Keeping your rental property clean is one of your obligations as a tenant.
And spring is the perfect time to set about sprucing up your property with some good, old fashioned elbow grease.
But with these great spring-cleaning tips, you’ll be able to do away with the dust, get rid of the grime and bring back that sparkle to your home with half the effort.
And our great spring-cleaning checklist means you won’t forget a thing either!
What is spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning refers to the annual tradition of deep cleaning your home at the start of spring.
It’s thought to come from the Persian new year, which arrives on the first day of spring and saw people clean their houses before the first week of Great Lent.
When should you spring clean?
The best time to spring clean your property is during March or April, when the weather starts to improve and the evenings become lighter.
How do you spring clean fast?
The best way to spring clean and complete your tasks quickly is to clean your property room-by-room.
Firstly, remove any clutter or things you no longer use and either throw them out or donate them to charity.
Once you have room to breathe, you can start to tackle the cleaning in each room.
These great tips can help, too…
1. Clean windows on a gloomy day
Cleaning windows in direct sunlight is a direct route to a streaky finish.
So, using a microfibre cloth and some glass cleaner, tackle your windows on a grey day.
2. Remove sink and basin odours
Smells from kitchen sinks are a common problem – but there’s a quick fix that can help to remove the stink.
If your sink has a waste disposal switch, throw some blocks of ice down it followed by some small wedges of lemon.
Flick the switch and the ice will remove any stuck-on grime from the waste pipe, while the lemon will add a fresh scent.
If you don’t have a waste disposal, pour a cup of baking soda and vinegar into the drain, and leave for 10 minutes.
Then pour in a kettle of hot water slowly to wash everything through.
3. Super-fast microwave cleaning
Microwaves can be tough to clean and require a lot of time and a lot of elbow grease to bring back to their best.
However, this quick hack can help reduce all that time spent scrubbing.
Pour a cup of water into a large microwave safe bowl with a chopped-up lemon and a few splashes of vinegar.
Put the bowl into the microwave and run it on high for a few minutes until the water is boiling and the microwave is full of steam.
Remove the bowl and let everything cool for a few minutes before wiping away to a perfect shine.
4. Clean up your chopping boards
Wooden or plastic chopping boards can harbour bacteria and smells, so it’s well worth giving them a proper clean during your spring session.
Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the board to help remove any stains or smells.
For stubborn marks, sprinkle some salt or baking soda on the board before putting your lemon to work.
5. Focus on the fridge
Remove everything from your fridge and give the inside a good wipe down with warm, soapy water.
While the inside is drying, tackle the trays, shelves, and bins in a sink of soapy water and dry off with a microfibre cloth.
6. Go natural when cleaning the oven
It’s extremely easy for ovens to become dirty – and if food spillages become baked on, they can be tough to remove.
The good news, though, is you don’t have to use chemicals to get your oven sparkling again.
Lay a hot, wet cloth on top of any burned-on spots and leave for 10-15 minutes to soften.
Then grab a scouring pad and some baking powder to sprinkle over the mark.
Scrub away, rinse and dry.
7. Give stainless steel a shine
Bring your stainless-steel hob and appliances back to their best with a simple washing-up liquid and water mix.
Mix a small amount of washing-up liquid with half a cup of hot water and rub across your stainless-steel items with the grain.
Rinse off with clean hot water and then dry right away with a microfibre cloth.
8. De-grime your grout
Tile grout can become stained over time, so try this great hack to get it gleaming again.
Mix some baking soda with hydrogen peroxide to make a paste and then apply to the grout.
Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes and then scrub away and rinse.
9. Clear out your shower drain
Shower drains can become clogged with hair and soap, and this can lead to nasty smells.
To clear your shower drain and freshen it up, mix up half a cup of baking soda with a quarter of a cup of salt.
Pour the mixture down the drain followed by a cup of warm vinegar.
Allow to work for 15 minutes and then wash through with hot running water for a minute or two.
10. Be thorough with furniture
Dirt, dust and other bits and pieces can easily gather underneath sofas and other large pieces of furniture.
When vacuuming, move all large items to one side and clean thoroughly underneath before moving them back into place.
Remove cushions and clean along the back and sides of sofas, too, to remove any crumbs or dust.
Your ultimate spring-cleaning checklist
1. Hallway
- Sweep and mop hard floors
- Vacuum carpets
- Wipe down walls, skirting boards, and architraves
- Wipe down doors
- Wash and dry doormats
- Dust shelves and units
2. Kitchen
- Remove all small appliances from countertops
- Wash down counters with soap and water and dry
- Empty crumbs from toaster and wipe down
- Clean hob
- Clean oven
- Run a cleaning cycle in dishwasher
- Empty fridge and wipe inside
- Clean out and wash trays and shelves from fridge
- Defrost freezer and clean out
- Wipe down outside of all cabinets and drawers
- Clean out inside of cabinets and drawers
- Dust high surfaces such as top of fridge and extractor hood
- Clean out sink drain and deodorise
- Sweep and mop hard flooring
- Clean windows
- Wipe down skirting boards and architraves
3. Bathrooms
- Recycle expired or empty products
- Wipe and disinfect basins and vanity units
- Wipe down mirrors
- Empty cupboards and wipe through
- Clean bathtubs and shower units and scrub tiles
- Descale shower heads
- Clean and bleach toilets
- Clean and polish hardware
- Sweep and mop floors
- Clean windows
- Wipe down skirting boards and architraves
4. Bedrooms
- Remove bedding and wash alongside mattress and pillow protectors
- Remove clothes from wardrobe and drawers and dust inside
- Flip mattress
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust lamps and shades
- Dust blinds, shutters, curtain poles, and windowsills
- Clean windows
- Vacuum curtains
- Wipe down skirting boards and architraves
- Sweep and mop hard flooring
- Move bed and furniture out and vacuum carpets
5. Living room
- Dust and polish furniture and electronics
- Dust lamps and shades
- Dust blinds, shutters, curtain poles, and windowsills
- Clean windows
- Vacuum curtains
- Vacuum sofas, cushions, and seating
- Sanitise remote controls
- Wipe down skirting boards and architraves
- Sweep and mop hard flooring
- Move sofas and furniture and vacuum carpets
6. Tasks across the property
- Test and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Clean out extractor vents
- Wipe down switches, sockets, and light fittings
- Replace old light bulbs as required
- Sanitise door and cupboard handles, and light switches
