Spring cleaning is a bit of a ritual. From clearing gutters to sorting through expired cosmetics, a lot of us find ourselves wanting to give our spaces a good cleanse once the dark days of winter ease up.
"There's nothing like a good old clear out to blow the cobwebs away, declutter spaces to create a more peaceful sanctuary for yourself, and do that attic clear out you've been threatening to do for months. It will feel great to tick that off the list," Amanda Lamb tells Country Living.
To help you get your home ready for a new season, television presenter Amanda Lamb has revealed how to effectively give your home a 'health check-up'. Take a look at her top tips below...
1. Declutter one drawer at a time
"For anyone thinking of decluttering, start small. Start with that one drawer that winds you up daily, whether it's your shoe stack in the hallway or your liquor drawer," Amanda tells CL. "You have to be ruthless. It's much easier to have fewer things. If I'm doing a big declutter, I have three boxes to hand: one to keep, one to recycle or sell, and one to donate. I also have a sentimental box, something I call the 'attic box'.
"The bathroom cabinet is a good place to start. Use this time to give your bathroom/pantries a good old clear-out, getting rid of any expired or unusable food or cosmetic items. Invest in good storage to tidy items away properly. I have a basket in my house and try once a week to get rid of five things. It could be a book that I've read or a dress I no longer need. I'll either donate it or give it away to a friend."
2. Dig deeper with cleaning
"Dig deeper with cleaning: take your spring clean one step further and deep-clean your home to give it a healthy makeover," continues Amanda. "This could include deep cleaning mattresses and bedding, extractor fans, and for those with a fireplace or stove, getting your chimney swept."
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3. Book your maintenance services
"Service, service, service! January is the time for a fresh start for both yourself and your home. Book in those vital services early on in the year to ensure everything is working safely including boiler checks, fire alarm checks, and if you have a stove, getting it serviced professionally."
4. Check the outside of your home
"Don't forget about the outside of your home too, take advantage of any sunny days to clear out your guttering and make sure it's clear of leaves and debris," says Amanda. "Also, give your garden a good clear out to make sure it's looking as tidy as possible in the bleaker winter months and to make sure it is ready for the warmer seasons."
If you don't know where to start, a springtime garden clean-up could include removing any dead leaves from lawns and flowerbeds, cutting back old growth from herbaceous perennials, pruning trees, shrubs and flowers, cleaning garden furniture, and mowing your lawn for the first time.
5. Pay attention to forgotten areas
Banish dust by paying attention to those often forgotten areas. It's easy to remember to clean your kitchen or bathroom, but when did you last wipe down your skirting boards?
"Amanda tells us: "A lot of our time is spent focusing on re-setting in January, meaning it is the perfect time to spend those extra hours in getting your home healthy and ready for the year ahead, especially those jobs that can often be overlooked – like cleaning and maintaining your stoves or open fires.
"Don't forget to dust behind beds, skirting boards and sofas to have an extra clean home in the new year."
Do you own a stove or open fire? Burning releases tiny, harmful particles that are damaging to your health and the environment. There are three simple steps you can take to reduce the negative impact of burning: Check it, Sweep it, Feed it. To find out how to ‘Burn Better’ visit: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/burnbetter/
15 plastic-free cleaning and laundry products
Refillable amber brown glass bottles
You can choose whether these stylish bottles come with a trigger spray or a pump and you can also personalise the label on them. They are a perfect replacement for plastic bottles: cleaning sprays, shampoo and conditioner, hand wash, washing-up liquid etc. They can be refilled at local refill stations. We suggest Ecover refills for cleaning products (list of stockists here) and Faith in Nature for personal hygiene (list here).
Ecoegg for laundry - lasts up to 210 washes
Ecoeggs are a long-lasting alternative to laundry capsules and detergents. It’s a recycled plastic egg, filled with mineral pellets, which you put in your washing machine as you would a normal capsule. The refillable mineral pellets are proven to be good for allergy-prone and sensitive skin and are also much better for the waterways.
