NOW CLOSED Currys want to know Mumsnetters' top spring cleaning tips. Post your best here and be in with a chance of winning a £100 Currys PC World gift card

[AlexMumsnet]

Spring's almost here apparently and many of us feel the urge to clear away the winter cobwebs and give the house a proper deep clean (or even just flick a duster round).

With this in mind Currys would like to find out Mumsnetters' top tips for spring cleaning. This could be motivation, how to find the time, what the benefits are, or tips relating to the products (or services of others) that you use at this time of year.

Currys say "We have a great line of products that we think make Spring Cleaning a breeze - we'd love to know your top tips, and what makes it easy for you?"

So what are your top spring cleaning tips?

Currys will be choosing their favourite 10 tips added on this thread to feature on the Currys pages on Mumsnet and possibly elsewhere. This page will also feature competitions over the next few weeks so make sure to check it out and enter!

Everyone who adds their tips to this thread will be entered into a prize draw with the chance of winning a £100 Currys PC World gift card.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[BambieO]

Put some washing detergent powder in your sinks with hot water to blast off tough stains from food/rust etc

[MonsterBookOfTysons]

Get dh to take the dc out!
Start with the floors in each room and work upwards :o

[musthavecoffee]

Make the beds first! A made bed makes the whole room feel more manageable

[CaptainMartinCrieff]

Start from the top of your house and work your down but leave the bathroom and kitchen until last. Have two bin bags per main room... Rubbish bag and charity bag and fill them. Take the opportunity to go through all your kitchen cupboards and throw out expired food and clean them and dry them thoroughly before replacing the good food. Don't forget to do the same to the fridge.

Finally I like to do a bit of furniture rearranging... As I'm moving furniture anyway to clean it, underneath it etc... I may as well rearrange. Makes me feel quite happy because things not only look clean, they also look different.

[MiniTheMinx]

If it's not valuable, useful or sentimental bin it.

Start with cupboards and drawers, empty everything out and declutter, aim only to put back half of what you took out.

Don't dust blinds........don't buy the bloody things in the first place!

Get an oven cleaning company in every six months or replace the oven. I have never cleaned my oven and I don't feel I am missing out

Buy a miele cat and dog and teach DH how to use it, use hoover to cobweb, why bother wiping cobwebs round the wall.

Apply bleach to sponge and clean tiles, leave it on for a few hrs then rinse, brilliant white grout with no effort.

Aim to spend as little time as possible and then reward liberally with day out, new shoes or weekend away!

[FairyJen]

When your toddler starts crawling strap micro fiber pads to knees and stomach then let them loose on your wooden flooring

After a big clean pick a day per week for each room to keep on top of it eg Monday = kitchen etc

[peronel]

If you hate cleaning the bathroom - as I do - set the timer for 10 minutes, open the window first and use the brilliant products from Lakeland to get cleaning. There's something that cleans and protects chrome so the room is left shiny and gleaming. You soon get into a routine and, although it's NOT fun, you feel good afterwards

[florencebabyjo]

When dusting the skirtings or tops of doors I use a spray gun to spray water first in a gentle mist. It catches the dust and stops it flying away and landing somewhere else, so you can just wipe it away.

[LaalRatty]

Treat your house as if you're a professional cleaner setting eyes on it for the first time. Start at the front door and walk around with a pen and pad. What needs doing? Spot cleaning light switches, jammy finger prints on door frames, cobwebs you haven't noticed before, piles of shoes that need sorting in the hallway? No matter what the job (big or small) write it all down. Set yourself up for the day with a good breakfast, make a packed lunch and flask of tea/coffee and have a set and timed lunch break. Open the windows even if its freezing cold. You'll work faster and the house will air. Get a wine bottle carrier or a cheap basket from the poundshop and make up a cleaning kit. Dusters, cloths, binbags, brushes, sprays, bleach etc. Carry it with you so you don't waste time searching for stuff. Do bedrooms first, landing, hallway, living area then kitchen and bathroom. I need to shower immediately after cleaning the bathroom so I always do this last.

