It’s believed that the origin of spring cleaning lies in Persian culture where the first day of spring coincides with the first day of the new year. A practice of “khaneh tekani” takes place, which literally translates to “shaking the house”. This involves cleaning every corner in ones house – from the curtains to the furniture. These days spring cleaning means everything from throwing out or donating unused items to getting on with all those jobs that have mounted up during the winter months.
Go Deep and Go Clean
With warmer weather comes bare feet, and one of life’s simple pleasures is walking barefoot on a clean carpet. If getting new carpets isn’t on the agenda, a good deep clean of your existing carpets should be an essential annual ritual. There are plenty of local services who’ll happily charge decent prices to get that carpet in top-notch condition. Cleaning carpets won’t just give your home a fresher appearance, it will also extend the life of the floors too.
Sort Out The Kitchen
Whether you have a full pantry or just a small cupboard dedicated to food storage, spring is the time to go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Throw out outdated spices, store dry goods in glass air-tight jars, and get rid of appliances that you don’t use. A little morsel of pain now will be rewarded ten fold when you can see all of your staples in a simple and uncluttered order. While you’re there, give the shelves a good wipe down. Even if nobody sees those hidden high spaces, it’ll be comforting to know they’re not sprinkled in sugar and flour from all those winter bake offs.
Speaking of baking, get out the cleaning products and give the oven a once over. Most products on the market do all the heavy lifting for you – just spray, wait and wipe down.
All Hands on Deck
While we’ve been cozied up in the comfort of the couch during winter, we may have neglected to look after the backyard deck. When the sun is out and the days are longer, it’s a great time to get the deck re-stained and looking glitzy in time for outdoor entertaining. Often, a bit of decking oil and some elbow grease will be enough to get the deck into tip top condition, but make sure to get in a professional if there are more serious issues with loose planks or water damaged boards. If you are thinking about getting a new deck installed, spring is the perfect time to invest in decking. By summer, it’ll be ready for those backyard BBQ’s in the sunshine you’ve been dreaming of!
Green Thumbs
Getting the garden into shape is a job that is often put on the back burner during the cold months. When the danger of frost wreaking havoc on our plants has passed, the warmer months are the perfect time to plant those seedlings and get the garden growing. If you’re not much of a gardener, use native Australian plants to give the yard a modern, stylish makeover. Natives not only look great, but they’re hardy enough to deal with the harsher Australian climate during the summer months.
While you’re in the garden, don’t forget to go through the shed to get rid of things you no longer need. Unused paint or old gas bottles can be collected through local waste services, idle outdoor furniture can be donated to charity shops or even up-cycled with a bit of time and effort. Maximise the precious space your shed can accommodate by adding in some storage units from the local hardware store.
Selling in Spring
We all know that spring is the best time to sell. Flowers are blossoming, clouds have passed and the smell of new beginnings is in the air. If you’re looking to sell, sprucing up your house with inexpensive upgrades could add thousands to the sale price. And by painting in moderate weather, you’ll likely get a longer-lasting paint job. Using a painter and decorator to update the exterior colour scheme of your home is key to a professional finish, and there are plenty of businesses who’ll happily come out and give you a quote. It’s also a good idea to freshen up the concrete driveway with a high pressure clean, as well as installing a new letterbox to create happy first impressions in the minds of potential buyers. If you’re selling to build your own house, make sure to contact us so we can help you create the new home of your dreams.
So now that the days are longer and our bodies are getting more sun, use your newfound energy to get into the spirit of the spring clean. Then get out of your active wear, grab a drink and jump into lazy weekends hanging out in the backyard with loved ones.
