29 spring cleaning and decluttering tips room-by-room

It’s spring cleaning time! Let’s face it – nothing feels better than a refreshed household. Spring cleaning will help regain order in your home, leave your spaces fresh and clean, and boost your mood. It will also make you feel happy and excited to spend more of your free time in these areas. Plus, having less clutter and more organisation in these spaces will ignite a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and overall, it is likely to enhance productivity in day-to-day life.

Spring cleaning: Where do I start?

The act of spring cleaning does not have to be a chore and can be done in a multitude of different ways. Whether you need to break down the process and allocate one room per day, rewarding yourself with a drink or treat at the end of the clean, or getting the whole family involved to share the workload are all great ways to make it an easier task. Another fantastic way to make the process more enjoyable is by pumping your favourite tunes or playing a podcast in the background to make it a more therapeutic and fun time.

No matter how you choose to approach the spring-cleaning adventure, the following room-by-room checklists will help you to plan your big clean systematically and efficiently. So, follow our top tips for each area of your household to get them sparkling clean and tidy. Enjoy and say hello to your refreshed home!

 

7 TIPS FOR YOUR KITCHEN

                                                 

1. Start with your cabinets and drawers. Remove all the items and use a wet cloth to wipe down all surfaces, paying particular attention to handles, hinges, and any surface ridges that form design details. Rinse the doors and sideboards promptly with a soft cloth and warm water, then wipe up the remaining moisture with another dry, soft cloth.

 

2. Don’t forget about your gadgets drawer. Check the functionality of all your gadgets and throw out those kitchen tools that are broken or don’t work properly. If you are looking to update your gadgets, look no further. ClickClack’s award-winning gadget range is sturdy, durable and built to last.

 

3. Clear out your pantry by first checking all expiry dates, throwing out expired items and wiping down the shelves. The spring clean is a great opportunity to stack your dry goods in some of our fantastic kitchenware from the pantry range. This will add some structure and provide some neat order. Read our ‘Pantry Organisation 101’ article on how to get your pantry insta-worthy in five simple steps.

 

4. Bring order to your food storage container arrangement. We suggest going through all those containers and seeing if they are still intact and have a matching lid. Give them all a good clean and stack them neatly in the cupboard for easy access when you are in a hurry. If you need to stock up on airtight, good quality containers, our Daily Range has you covered. Plus, they come in three different colours too. So cute!

 

5. Wipe down your fridge’s interior and wash door shelves with warm soapy water to eliminate bacteria and spillages. You can even organise your condiments and other items by food category, e.g. spreads and sauces. Ensure you throw out any expired products, or ones that you simply don’t use. A step-by-step fridge organisation guide can be found here.

 

6. Tackle your oven. If you have one, use the self-cleaning function to banish stubbornly baked-on grime. Alternatively, you can place a very hot wet cloth on burned spots to help rid of hard to clean patches. To finish off, scrub the oven with a sprinkle of baking powder. Wipe the oven and then dry accordingly.

 

7. Next up are your chopping boards! These can be super hard to clean, so running the cut side of a lemon back and forth over the boards will help to properly clean and remove stains. This will also prevent cross-contamination of foods.

 

 

6 TIPS FOR YOUR BATHROOM

 

1. Assess your bathroom towels to see if they are in good condition. For those towels that aren’t, use them as rags or donate them. With the good ones, try rolling them and placing them neatly in a cupboard for easy visibility.

 

2. Go through your cosmetics cabinet and toss all the make-up that is passed its expiry date (yes, make-up has an expiry date too)! This will ensure you are not taking up more space than you need. Try purchasing a plastic divider/organiser to separate makeup and cosmetics, so everything has its place.

 

3. Wash your make-up brushes (and please, not only once a year)! This is one of the most important but forgotten tips. The truth is that you should clean your brushes once every two weeks, so the spring clean is a great opportunity to start this habit. Use some baby shampoo or makeup brush remover that you can buy from beauty stores to give them a good clean. Your skin will thank you!

 

4. Sift through all hair care products and skincare products and see what has expired or are out of date. Declutter the bathroom cupboard and donate those extra cans to a friend and throw out the empty ones. Only keep what you need!

 

5. Find all those loose hair accessories, scrunchies, hair ties, pins and store them together in one basket or storage container. Having all hair accessories in one place will make getting ready in the mornings a lot easier – particularly if you have kids.

 

6. Use a mop and disinfectant wipes to thoroughly mop the floors and eliminate any bacteria. Don’t forget to wipe down all surfaces as well. Use a spray and wipe to clean mirrors for a fresh feeling.

 

 

 

6 TIPS FOR YOUR BEDROOM

 

1. Declutter your floor and pick up anything that doesn’t have a ‘place’ and find a new home for it.

 

2. Wash and change all linen – especially pillowcases. According to health experts, you should change pillowcases every two weeks to limit the spreading of bacteria from your face. Again, this spring-cleaning session could be used to make a start on this habit.

 

3. Declutter your bedside table. It is very easy to let your bedside table accumulate dust and random water bottles, hair ties, creams, books, and jewellery. Start by throwing out any rubbish and store away what is sitting on the table for no reason.

 

4. Pack away out of season clothes! Organise your wardrobe so that only the current season’s clothing is in your wardrobe. The other clothes can be stored away under the bed, in the storage room or on top of your wardrobe.

 

5. Purchase ottomans, end of the bed benches or seating with storage. Not only is this stylish, but also serves as additional space to store extra blankets and other things that lie around the room.

 

6. Try and add some wall shelving to your room. This will help declutter desks and surfaces and make your room more open and fun!

 

 

5 TIPS FOR YOUR LIVING AREA

 

1. Try and keep your flat surfaces clutter-free and minimalist. If something doesn’t have a place, find one and store it away. Sort items around your living area space into a ‘throw away, donate or keep’ pile. This will allow you to make clear judgement and analyses of what you do and don’t need and therefore help you to cull some items to create a decluttered area.

 

2. Remove everything from the shelving, coffee tables, cupboards and storage units. Wipe down, disinfect or dust these surfaces and then place the items you decide to keep back in a neat way.

 

3. Do a clean of underneath your couch and couch cushions. You will be surprised at the stuff you will find – including dust bunnies!

 

4. Wipe down and clean the skirting boards of the room. Say goodbye to dusty or dirty skirting boards. This is a great one to get the kids involved – you can make it a game of who can clean the skirting boards fastest.

 

5. Vacuum not just the floors, but also the curtains and couch. These are areas that we often forget about but can accumulate a lot of grime. If you have a deep cleaner, now is the time to get it out.

 

 

5 TIPS FOR YOUR STUDY/OFFICE

 

1. Use dividers and shelves wisely. Try labelling folders, trays, dividers, and shelving to make it easier to store your documents and other important notes.

 

2. Cut down on your office supplies. You don’t need 100 pens, especially if 80 of them are not working. Try them all and only keep the ones that are working and only a couple of each type, for example, black sharpies, highlighters, blue pens, and pencils.

 

3. Thoroughly clean and disinfect your working space. You should do this not only once a year but every 1-2 weeks, especially if you use your study or office a lot.

 

4. Eliminate the number of things on your desk. Any decorative pieces should be kept to a minimum.

 

5. Try using a whiteboard to limit the number of things that you write on paper. We all know paper eventually gets scrunched up and takes up space in the room. Eco-friendly and effective – double win! 

 

So, there you have it, a great checklist to declutter and get your spring cleaning started. For more hacks, recipes, and inspiration, visit our Instagram or Facebook channel.