Spring cleaning shouldn’t only be about cleaning the same items over again, but about getting into those hard-to-reach places that we avoided all through winter. Bronwyn Ragavan, brand manager for AMKA homecare brands, knows that spring cleaning is more about the unseen places than the places that are maintained all year round. She explains that homes become a lot dustier in winter due to the dry air, and it is because of this reason that certain places in the home need to be at the top of the spring-cleaning list.
‘A good place to start is to ask yourself, when last did I clean…? When last did I clean the remote control, the door handles, behind the refrigerator? Dust is known to settle, and germs breed in these places,’ comments Ragavan.
Ragavan suggests making the following 10 cleaning chores a priority when getting rid of the winter dust build-up, making your home a home of hygiene:
With the weather getting warmer it is time to unpack your summer clothes and pack-up your winter ones. Use a washing powder that is innovative, efficient and effective, as well as environmentally friendly. Personal Touch Washing Powder Sheets are a convenient, no-fuss, no-mess, recyclable option in a 90g box. Equivalent to a 2kg bag of washing powder, these washing sheets are easy to use and deliver every wash.
Clean your windows once the windy season is over. Dust can collect on your windows and make the house look dark and dirty. Enjoy the beauty of spring through clean, dust-free windows.
Wash out your garbage bins to get rid of all the germs that have been building up over winter. Take your bins outside and give them a good cleaning. Using warm water mixed with Chemico Liqui Cleen with 3X extreme clean and Actibeads, wash and scrub your bins. Leave them out in the sunlight to dry thoroughly before bringing them back inside.
- Turn your furniture over and sweep/vacuum not only the floor underneath, but under them as well. During winter, dust will build up under your furniture. Remember to clean your outside area of dust too. If you have vinyl tiles, marley tiles or melamine on your floor, why not give it a polish with Jewel floor polish getting it ready for guests once the weather warms up.
- Dust does not only collect on the floor, but on top as well. Make sure to dust the top of door frames, in between blinds, and above curtain rails. A house full of dust will aggravate allergic reactions and hay fever.
- During winter, items tend to pile up and clutter rooms. Take it room by room, and while cleaning, declutter at the same time. This allows you to finish completely with one room without coming back. Also, clutter can make a house seem messy, even if it is clean.
- Your toilet should be the one place you clean all the time, but when it comes to spring cleaning this is when your throne gets a thorough cleaning. Chemico’s Toilet Cleen formula includes 3x extreme clean with anti-limescale and it kills 99.9% of all germs.
- If you are looking to improve your environmental footprint this spring by saving water, limiting your toilet flushing is known to make a considerable difference. Organico is an alternative odour reducing toilet flushing solution for households to use instead of fresh water every time. Available in 100g sachets or a 2,5kg bucket, its formula breaks down human waste, prevents spread of disease and leaves toilets smelling fresh.
- While you are in the bathroom, your shower is going to need a good scrubbing as well. And, if you have a shower curtain you will need to inspect it regularly for any mould build up within the creases. Pop it into the washing machine for a thorough cleaning. Also, always keep the shower curtain open so that it can dry completely.
- Although your dishes are cleaned throughout winter your dishwashing liquid can be used for other cleaning chores. Use Viva dishwashing liquid to get rid of grease stains on your clothes. Rub on some of the liquid and then rinse with water for on-the-spot treatment. Or use your dishwashing liquid to give your jewellery a spring clean – mix some liquid with water and use the bubbles to clean your jewellery using a soft brush; an old toothbrush works well.
