Spring Cleaning is coming: 5 steps to deep clean for a fresh home!

Well known as a the season for a new start, Spring is a good opportunity for us to clean our homes and get them fresh for another year. We feel inspired to have clean a home, get rid of the dust and make it shine again. But what exactly does spring cleaning really mean? What sets it apart from ordinary cleaning? And what things do you need to consider to do it right?

Helpling.ae, the leading online platform for booking cleaners, in the UAE, brings tips from their cleaning expert and former 5 star hotels house manager, Roxanna Pelka. Roxana gives us 5 steps and insider tricks for the perfect Spring Clean.

Spring Cleaning, time to clean up every corner!

The difference between Spring Cleaning and regular cleaning is attention to details and concentrating on places you don’t usually clean, so it needs more time and you should plan it step by step. Our suggestion is start with the bathroom, make your way through the kitchen and then living- and bedrooms. At the end, the final touch is wiping the floor and cleaning the windows.

Step 1: your cleaning mission starts in the bathroom
As bathtub, toilet and tap need the longest time to be cleaned, we suggest starting the cleaning in your bathroom. While you leave the mentioned surfaces soaking with products (30 to 60 minutes depending on how dirty they are), you can do other tasks in the meantime, e.g. remove spots of mold in the bathroom using a dip a cotton bud in tea tree oil.

Also don’t forget to remove the lime, spray an anti-lime detergent on all places where calcium can be (bathroom tiles, douchekop- and hose faucets, toilet bowl) and let it rest 30 minutes. Then rinse with water and polish with a cloth after you finish.

Step 2: the path to a brighter kitchen
Spring Cleaning in your kitchen can’t be complete without considering the fridge. First start throwing away all of the groceries that are out of date. Following this, sterilize surfaces (including walls) with a cloth, wetted with vinegar-based cleaner. And also consider defrosting the freezer: bacteria only cease when it's cold, but they don’t die! Clear out and turn off the gadget/device cover the box with towels, close it and let it defrost overnight. The next morning you can wipe the freezer (as you did with the fridge before) and get rid of all the germs and bacteria.

For the other areas of the kitchen, wipe underneath cupboards and clean out sink u-bends up to even the highest cupboard. Keep in mind one golden rule: always clean from top to bottom to avoid rework.

Step 3: feeling cozy in a tidy living room
Pillows, books and carpets are the preferred surrounding of dust. Before starting with your cleaning tour, try finding the dust-hot-spot: beat carpets (outside), move furniture, vacuum and wash pillowcases and curtains and wipe over books, heater and lampshades with an antistatic duster. 

Look for the hidden places: door and window handles, light switches and remote controls are often covered by greasing. Wipe them with a rag dipped in vinegar to kill all germs and let things shine in a new light.

Step 4: last but not least, the bedroom
We expect our bed to be warm, cozy and soft. What most of us don’t know: there are over 1.5 million mites sleeping in your mattress every night – and we feed them with flakes of our dead skin. Time to turn our mattress! That should be done every two weeks. Make use of the spring cleaning season, air out and vacuum off your mattress. Don’t forget to vacuum under your bed and around the baseboard as well.

Step 5: let the floors and windows shine!
Get ready for the final sprint! Before cleaning floor and windows, vacuum and air your flat. Wet a swap with cold neutral cleaner to clean wooden floors and laminate.

When cleaning your windows, the weather plays an essential role. If it’s sunny the water evaporates and can leaves streaks. To avoid this you have to be very fast squeegeeing the washing liquid. Our tip: mix 1-2 caps of cleaning alcohol with lukewarm water. Put the mixture onto a cloth and wipe the glass with it. Then remove the remaining water, in one go, from top to bottom with a squeegee and polish quickly with a microfiber cloth or chamois after.

The after cleaning: the final touch
You made it! Just one last step to take - cleaning your cleaning equipment. Surprisingly, your washing machine can harbor some pretty nasty bacteria - think about it, it’s warm, damp and dark, the perfect place for mildew and other nasty stuff to be. With this in mind, why not sterilize your cleaning equipment along with your washing machine? Put your micro fibre cloths, mop heads, sponges you name it into a short, hot cycle (60°)  with a cup of vinegar thrown in as well. This should finish off any nasties that may be still hanging around.