Spring is here and the perfect time to refresh your rooms, declutter your home or give it a makeover. And if your own cleaning routine isn’t really making a huge difference, then you might need to clean smarter, not harder!
Luckily, I’ve called on the pros, to share their top spring cleaning hacks that will cut your time in half — easing the process.
From scheduling to what order they prefer to spring clean in, here are some top tips and tricks to tackle our chores.
1. Use a laundry basket to pick up clutter
Before you even think about spring cleaning, you’ll need to declutter your home first. But rather than spending time tidying as you go around the house, there is a way to make this easier.
Make sure to thoroughly declutter first before you even think about breaking out the cleaning supplies!
“My favorite trick when tackling this would be to grab a laundry basket and walk around the house collecting everything that needs to be put back in its place,” says Rosa Picosa, Fabuloso Cleaning Expert.
“This strategy keeps things easy and mobile, so I can quickly walk around and place things back in their homes. From there, I can get to cleaning. Make sure to thoroughly declutter first before you even think about breaking out the cleaning supplies!”
2. Stick to a ‘zone cleaning’ schedule
Another common cleaning mistake we make is to spring clean the entire house at once. This manic rush to clean every room can actually prevent us from zoning in on areas properly, and we can easily get distracted.
Experts recommend sectioning your home into “zones”, and allocate specific days to clean each room/area. This way, the task is more manageable and more importantly, less stressful!
I section my home into zones and schedule days to clean each one
“The easiest way to create a game plan for me, is to use a zone cleaning schedule,” agrees Picosa. “To do this, I section my home into zones and schedule days to clean each one, rather than trying to clean everything all at once, in one day. For example, the kitchen is a zone. So, I make sure to set my timer and get everything I can done in order of necessity – dishes will always be my biggest priority as they seem to consistently pile up.
During these zone cleans, if tasks like cleaning the microwave or wiping down the inside of the fridge need to be skipped, so be it. Those tasks can be put back in the rotation to be prioritized the next time you clean this zone.”
3. Set your timer for 5-minute slots
I like to set a 10 to 25-minute timer and move as fast as I can to get through each zone
If you don’t have time to tackle a room, another professional tip is to divide your cleaning time into 5 or 15-minute sessions. According to Lynsey Crombie, aka the Queen of Clean, you should do 5 minutes of cleaning in at least three rooms, at one time.
Otherwise known as her 15-minute cleaning method, the idea is to do this twice a day, to keep things clean and manageable. “Just 15 minutes of housework. Do one chunk in the morning and one in the evening, and you will find this will really keep you on top.”
Similarly, having a timer can help set boundaries and prioritize areas. “I like to set a 10 to 25-minute timer and move as fast as I can to get through each zone,” adds Picosa.
“I’m not doing a white-glove clean; I’m doing my best in the time that I have and then moving on. This helps to set boundaries and manage which areas are actually a priority, which can make a huge difference in how I view cleaning routines.”
4. Always clean from top to bottom
Do you dust your surfaces first? Or vacuum with one of the best vacuum cleaners first? If you do the latter, you’ve been cleaning all wrong!
According to experts, we should always clean from the top to the bottom — to avoid creating more dust that will settle on our floors.
“Practically speaking, to keep cleaning easier I always start from the top to the bottom to ensure each area is staying clean throughout the process,” adds Picosa. “For example, when cleaning my kitchen, I start by cleaning any upper cabinets or appliances like a microwave, then move to the counters and lower cabinets, before getting to the floors.
"Nothing drives me crazier than seeing the dust from my upper cabinets hit the counters right after I’ve cleaned them!”
This is a great tip if you want to reduce dust in your home — and the last thing you want is to double your cleaning time!
5. Ditch the feather duster for a microfiber cloth
Feather dusters might be known to get rid of dust, but these are actually counter-productive. Instead of removing, it only shifts dust around or throws particles back into the air — defeating the whole process!
Experts suggest opting for microfiber cloths to wipe down dusty surfaces more effectively. Such cloths are designed to quickly grab dirt/dust as the particles will stick to the static material much better than a regular cloth.
And since dust can be found practically everywhere around the home, it’s vital that cleaning should be done regularly.
“While it’s not everyone’s favourite task, dusting should be carried out at least once every two weeks,if not weekly” advises David Chapman, founder of Ultimate Mats. “This is especially true if you have pets in the home, as this helps to reduce mild sickness and allergies.”
Interestingly, these handy cloths are versatile and there are so many ways a microfiber cloth can be used around the home.
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