Start the new year with a clean, fresh home
Both my gran and my mom rushed around the house cleaning every room before New Year. I could never understand why, and it's only now that I realise how nice it is to start off the new year with a clean home.
ana antunes
Refresh your body, mind and soul!
Even if you don't have the time - or the inclination - for a full house clean out, it's nice to spruce things up a bit and get sorted for the new year. Not only will your home be refreshed, but it also refreshes body and soul just knowing that your house is clean! We have plenty of speed cleaning tips here.
Clean up clutter
Getting rid of clutter that has piled up during the past year is a great way to start out. Work one room at a time and have a couple of Big Jim storage containers handy, or some sturdy cardboard boxes. Use these to sort things into piles so that you know what needs to be donated, moved to another room, put into storage or tossed out.
It's a great idea to have a box for each room in the home, so that you can sort out and simply move the box where it needs to go for unpacking and sorting.
There are plenty of organisations that appreciate donated items. Donate any clothes and shoes you have not worn in the past year that are cluttering up your closet. Also, add any extra bedding you do not use to that pile, as well as books you will never lend to friends or read again.
Starting off a new year with a clean, fresh home sets the tone for the year ahead.
No more bunnies
Once all the clutter is out of the way it's time to chase away the dust bunnies! If you don't have the time to do anything else, a good clean with a vacuum under furniture, around skirtings and in places you don't normally get the chance to clean, will go a long way towards a fresh home. Sprinkle the carpet with baking soda before you vacuum and let this sit overnight (if possible), or for a couple of hours before vacuuming.
dreamstime
If you have the time, use an upholstery attachment on your vacuum to get into the sides and seats of your lounge furniture, give curtains a once over, and vacuum the mattresses. You would be surprised at how much dirt gets vacuumed from these areas - no matter how often they get cleaned.
Use a microfibre cloth to wipe down skirtings, window and door frames, and curtain rails. And if you didn't do this recently, think about taking down curtains for a wash or dry clean..
If the weather is warm, use spray foam upholstery cleaner to quickly wipe down your upholstered furniture for a quick refresh. You will find tips for cleaning an upholstered lounge suite here and here, and tips for cleaning a leather or suede lounge suite.
Quick change
You can also freshen up a room simply by re-arranging furniture and adding a few new accessories. If your cushions no long plump up, replace the foam inners, or buy new cushions. Most home decor stores have a pre-new year sale to get rid of excess stock from the holiday season, so be sure to keep an eye out for bargains.
You will find tips on refreshing a home, as well as ideas for adding a new look with items that you already have.
That's one less item for your list of New Year Resolutions!