Tip! The Ecoegg is great for everyday washing but you might want to consider a stronger stain remover on dirtier clothes or the natural bleach mentioned in the next few slides. You can also add extra scent to your laundry with essentials oils.
Coconut fibre dish brushes
We love these sturdy dish brushes that not only do the job well but look much nicer in our kitchens, too. Their description reads: "Each cleaning brush is handmade and bristles are made from highly durable and long lasting coconut fibre."
Organic cleaning None Sponge
Swap those yellow and green sponges which shed plastic into our sinks with these attractive, washable pads. Although they are much thinner than a traditional sponge and definitely feel different to use, they are great for washing up plates, bowls and glasses. They can be washed in the machine and are then fully recyclable when they do reach they end of their days.
Guppyfriend laundry bag
This laundry bag collects the microfibres that escape from your clothes in the washing machine. You simply put your load in the bag and then put the entire bag in the machine. Once the load is done, the microfibres will be left in the bottom of the bag. These can't be recycled in most cases but this method stops them from entering the waterways and inevitably heading for the ocean.
Ecover All Purpose Cleaner
This is an excellent cleaner which can be used to refill reusable bottles like the glass ones mentioned earlier. This product can be found at most Ecover refill stations but, if you would prefer buy a bottle, rest assured that it is made from recycled plastic and plant based materials and is fully recyclable.
Bamboo clothes pegs
This is an obvious swap away from the plastic clothes pegs that have crept into our households.
Reusable paper towels
Swap plastic-wrapped, single-use paper kitchen roll for these much more attractive, natural and washable cloths.
Beeswax wraps
Swap cling film for beeswax wraps. They are perfect for fruit, veg, bread and bowls of leftovers. You simply warm the wax up with your hands and they mould around anything.
Natural bleach
This natural bleach in a paper bag, from Mangle & Wringer, is a great alternative to big plastic bottles of harsh chemical bleach. On their website, the description reads: "Our Natural Bleach, also known as oxygen bleach, is a safe and non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to harsh chlorine bleach. When dissolved in water it releases oxygen which acts as a powerful stain remover and deodoriser. It breaks down harmlessly to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate. This miracle product brightens both whites and coloured fabrics and prevents them from yellowing. It’s great at removing organic stains like tea and coffee, fruit juice, food sauces, grass stains, pet stains, blood and red wine. Natural Bleach is also a great alternative to chlorine bleach in the bathroom. Dissolve in warm water to safely clean and disinfect the loo and clean drains. Also use to easily and safely clean and bleach sinks, baths, cups, mugs, tea and coffee pots."
Bathroom and kitchen cleanser balm
Mangle & Wringer also do a range of cleaning balms in aluminium tins that can be reused or recycled. We love the lavender scented bathroom balm – you simply rub it in with a clean cloth, rinse and wash off.
Ecover dishwasher tablets
These tablets are friendly to the waterways and the cardboard packaging is fully-recyclable. Ecover have this to say about the plastic-wrapped tablets on their website: "Dishwasher tablets don’t react well to the moisture in the air. In fact, it causes them to crumble. We want you to open your box to find tablets, not powder, so we wrap each tablet. The packages of our dishwasher tablets are made of polypropylene and each pack weighs only 0.3 grams.We have not found a dissolvable film that meets our standards for biodegradability. We are actively investigating an alternative to this type of packaging – we’re looking at plant based options that meet our standards. We’re not there yet but when we find an alternative we will switch."
e-cloth
These reusable, washable clothes clean multiple surfaces with just water. The starter pack includes an e-cloth for bathroom, kitchen, windows, multi-surface and glass polishing
Stainless steel straws
An obvious swap for their plastic, single-use cousins.
String bags
Don't spend 5p on another plastic bag – these string ones are perfect for your shopping and stylish too.
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
Cara is Commissioning Editor at Country Living, covering everything from style and interiors to sustainability, artisans and the great outdoors. She has previously worked for Good Housekeeping, Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Prima and Red, and has an MA in Magazine Journalism from City University and a BA in Music from the University of Oxford. Follow Cara on Instagram @caralaskaris or Linkedin.
