Spring Cleaning Essentials: Expert Tips to Get Your Home Sparkling

The Often-Overlooked Dishwasher

Lisa Williams, executive housekeeper at five-star hotel The Grand, York, emphasizes the importance of not forgetting one crucial appliance during spring cleaning: the dishwasher.

It works hard to sanitize your dishes, utensils, and cutlery, yet it often gets overlooked during a cleaning spree.
Disinfecting the dishwasher prevents bacteria buildup and ensures filters are not clogged with food particles.

“It’s easy to overlook the appliances that do the cleaning and forget that they also need cleaning,” Lisa says. “Disinfecting your dishwasher is a vital step that shouldn’t be missed off your spring cleaning list.”
To deep clean the dishwasher, Lisa recommends the following steps:

Clean the door, rubber seals, and removable parts, such as the utensil holder and filter.
Fill a bowl with white vinegar and sprinkle with a teaspoon of baking soda.
Run the dishwasher on a hot cycle.

The vinegar breaks down lingering grease, while the baking soda eliminates bad smells.

Deep Cleaning Wooden Utensils

Wooden utensils are a kitchen staple, but their porous texture means they can harbor bacteria. Lisa has a tip for keeping them clean:

“I like to soak wooden utensils in a mixture of 100ml of bleach and 2L of hot water for up to 30 minutes. Then, rinse with cool water and pop them in the dishwasher for their final clean.”

Lisa warns against using bleach on wooden utensils without proper dilution, but when done correctly, it’s a safe way to eliminate bacteria.

Spring Cleaning Hacks

Lisa shares her top tips for perfecting your spring clean:

Wash windows inside and out with a homemade window wash made from 500ml of lukewarm water, three tablespoons of white vinegar, one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and ten drops of essential oil.
Don’t neglect the skirting boards; use a microfibre cloth with warm soapy water to clean them.
Use lemons to freshen up ovens, microwaves, fridges, floors, and taps with a mixture of lemon juice and hot water.

Lemons: The Unsung Heroes of Cleaning

Lemons are a natural antibacterial and antiseptic agent, making them an excellent option for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Mix the juice of two lemons with one litre of hot water for a cleaning solution.
Use this mixture to clean surfaces, and a good scrubbing tool to get the job done.

Skirting Boards: A Spring Cleaning Essential

Skirting boards are often overlooked during spring cleaning, but Lisa emphasizes their importance:

Using a microfibre cloth with warm soapy water is the perfect way to clean painted surfaces.
Microfibre is great for lifting hidden dust, and soft enough not to scratch any paintwork.

By incorporating these tips into your spring cleaning routine, you’ll be able to tackle those often-overlooked areas and get your home sparkling in no time. Remember to always prioritize your safety and the effectiveness of your cleaning methods.