Spring is almost upon us, which means more sunshine, warmer days and just generally being lifted out of the winter gloom. Given that the days are finally starting to get longer again and an opening of windows invites in a gentle breeze rather than whipping winds, there generally is no better time to do a deep-clean of your home than the end of winter and the start of spring.
Emerging from spring often makes us realise just how stale our home’s interiors get during winter. The extra little chill and darkening days can make us cut corners with our weekly cleaning here and there – and the dust, clutter, and plant debris in the garden does start to pile up after 3 months. For this reason, spring cleaning is virtually always going to be far more comprehensive than a regular cleanup. In order to make sure that you leave no stone unturned, it’s vital to approach spring cleaning and maintenance with a strategic mindset.
Here are just a few must-dos for Victorian homeowners looking to skip into spring with a spotless home.
Perform any required electrical maintenance
Start your spring clean by giving your property’s electrical systems, fittings, and appliances a once-over to make sure that they’re all in good working order and that they don’t pose safety hazards in the leadup to spring storm season.
Keep in mind too that electrical storms can hit at any time over spring due to fluctuations in atmospheric pressure. These storms can result in electrical damage to your property (i.e. burnt fuse boxes, electrical faults resulting from moisture/wind exposure, electrical fires, etc.). If you do happen to experience any of these events, it’s imperative that you call an emergency electrician as quickly as possible to reduce risks of further damage.
Ensuring your electrical fittings and appliances are all operating as usual can also help reduce your risks of experiencing damaging power surges. Appliances that must be inspected and tested annually can all be scheduled for inspection during the winter-spring transition. This includes bigger appliances like your fridge, washing machine, dryer and television, as well as systems like your ducted heating and cooling.
When going through your electrical devices, you should also test safety equipment like safety switches, circuit breakers, and fuses. Ensuring that all your electrical equipment is in good working order prevents potentially dangerous accidents down the road, helping you maintain a proactive rather than a reactive approach to your property’s electrical maintenance.
Do a little deep-cleaning for floors and furnishings
While it’s always a good idea to vacuum your floor and dust your furniture on a regular basis, spring cleaning is a fantastic opportunity to perform a deep-clean and ensure that your house is spotless.
Naturally, how you deep-clean your flooring will depend on what kind of floor coverings you have installed in your home. For hard surfaces like laminated wood and granite, vacuuming and mopping your floor thoroughly should do the trick.
If you plan on using a cleaning solution, make sure to choose one that’s safe for your flooring. If you have carpeted floors, for instance, you’ll need to use a dedicated carpet cleaner to get rid of the most deeply embedded bits of dirt that have accumulated over the course of the year.
Once your floor is spotless, you should then start deep-cleaning your furniture. Most large pieces of furniture, like fridges and tables can be cleaned by dusting and wiping them, but more delicate pieces like silverware and glass items may require a different approach.
To make sure your clean is as thorough as possible, you may opt to create a checklist that includes everything you need to clean and any special requirements each item might have. Using this list as a guide, you can make sure that all your furniture is as good as new by the time you’re done with your spring cleaning.
Consider pest control
Thanks to our temperate climate and plenty of rainfall that drives creepy crawlies into our interiors, Victorian homes can be pretty susceptible to pest infestations. Critters like termites, carpet beetles, silverfish and rodents are known to take up residence in houses during winter and spring, making a general nuisance of themselves and sometimes even causing widespread property damage.
If there are any signs at all of a pest infestation, it’s vital to schedule an appointment with professional pest control specialists. While pest control is easier than ever thanks to new, innovative methods of getting rid of creatures like bugs and rodents, early detection and action are still crucial if you want to clear your home of unwanted critters as quickly as possible.
Freshen up your garden spaces
Oftentimes, more creepy crawlies can find their way into your interiors because your garden offers plenty of hiding places. Excess plant debris makes your property more inhabitable to insects, spiders, and even rodents, simply because there are more potential food and shelter sources. And pests who are more comfortable in your garden space will eventually find their way indoors.
If you’ve found your yard space in a bit of a state after the fogs of winter have lifted, then you’ll absolutely want to add some garden maintenance to your spring cleaning checklist. Freshening up your garden can help you reduce risks of experiencing pest infestations as well as moisture damage when spring rainstorms kick in. The last thing you want is piles of leaves, branches, palm fronds, grass clippings, and all that other plant debris soaking up enough water to discolour your garden tiling or decking, or even to affect the quality of your soil.
Note: be sure to use your green waste bin to dispose of all your garden waste rather than popping it into your curbside rubbish bin. This can help us maintain the exceptional waste management systems that have been put in place at Mildura’s landfill tip.
Declutter for health and wellness
No matter how neat you are, there’s no getting around the fact that stuff accumulates far more quickly than we can get rid of it. Whether it’s old toys that your children have outgrown, clothes that no longer fit or old books collecting dust on the shelves, it’s more than likely that you have some things in your house that you no longer have any use for.
Spring cleaning is a great time to clear up some space at home by getting rid of things you don’t need anymore. There are several ways to do this. One is simply to throw them in the bin. Another is to donate your goods to charities and libraries, or even give them directly to people who might need them more than you do. If the mess is more than you can manage on your own, you also have the option of working with a professional waste removal company.
Living in a clean and clutter-free abode does wonders for your mental health and well-being too. So if you do your due diligence here, you can set you and your wider household up for a cheery spring transition.
Refresh your home in time for our coming Victorian spring
Houses get dirty – that’s an inevitable fact of life. And whilst it’s important to be neat and tidy at all times, there’s also a good reason why spring cleaning is such an important tradition for many Victorian families.
So if the sunshine is getting you inspired to do a little cleaning and freshening up, follow that urge and enjoy the instant impact that decluttering and deep-cleaning is sure to have on your mood – setting your household up for a bright and cheery spring.
