Don’t let the recent bursts of good weather fool you - there are still a few weeks of springtime left here in London and that means it’s not too late for your annual deep clean. That’s right… you’ve not got away with it quite yet!

All jokes aside, a spring clean is a great opportunity to put some time into the cleaning tasks that can’t be done on a weekly or fortnightly basis. These tasks are a little more hands-on and time-consuming than those in a general domestic clean, so we’d recommend dedicating a day or two at the weekend for this project. Once these are completed, however, you can really sit back, relax and gear up for summer in a fresh and airy home!

1) Clean your oven

You heard us right...the oven. It’s nobody’s favourite task, but it’s absolutely essential - so why not jump in at the deep end! Think about everything that’s happened in there in the last year: the roasts, the late-night oven pizzas, the magic, the blunders and... of course... the annual GBBO imitations.

Not convinced it needs it? Take a moment to peek inside... look around... would you eat your dinner off that? 

If you don’t fancy doing this one yourself, not to worry, this is a task we can certainly help with. You’ll need to provide the oven cleaner yourself, but you can save on the elbow grease by navigating to the 'Future cleans' page of your account and adding this to your Housekeeper's next visit!

2) Descuff your walls and doors

Descuffing isn't a task your Housekeeper can help out with sadly, but it is, nevertheless, an essential chore for your spring clean. If you have pets, children, or a questionable sense of balance, the chances are your walls have been redecorated with a scuff or two. Make a mild solution of washing-up liquid and warm water on a soft cloth or sponge and lift these unsightly marks with circular motions!

N.B. It’s always a good idea to try a cleaning solution on a discrete part of the wall first, just in case there’s an adverse reaction. Other homemade remedies for wall scuffs include the bathroom staple that is toothpaste, but again, make sure to try in a low-key area first.

3) Cooker hood

A bit of a grizzly task this one.

There is a saying though: the less you want to clean it, the more it needs a clean. (Okay, we made that one up, but you get the point.)

Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with a classic Housekeep blogpost to guide you through the process.

This task might seem like the impossible at first, but in reality all you’ll need is some washing up liquid, a sponge, an old toothbrush and your manufacturer's instructions. No excuses.

4) Your indoor windows

Are your windows mucky, dusty and not giving you the view of the sunshine that you really deserve? We've all been there.

This one is super easy to solve, as your Housekeeper can buff them to perfection in no time at all. Again, simply go to 'Future cleans' and add on an hour for 'indoor windows' - all you'll need to do is supply a decent glass cleaner or pay a small premium for your Housekeeper to bring their sprays.

If you’re doing this one yourself, remember to do the frames while you’re at it, as this can make a big difference to the look of the entire room! We recommend a quick swipe with multi-surface wipes or an at-home concoction of soap and water.

Either way - whether you choose to pay in time or money - getting that crystal clear view back is priceless!

5) Inside the fridge

Another one your Housekeeper can help you out with. In reality this should be done more often than once per annum, but during the spring clean is a sensible time to do this one again.

Most of the drawers and shelves in your fridge can be detached and washed in a sink with hot water and washing-up liquid. You can then lean in with a cloth and wipe the inside with the same solution.

Your Housekeeper won’t be able to do the freezer, as this will require defrosting. If you’re doing this yourself though, why not defrost a day before the clean, so you can wipe out the freezer at the same time!

Top tip: the handle of the fridge and freezer door needs a wipe too, as well as the seal around the door. If not done, these areas can become a hotspot for germs from food and drink.

Even topper tip: Add 0.5 hours to your Housekeeper’s next clean via your online account and cross this one off the list!

6. Dusting high

Over time, your light fittings and shades up top are gonna get dusty, and these areas are unlikely to get covered as part of your weekly or fortnightly cleaning rota. This task is another that your Housekeeper sadly can’t help with, as you’re going to need a stepladder for this. 

With the stepladder out, it’s a great opportunity to dust everything up there. You can get into the corners of rooms, around your light fittings, the smoke alarm, the fusebox and whatever else is fastened high up walls or onto the ceiling. If you have a ceiling fan, dust this bad boy too to prevent the recirculation of dusty air through your rooms!

Once the dusting’s done, it’s time to get the vacuum out as chances are your floors and surfaces below will have collected some of the falling debris.

7.  Inside cupboards

You’ve done the inside of the fridge and the inside of the oven now, but there is some serious dusting and wiping required inside your cupboards too.

Strip your cupboards, shelves, drawers, or anywhere else that you store a large volume of items in. Pile everything onto the table and get right in there, ensuring you cover all nooks and crannies. If the duster isn’t doing the trick, you may need to pull out the anti-bac wipes to remove any residue or stubborn marks.

Before replacing the items, give any bottles, books, or whatever else lives in the cupboard, a good ol’ dust and/or wipe to make sure you don’t ruin your hard work.

While you're at it, ensure the frames of cupboard doors, handles, knobs and the like are all dusted, wiped and buffed too for that 5-star finish.

Voilà - makes more of a difference than you’d think!

8. Clean the washing machine

Seems a strange thing to do, but think about it... Would you wash your dishes in a dirty sink? Probably not. Would you brush your teeth with a mucky toothbrush? Certainly not.

Why clean your clothes in a dirty washing machine then?

With some white vinegar, soda crystals and a quick hot cycle, you can have your machine as good as new with minimal effort. This is so easy that we’d actually recommend doing this on a monthly - rather than annual - basis! For more detailed instructions, check out our blog post dedicated to this.

If this has got you excited about cleaning your appliances, take a look at our guide to cleaning your vacuum.

9. Polish, polish, polish

You might feel you clean the fittings in your house with relative frequency, or at least have a Housekeeper come in and give you a hand every couple of weeks. There’s clean, though, and then there’s clean. We’re talking ‘checking out your outfit on the kitchen tap’ sorta clean. You probably don’t do this very often, do you?

That’s okay, you don’t need to in all honesty, but it feels pretty good when you do, and can really make you proud of your space!

Start by working on any stubborn limescale with a bit of elbow grease to restore your steel to its former glory, before applying some metal polish. Don’t stop with the shower head though - go crazy and polish it all, from door handles to desk lamps to ensure a sparkle across the room!

If you have hard floors - whether tiled, board or natural stone - there’s certainly a product out there that can give the surface a little boost. Shop carefully, though, and always read the instructions meticulously to prevent your spring clean becoming a spring disaster.

10. Clean your electronics

Bit of a weird one to finish off with here, but this tip comes straight from the Housekeep office. We recently realised that days of busily tapping away at our keyboards had led to some neglect of our daily tools. We decided to act imminently.

Equipped with a can of compressed air and some alcohol wipes, the Housekeep operations team tackled their laptops with impressive vigour. Keyboards, mouses, laptop stands and computer monitors were all subjects of a long overdue dust.

Why not try this at home, too? No doubt your telly, laptop or desktop are dustier than you think, as the static electricity from these devices actually attracts dust particles. If you have a desktop computer (and you feel confident enough) why not clean out the inside too, as this will prevent overheating and likely boost performance.

If you’d like a hand with some of the above tasks, why not book in online in 60 seconds. Background checked, 5-star domestic cleaners are available across London, taking bookings for the very next day!