Spring Cleaning

Each New Year I become very reflective. I decide to be more organised this year. A new year, a new start! I think, though, for it to be a completely new start I need to start with fresh new beginnings. To me this means blitzing my whole living space. Just like an artist starts with a blank page, so must I.

I guess this is what they call ‘Spring Cleaning’. Spring cleaning was traditionally carried out in Spring. It has been said that with the cold, the darkness and the shorter days of winter that our bodies feel more tired and this is why we wait until the sun once again introduces itself and the spring finally arrives before beginning the task of a complete house clean. I’m not one for waiting!

Looking to my cleaning press isn’t much help. It’s in as much need of a revamp as the rest the house.

Lenehans stock all you need under the one roof. They are available at the click of a button.

Where to begin?

For me I like to start with my clothes press. It’s harder to get fed up so quickly sorting through clothes. Unfortunately throughout the winter months damp and mould can get into clothes so I find it is a good idea to shake out and air the clothes that I plan on keeping and any clothes that are in there just catching dust that I know I will never wear again I can throw out or give to charity. Clothes will always be greatly appreciated especially at the moment with the terrible housing crisis. Maybe you don’t want to get rid of the contents of your press but would like to put some of them away to storage. There are a multitude of storage boxes available that can be used to neatly store everything under beds or in the attic. With less clothes hanging in the press there is more room for fresh air to circulate. To add to the freshness I love to hang one of these Lavender Bags  in with the clothes. The natural lavender scent repels moths from your clothes as well as adding freshness to the room.

The surfaces are always next. Everyone notices the surfaces first plus doing the floors first means chancing any dirt from the surfaces getting onto your nicely cleaned floor! There are so many different sprays, creams, liquids and even mousse that you can buy designed for cleaning surfaces. Luckily I don’t have any specific areas I need to focus on so I can happily take the easy option and opt for a multi-cleaner or an All-Surface Cleaner. Remembering to lift and move appliances to get underneath, a simple wipe, rub and then dry with a cloth will remove dirt, grease, fingerprints, rings and other dirt and stains from many different surfaces. Best practice is always to spray the cleaner onto the cloth and not directly onto the surface. It is also a good idea to wear gloves to protect your hands.  This doesn’t have to be a tiresome task, some people can find this to be cathartic and with each inch you clean you can look forward to replacing or rearranging the items on top in your new 2016 style!

From the surfaces we must now look to the floors. Whether you need a vacuum or a sweeping brush will depend on what type of flooring you have. I have to look after a carpet and though the vacuum does most of the heavy work for me, it does tend to lose suction at times. Until the time I might get myself a bagless vacuum Lenehans stock a wide range of vacuum-cleaner bags  resulting in a decent floor clean for me. For floors that aren’t carpeted there are a wide range of brushes and mops  in different styles, shapes and colours. Finding one that really suits you can take a lot of the dread out of this task. For me a nice brightly coloured one suits me. If your floor is tiled HG Shine Restoring 1 Litre Tile Cleaner could be just the answer for you. All you need to do is add a small amount of it to the water in your mop bucket. Then just clean your floor as usual with a wrung-out mop or floor cloth. Rinse it regularly in the cleaning solution as you mop. There is no need to rinse or mop dry, simply leave the floor to dry on its own. This is a freshly scented, concentrated mopping cleaner with shine restorer, developed specially for regular, easy and quick cleaning of both porous and non-porous floor tiles, flagstones and non-calciferous natural stone. This product also enhances the colour and structure of the tiles. If you have laminate flooring why not try this Laminate Wash Shine. As with the product above you just need to add a small amount to the water in your mop bucket and mop as normal. Again there is no need to mop dry. You just leave the cleaner and shine restorer to do it’s thing and it will add the clean shine you look for. It can be used on all types of laminate flooring. The product is also available in a spray that is suitable for daily use. All it takes is a couple of sprays on a cloth or a dry mop, and the floor is cleaned quickly without making the laminate wet.

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This next part isn’t often fun. Half the problem, though, is just finding the right product for the job. If, after cleaning all the surfaces, there are stains that haven’t been lifted, they are going to have to be tackled. Lenehans stock sprays and solutions for every kind of stain or job you can think of. Marker pen, ball-point pen, felt-pen, grease, oil, rust, floor glue, carpet glue, chewing gum, candle wax, resin, tar and shoe polish are just to name a few of the stains that can be tackled. Having the right tool takes the stress right out of any problem!

Finally this is where it all seems so worth it. It is now when I can start rearranging things, creating a different mood and adding a bit of uniqueness to the room.

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Maybe you prefer to wait until Spring before you set yourself the challenge of really refreshing your house. Whenever the mood does grab you Lenehans is here to find you the products and items you need and our in store experts will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.