This is the blog for the busy ones – the household where everyone is everywhere, juggling jobs, extracurricular responsibilities, side hustles, schoolwork and many other responsibilities simultaneously. You wish you had the time for a deep spring clean or even the budget to commission one, but you don’t! Don’t be hard on yourself.  There are simple quickie Spring Clean hacks to make you feel a little better and less guilty as the days get longer, the sun shines brighter, and the dust becomes much more apparent… Look at our ‘Spring Clean Cheat Sheet’ filled with quickie hacks to refresh your home AND your mood.  

Let the Right Light In

…Through Cleaner Windows

Tricky if you’re worried about showing up all that accumulated dust, but it’s essential if you want to feel better. Natural light is good for you, but more importantly, clean your windows to let all the sunshine in. A simple once-over with white vinegar in a spray bottle or a decent stash of window lean will do wonders. It will improve the way your home looks from the outside. It will also make you feel less dust-ridden when gazing out from the inside.  

And Those Household Mirrors

The same goes for all your mirrored surfaces. Give the once over to all those mirrors you will be looking into. Whether it’s the overmantle mirror, the one on the bathroom cabinets, the glassy shower dividers or bedroom dressing tables, give your reflective surfaces some love. Not having to view yet another smudge reflected should psychologically help you feel a little lighter and cleaner with every glance!  

Freshen up the Air

We all know the sheer joy of that fresh, clean smell from a newly cleaned home. But, until you have the time and means to do a proper deep clean, some things can help you achieve that fresh smell sensation.  

Bring Back Brighter Bed Sheets

It’s a simple change, but it helps. For example, change your bedding or invest in new white, cream, or light-coloured bed sheets and bed covers to give your bedroom an airy, bright feel. Pop them into the laundry with a few decent drops of tea tree or any other Fresh smelling essential oils to give yourself an extra dollop of freshness. There’s nothing like crisp white pillowcases – a quick visual sensory trick to give your bedroom a more spacious feel.  

And Do The Same To All Soft Furnishings

If you can, do this simple changeover to all your cushion covers and soft furnishings.

• Change over your sofa throws to lighter-coloured ones, and change your cushion covers to something brighter
• Give them a quick light spray of diluted essential oils for good measure
• Go with some sheer white or pastel curtains if you have them stored away
• Change your tablecloths and tea towels to lighter, brighter ones too

 

Don’t Forget Your Hallway

Another quick way to psyche yourself and your visitors into feeling spring-like when entering your home are to freshen up that first entrance.  

Add Flowers

The simple act of adding some potted spring blooms will make all the difference. A simple pot of seasonal hyacinths will greet your entrance with a fresh scent every time you step through that doorway. Prefer flowers in a Vase? Then aim for the lilies, and they’ll greet your visitor with a pop of fragrance.  

Make Do with a New Doormat

A new fresh doormat to replace the old winter-beaten one might do the trick. It will also do a better job of blocking more muck from entering your home.  

Pack Away Muddy Winter Gear

As the weather gets drier, do this.

• Get all that muddy winter gear like the wellies out of sight
• Removing old soggy garments such as parkas, heavy winter coats, or damp raincoats for dry cleaning will also help
• Pop those well-worn smelly scarves and hats into the wash

 

Ready For Your Shelfie?

The simple act of tidying up your shelves and rearranging books and ornaments will do wonders. Remove any accumulating clutter on your shelves and tuck them away into cabinets if you have to.  

Duster Once Over

Do it with the additional support of a decent portable duster or fine-nozzled hoover extension. A quick swipe in and around should leave you feeling way more virtuous, just knowing the bookshelves are in order and the dust no longer piling up.  

A Quick Kitchen Pantry Purge

Give your kitchen pantry shelves a once over too. Remove those accumulated bits of food scraps and leftover packaging. Get rid of the dangerously out-of-date foodstuff. If you have too much of one thing, consider bringing unused food to the food bank for immediate distribution if close to its use-by date. You have more room to restock with fresh food and your spring and summer favourites. Do the same with your fridge.  

Get Something Green Growing Again

Houseplants, The Long Term Air Freshener

That’s right! Get those plant pots filled with new houseplants to give the house a bit of a lift and some fresh colour. Don’t forget plants are proven to help you purify the air. They also have the psychological effect of enhancing your mood and sense of well-being. Nowhere does this help more than in the bathroom. Find a houseplant that will love the humidity, and voila! You will have a happy new symbiotic relationship with this organic air freshener! A few little pots of herbs in the kitchen sill will also leave you feeling a little more spring-like and a little less dour and wintery.  

Green Growth You DON’T Want

There is the other green stuff, though. The mould and mildew build up in damp corners. We made you a simple guide: Mould and Mildew Removal and Prevention Tips for your Home  

Get Rid of the Winter Debris Outside

Do away with all those old fallen leaves and twigs. Time to remove as much of the dead stuff in your backyard and front garden just so that the view itself isn’t a downer. We even have a few garden-clearing tips in our seasonal blogs should you feel ready to invest a bit more time and some elbow grease outside. Take a look at the following:

• How to Clean your Patio in Time for the Summer

 

Feeling Lighter Yet?

There you have it—simple, fast ways to give yourself a Spring clean quickie. Just writing about it made us feel a little lighter!