We've been holed up in our homes for hibernation in a pandemic winter... it's time to physically and mentally start fresh again and pretend we can salvage the rest of this year!

Preparing for the Spring Clean

1. Make up your mind to do it... sies

In order for your spring cleaning endeavors to be effective and at least a tiny bit fun, you need to prepare yourself mentally.  Focus on how wonderful it will feel to transition into spring with a fresh, clean, welcoming home and set a date that you can keep with your cleaning.  Mark it on the calendar, and commit to keeping that date.  You can plan a big braai the day afterwards to reward yourself. 

2. Make a list of all of the things you want to tackle

As you ponder how to prepare your home for spring cleaning, the priorities will dictate what gets moved where, what supplies you need purchase, and what you take on first.

3. Make sure you have necessary supplies

Fresh rubber gloves, plenty of cleaners, trash bags, and other supplies that you may need. Stock up on lightbulbs, drain clog remover, door hinge grease, and other small things you may find require fixing along the way!  Save yourself a trip, and just order online here... www.cleaninghub.co.za

4. Make space

In the days leading up to the Big Clean, make little steps toward decluttering.  Take out all of the recycling, put away all of your clothes, get rid of old food from the refrigerator, and so on.

On Cleaning Day... crank the music up

5. Save vacuuming and mopping for last

Start with dusting all of those hard-to-reach places.  Clean ceiling fans, the top of your refrigerator, the top of the TV stand, and light fixtures – whatever places you don’t typically clean on your average house cleaning day.  Since you haven’t vacuumed yet you don’t have to worry about getting dust on the floor.

6. Clean out appliances and cupboards

Similarly, clean out cabinets and the refrigerator early on.  Don’t forget to clean underneath and around the coils, where dust and grime can have an impact on your appliance’s efficiency.

7. Wipe down your walls

A winter of being closed in will likely mean your walls have accumulated more grime and dust than you think they would, being vertical surfaces.  As long as your paint can handle a washing, you can use a sponge mop to do the dirtiest work and dry your walls with a soft, clean cloth.  If you aren’t sure whether your paint can withstand washing, spot test it somewhere out of sight.

8. Wash carpets and upholstery

Especially if you have pets!  Fabrics may not show the grime yet, but over time it will set in and stain. Use a carpet cleaner and you will be amazed at just how dirty the water becomes.  Similarly, a small upholstery cleaner can be rented for a decent price and will do wonders for your sofas.  You won’t regret it – just be sure you arrange your schedule to leave enough time for it to dry.

9. Vacuum & Mop

Lastly, vacuum, mop, and vigorously sweep your outside entry stairway and walkway. Voila!

FINALLY...

10. Destash

To incentivise you to ruthlessly Mari-Kondo your stuff (i.e. if you haven't used it in a year and it doesn't spark joy, CHUCK IT) (except your spouse; that's illegal) consider selling it online on Facebook marketplace or similar.  A few extra thousand rand for furniture, appliances, or old toys can go straight into the holiday fund for post-pandemic relief. 

11. Plan ahead

Consider tackling a daily, weekly, monthly plan to stay on top of being organised and not gross.  Like so -