[florencebabyjo]

I keep a small handheld vacuum upstairs for daily cleaning the bathroom, toilet and shower room. It allows me to quickly clean up bits of hair and paper that drop daily, and leave these rooms looking clean without having to get the big hoover all the way up the stairs. It also works well for cleaning between the bannisters!

[aimex146]

Bicarb!!!works wonders on everything

[Awks]

When you've taken your make up off with wipes then use the mucky wipe to clean the taps and sink. It leaves them nice and shiny.

[CMOTDibbler]

I do it too - sink and then a wipe over the loo.

If ds has been very splashy in the bath (or indeed dh has failed to shut the shower screen properly), I skid round the bathroom on a small towel to soak up the water and clean the tiles at the same time

[QOD]

Glass of wine in one hand, roll of black sacks in the other!!

[mosnef]

An old toothbrush for all the arkward bits, white vinegar for taps, baby oil for stainless steel, anything smelling lemony and fresh.

[flamingtoaster]

Use Vinegar for descaling in the bathroom and kitchen - very effective and smells much nicer than chemical descaler. Outside of windows are very easy to clean immediately after a rain storm - simply squeegee them!

[JenniferHelen]

Buy a window scraper - like the ones that window cleaners use - and whizz over the shower screen and tiles after every shower. It's the limescale that make the tiles and glass appear dirty, so wiping it away means you never have to scrub the shower again (almost!)

[majjsu]

Sing a song, it won't take you long, clear the clutter, from the ceiling to the gutter, the one I would pick, is the Dyson Hoover as it's quick!

[NorbertDentressangle]

An old bath puff is great for cleaning the tiled shower cubicle, bath and sink especially in a hard water area.

Use white vinegar in a spray bottle to clean windows and mirrors.

I'm not really a 'product' person when it comes to cleaning but I've just bought some Zoflora and am enjoying using it, a drop in some water in a spray bottle etc (see this thread

[mrscumberbatch]

I get the music turned up loud and find it helps motivate me to keep going.

Don't bother with shop bought cleaners for shower cubicles etc- just get the white vinegar out and it'll take half the time.

Also- don't get bogged down. Only take on what you're capable of doing. Otherwise it's easy to get disheartened and give up.

[sharond101]

1.Put a bowl of water in the microwave for five minutes on high and the inside wipes clean easily.
2.Keep a nailbrush in the shower and go over the tiles whilst you are in to stop scum building up.
3.Put a disinfectant wipe at the bottom of your bin so it stays smelling fresh.
4.Anti-static cloths are amazing. Polish everything without a smear.

1. No time to clean, spray furniture polish in the corners of the room to give the impression of hard work.
   

6.Tidy as you go, takes no time to put something away after using, takes ages to put lots of things away.
7.Use drawer tidy's in all your kitchen drawers to separate items and keep it organised.
8.Put talcum powder on cream carpets before hoovering for nice smell and whiter/creamier appearance.

[ataraxia]

Send everyone out for the morning, put your mp3 player on, choose an upbeat album and sing along - getting a clean house at the end will just be a bonus!

[quest12]

ok i work full time so i get my kids up at 7.30 then im dressed by 7.45 whilst they are still eating their breakfast so my tip is whilst they are eating and when they are getting ready have a quick tidy round - bleach down toilet, wipe kitchen surfaces, make beds, and put any washing if there is enuf in the washing machine.

My kids dont like to wash with soap and water so we have baby wipes in the bathroom for them to use after brushing their teeth, mums rule is when you have used your baby wipe when walking to the bin with it if you see any dirt wipe it!! this can be in the bathroom or the rail on the stairs or anywhere, i find they love telling me where they have cleaned on the way to the bin!!

I also find using the hoover in the morning when they are tired stresses them out so i wait till we come in from school or work then tell them to get a snack before dinner and whilst they are getting it have a quick 5 minute hoover.

hope my tips are of some help!! as im a working mum i dont have much time for cleaning but with the things i do have a very clean house! xxx