas period is do small but steady clear-outs. Whether it’s committing to a weekly target of binning/donating five items, or having a monthly zip round the house in the next couple of months to remove useless items, a regular declutter will stop your home from becoming filled with brick-a-brack that you don’t need. Especially useful if you’re planning on selling your home this year, when it comes to your possessions, less is certainly more. As designer and novelist William Morris once said:

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

With that in mind, you should be picking out items that you don’t use anymore, or any pieces that don’t fit the style of your home. It may seem ruthless, but if you haven’t used it in six months, then consider throwing it out or giving it to charity. This goes for clothing too!

2. Deep clean your carpets

Carpets are minefields of dust, dirt and general grime. After all, how many of you walk into your home and pad straight through the house? Attack your carpets with a powder that you can hoover up, or else use carpet shampoo and scrub the stubborn areas. If you don’t fancy getting down on your hands and knees with a scrubbing brush, then consider renting a carpet cleaning company. These guys can come in and use their machines until your old carpets look as good as new.

And if you’ve got a number of rugs dotted around your home, don’t forget about them. During your spring clean (and before you mop the floors), drag them outside and tackle any of your own unwanted stress by giving them a good beating. You’ll be amazed at the amount of hair, dust and crumbs come out of even the smallest of carpets!

3. Don’t neglect the garden

If you’ve been hiding away indoors for the past few months to avoid the cold weather, then now is the time to get back out in the garden and start tending to the plants and grass that may have struggled during the freezing temperatures. Zoopla recently did a study that revealed that more than a quarter of potential buyers would be put off by an overgrown garden, so if you’re planning on selling in the new year, get that lawnmower out! Start your outdoor spring clean by giving your entire garden a good trim, before focusing your attention on any plants you may have. You could even get your garden ready for those summer barbecues by planting a range of season-appropriate salads. Lettuce, carrots, broccoli and kale all do well when planted in spring, so make the most of the season whilst you can.

4. Eat the frog

For those of you who haven’t heard of the phrase ‘eat the frog’, it’s not some crazy New Year diet! It’s actually relating to procrastination. Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do every morning is to eat a live frog, then you can go through the rest of the day with the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve probably tackled the hardest challenge you could face that day. Now try to relate this to your spring clean. No doubt you’ve got a whole list of repairs and renovations that need doing. Rather than put them off for another year, tackle the hardest challenge first. As soon as that’s out of the way, you’ll soon realise that fixing that wobbly shelf/broken towel rail/dripping tap is probably not going to be as hard as you first thought. And you get the satisfaction once you’ve done it!

5. Wipe those walls

It’s all too easy to ignore those grease marks or tiny stains on the walls, but cleaning your paintwork is actually less complicated than you might think. In order to breathe some life back into your walls, it all depends on whether the paint used is oil-based or latex. For latex-painted interior walls, a few drops of dish detergent with water will be enough to do the trick. Wet a soft sponge in the mixture and wring it out dry to avoid any dripping lines of water. Then simply wipe away any dirt, rinse and repeat!

For oil-based paints, these are a little hardier, so you can also add a mild degreaser to your detergent mix. You’ll have to follow the package directions carefully, but a few scrubs of your walls can really brighten them up.

6. Let it breathe

One of the easiest steps you can do is to air your home! A good airing reduces allergens, germs and any mould-inducing particles throughout your house. Especially in your bedroom, it’s a good idea to take off any linens and expose your mattress to the elements. Only avoid this step if it’s raining!

7. Wash those windows

Whilst many of us have a window cleaner that tackles the outside of your windows, the interior glasswork also needs a scrub every once in a while. Remove and clean your window coverings first, before mixing one part hot water to one part distilled vinegar. Simply moisten the window with the solution, and then clean! Don’t do this if you’re in direct sunlight at the time, and be sure to rinse and dry the window frames immediately afterwards to avoid any damage.

And there you have it – a spring clean to be proud of. Whether or not you’re planning on selling your home this year, you can enjoy a house that is truly spick and span. If you need any help with your property, then get in touch with the experts. Our entire team are on hand to help with any questions you may have!