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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Spring Cleaning

6 replies

perhapstomorrow · 27/02/2011 09:56

My house is in a desperate need of a spring clean. I'm OK at surface cleaning (i.e. I clean the surfaces you can see) but under the microwave and sofa's is another story! Blush. I also have a lot of clutter to sort out - I have lots of piles of stuff everywhere. I don't have a great deal of storage so I think there will be a lot of throwing out.

The problem is I don't know where to start. I'd thought I'd give myself a week to do the whole house (may take longer as I have 3 little ones too keep occupied too). I'd really appreciate your spring cleaning tips. What jobs do you do and in what order?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
dreamingofsun · 27/02/2011 12:36

there have been some threads on here - so suggest you do a search - you will find a website link to some lady that a lot of people use. part of the ratinal is that you do 20 mins and then stop for a break i think.

myself i like to do the house room by room, just starting one end and working round. putting things in piles - rubbish/2nd hand/put in right place.

before starting think what you can do to occupy your kids, eg dvd's or is there a grandparent who could take them?

i like room by room as i can see how good it looks after.

ImogenG · 27/02/2011 15:55

hello

sounds obvious but clear out before doing anything else. no point in dusting stuff to bin it later in the week

if you can do it over time (rather than blasting in it a week) then go for flylady.net quite hard to navigate her website though, start with the babysteps and go from there. be warned though - sign up for the e mails and you'll spend half your time spring cleaning your inbox - there are about 10 a day!!

cheers xx

CeliaFate · 27/02/2011 15:58

Do it room by room and allow a day per room. This is what I'd do in one day.

Get 3 boxes - Keep, Charity, Bin.

Sort through the clutter and be ruthless.

Once the clutter's gone, start at the top of the room and work down.

Hoover everything using the right attachment, take down and wash the curtains and cushion covers.
Move the furniture and hoover behind/underneath it.
Hoover the sofa.
Polish the furniture.
Wash the woodwork.
Put the stuff you're keeping away in the right place.
Put the charity and bin boxes in the boot of your car to go to the tip and charity shop.
Don't get distracted and go into another room and start on that. Finish one room and collapse! Grin

Original poster
perhapstomorrow · 27/02/2011 18:32

Thanks for your comments. I will check out the other threads. I have half heartedly tried fly lady - even bought her book but for some reason I just cannot seem to get on with it. Maybe I'm impatient so want fast results but as you said ImogenG the e-mails were incredible and I got a bit lost! Being disorganised doesn't help either! Blush

CeliaFate - I think you're right about room by room. I wasn't sure whether to do a big de-clutter first and then tackle each room but I think I need to do each room so that I can see the results at the end of the day.

Anyway wish me luck - hopefully by next weekend I will have a sparkly, clean home (even if it's just for 24 hours before DC mess it up!!) :)

OP posts:
ImogenG · 28/02/2011 17:05

best of luck Smile

Mollymax · 28/02/2011 17:09

Definitly room by room otherwise it is easy to get distracted.
Get some big cardboard boxes, have one for stuff to keep, one for rubbish, one for charity and one for sell/ freecycle. Be ruthless.
Then at the end reward yourself with something you would like.
Good luck :)

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