Yes, it’s that time of the year again.

Now that we’ve all (hopefully) recovered from Saturday night’s lost hour of sleep, it only seems right that we turn our attention to an age-old tradition: the Spring Clean.

Although a Spring Clean can be a daunting task, this shouldn’t be an excuse to avoid the topic altogether.

We’ve rattled our brains and come up with a fail-safe checklist to ensure that you can give your home the love and attention it deserves this spring.

Here goes:

Windows 

Cleaning the inside of your windows is an easy task, and you can normally zip around the house and do this in half an hour or so. If you’re also carrying out a methodical clean of the property, just keep a clean dry microfibre and a bottle of glass cleaner with you as you work, and you can do this as part of each room clean you complete.

The radiators

Normally missed as part of your weekly cleaning routine, radiators are a hotbed of dust! Take a slightly damp microfibre cloth and remove all the dust that has collected on and around the radiator. As it is now glorious spring, you should have your heating off, so you can also wipe the pipes leading to and from the radiators. If it’s super dusty, remember to wash off and wring your microfibre between every few wipes to prevent yourself smearing wet dust around - yuk!

Inside your cupboards

Your probably wipe down the front of your cupboards as it is, but once in a while it’s worth cleaning the inside too! Empty everything from the inside and tackle with a clean, damp microfibre. Once cleaned out, leave to air dry for a few minutes before returning your contents. Although you might not notice the difference as you go about your daily life, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to maintain an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ mentality towards your home’s cleanliness!

Oven and cooker hood

A really challenging task but one that needs doing! Ovens can get really disgusting if they’re not cleaned regularly, so make sure that you dedicate some time to this task. Certain oven cleaners actually require you to leave the product soaking overnight, so really plan this one out in advance. While you’re at it, make sure to clean the cooker hood too, which you can find instructions for here.

Fridge/freezer

Freezers can be a blessing and a curse! They’re great for storing reduced food you’ve picked up in the supermarket at bargain prices, as well as offering a great storage solution for meal prep and delicious leftovers. They do, however, have a habit of accumulating unwanted or unused goods. Use your freezer clean as an excuse to ‘hit reset’ on this pattern and use up (or, if you must, discard) what you have gathered. Once the freezer is defrosted, you can wipe it out with a soft cloth and any soapy solution or detergent. At the same time, empty the contents of your fridge onto the side and wash the shelves and drawers in the sink, as you would dishes. Using the same solution you used in the freezer, wipe out the empty fridge. Return all shelves, drawers and contents to the fridge, ensuring you give the handles, seals, and doors a once over before you finish up.

Microwave

While spring cleaning, make sure you give your microwave a little more than just a ‘once over’. Place a bowl of vinegar and water into the microwave, and add a wedge of lemon for scent. Turn the microwave on for a few minutes, or until the window has steamed. Carefully remove the bowl (you’ll need a tea towel as it will be hot, hot, hot!) and place the spinning plate in the sink. Wipe out the microwave and door with a damp microfibre cloth and then wash up the spinning plate as usual. Allow to air dry for a few minutes and reassemble the microwave.

White goods

There’s no point cleaning dishes or clothes in dirty appliances now, is there? Surprisingly though, many don’t ever give their white goods the clean that they so desperately need. It’s super simple to clean both your washing machine and your dishwasher! For tips on cleaning your washing machine - head here. For your dishwasher, cleaning this can be as simple as running a cycle with a cup of vinegar at the bottom. If they’re easily accessible, you can also remove the filters and wash these out separately.