Spring cleaning can feel like a huge job but these small tasks are perfect for getting you started
As the late afternoon sun comes streaming through the kitchen and living room windows, you may smile and think about the wonderful long summer evenings ahead, barbeques in the garden and long walks on the beach.
Or you might notice how it highlights the dust on your appliances and the windows you haven’t cleaned in more time than you care to think about.
Hopefully, it’s the former because the truth is, a slightly messy home is a fact of life for most people and it shouldn’t be a reason to stop you from enjoying the fine weather. However, it is called ‘spring cleaning’ for a reason and if you’ve been putting your cleaning jobs on the long finger, we’re here to help.
If a big clearout of a room or deep-clean feels too daunting, try these small jobs that can be done in under ten minutes and will give you a major productivity high!
1. Doormats
The welcome mat outside your front door is the first thing people encounter before entering your home so it makes sense for it to look clean and inviting. To keep it free from mud and dirty footprints, hose it down fully and place it in the sun to airdry.
If you have an indoor mat, vacuum it on both sides to ensure it’s not holding onto any trapped dirt or crumbs that could be causing a smell or attracting mice.
2. Microwave
There are lots of ways to clean your microwave but our favourite is this hassle-free one that will be done in less than five minutes.
Put one cup of water in a bowl and add a few slices of lemon or orange to it. If you don’t have fruit handy, add a few drops of white or apple cider vinegar. Pop it in the microwave and turn the appliance on high for a few minutes until the front gets steamy. Remove the bowl and wipe down the inside and outside with a clean sponge.
Pic: Instagram/mrshinchhome
3. Kitchen sink
If you follow Mrs Hinch on Instagram, you’ll know that she’s a big fan of cleaning her sink at the end of the day and ‘putting her cloths to bed’. While we’re not suggesting you tuck your dish rags in every night, we do like the idea of adopting some of her methods to get your sink spotless and your kitchen smelling heavenly.
First, wipe down the sink and drying area with Cif or another cleaning spray. Pour a half cup of soda crystals down the sinkhole followed by a capful of Zoflora disinfectant. Leave it sit for 10 minutes before pouring a kettle full of boiling water over it and do one more wipe down of the area to leave your sink squeaky clean.
4. Bin
You might think that tending to the bins ends with emptying them regularly. And yes, if you do this, you will almost certainly keep on top of most bin-related smells or mess. However, it’s easy for bags to rip, food to spill or certain types of food (like fish) to linger longer than you’d like so here are a few simple things you can do to keep it fresh.
Take your food bin outside and hose it down every couple of weeks. Wipe down the inside with dish soap and a sponge and allow to airdry. For everyday maintenance, put two dryer sheets at the base of the bin to help mask smells and soak up any spills. To absorb unpleasant odours, try sprinkling some baking soda inside the bag before filling it with rubbish.
5. Walls and doors
You might be wondering how it’s possible to clean the walls and doors of your house in under ten minutes but hear us out. We’re not talking about all of them, just the ones that get the most traffic or that guests to your house will see on a regular basis.
Simply take a damp microfibre cloth or mop and run it over grubby doorknobs or greasy fingerprints on your walls. If you have time left over, you can do the same on your kitchen cabinets to get rid of any food spatters or spills from cooking. However, this is just a quick fix and removing baked-in kitchen grime (a mix of grease and dust) will require more time and stronger cleaning agents.
