Spring is in the air (honest) and aside from chomping Easter eggs, spring is about getting your house sparkly. So here is an A-Z of natural cleaning tips from the BGS team on tackling those cleaning jobs that often get neglected.
A is for Appliances
Fingerprints and smudges are not a girl (or boys) best friend. If they appear on your kitchen appliances, they look awful in the sunlight and we’re hoping for plenty this year. Try Method Steel For Real Spray on the kettle, toaster and taps - Donna from BGS even uses it on her door knobs – it gets things clean super-fast and smells of apples (mmmm).
B is for Borax (substitute)
A versatile and safe natural cleaner for use around the house - mix borax substitute, salt and bicarbonate of soda in equal quantities and apply with a scrubbing brush to remove hard to shift stains - also works wonders on dirty grout!
C is for Carpets
Carpets can harbour bad smells as well as dirt (let’s face it who knows what gets dropped on them when you’re not looking?). Try Natural & Clean Dry Carpet Cleaner, it “Gives your carpets a 'Spring Clean' whenever you want. Does exactly what it says it will do. Cleans and freshens without leaving your carpets and rugs wet. Safe on pure wool. Loved it.” R. B., Rainham
D is for Dishwasher
Your dishwasher works sooo hard all year, it deserves a regular clean-up. Ecozone Dishwasher and Washing Machine Descaler is “an excellent price for 12 months supply. Leaves my machine smelling lovely and fresh too.” A. B., Thetford
For a weekly blitz, shake baking soda onto a damp cloth and use it to wipe around the edges of your machine to keep it clean, sparkly and food free.
E is for Electrical Sockets
Sticky, icky fingerprints leave marks and nasty germs. A multi-surface wipe brings surfaces up in no time.
F is for Fridge
Now’s the time to declutter that fridge (it’s easy for out of date products to get lost in a sea of jars). Toss out everything past its sell by date, wipe the shelves with something like Earth Friendly Products Stain and Odour Remover, or warm water mixed with baking soda.
G is for Glass
Glass, windows, mirrors - there’s nothing worse than looking at fingerprints rather than your face or the garden. We’ve got a range of products that will blitz through marks here. Gemma from BGS swears by white vinegar as do our customers. “Fantastic simple cleaning product. Brilliant for windows.” F. M., Talgarth
H is for Humidifier (De)
De-Humidifiers absorb unwanted moisture and damp in the air, protecting your home from mould, mildew and musty smells – and it’ll save on spring cleaning next year!
I is for Iron
Crazy, we know, but if you’re not going to descale that flaky iron in the spring, when will you? Try one of these natural iron descalers (they works on kettles too). Ecozone's Kettle & Iron Descaler is ‘Simple to use and easily gets scale out of kettle. Do not have to worry about being poisoned with harsh chemicals either.’ E. M. T., Gosport
Alternatively, fill your iron with half vinegar and half water and leave it to sit for around 15 minutes. Empty it out and fill it with vinegar and water again, then iron a t-towel or similar on the hottest setting. Empty, rinse and job done.
J is for Jettison
A clutter free home is a cleaner one (it’s great for your feng shui too). Use this time of year to cut that clutter. Clothes, bed linen, towels even cups and plates you haven’t used since Susie’s christening (and she’s just turned 21). Pack it up and give it to someone who’ll use it.
K is for Kitchen Sink
We’re all pretty good at keeping our sinks clean from day to day, but what about the deep clean? To add a real sparkle, first scrub with some baking soda, rinse with vinegar and then lightly rub with a sponge. Rinse again with water. For a real sparkle, rub your sink with lemon peel (this smells great) and then buff with a paper towel.
L is for Laundry
Yes, we know, you do it all the time, but now it’s almost summer, why not boost, whiten or brighten your washing? And don’t forget to wash or dry clean your duvets, pillows, quilts and blankets at least once a year (hanging them out on the line in the sunshine can also give them a refreshing boost).
A tip for those with feather pillows that aren’t washable – pop them in the freezer in a plastic bag for six hours to kill dust mites, or try Ecozone’s Naturally Formulated Dust Mite Stopper.
M is for Microwave
Ecozone 3 in 1 Kitchen Cleaner and Tough Degreaser works around the kitchen, including the microwave, and you don’t even need to wash it off! “Very nice product for everyday use. No strong chemical smell, no needs to rinse surface which is HUGE benefit for me! I will definitely buy it again.” Mrs A. Z., Newtonhill, Stonehaven
To give your microwave a lovely citrus smell try fresh lemons! Cut one in half and put the pieces in a bowl (make sure it’s safe to use in the microwave). Cover the lemon with water and cook on high for two to three minutes. It’ll leave your microwave smelling citrus fresh!
N is for Net Curtains
Nets go grey quickly but it’s only when the sun comes out that we start to notice. Give them a quick blitz with some Sonett Bleach Complex and Stain Remover.
O is for Oven
If you’re anything like us, you hate cleaning the oven, but we’ve got plenty of products to make the job easier.
P is for Pad (and Tablet)
Houses are simply littered with devices these days, which are constantly being used by sticky fingers. Give them a decent clean to get rid of germs at least once a year (although we’d recommend a more regular clean). “Works well, very impressive cleaning with just water. Removes finger marks from touchscreens quickly and effectively.” S. P., Reading
Q is for Quick
Organisation is the name of the spring cleaning game. Tackle one job at a time to make it achievable. Set a timer before you do it (fifteen to twenty minutes will do), stick on your favourite music and do what you can!
R is for Rubber Gloves
Even if you’re using natural cleaning products your hands will still take a bashing during spring cleaning season. Make sure you protect them with a pair of decent rubber gloves.
S is for Shower
Tis the season to clean that grout and make your shower sparkle. Many cleaners will leave nasty chemicals along with the clean so try a natural grout cleaner, it’ll do the job without making you want to head for casualty.
T is for Top
Fluff, cobwebs, pet hair and dust collect in those difficult to reach places like tops of wardrobes and fridges. E-Cloth’s Flexi Edge Floor & Wall Duster can help if you’re aiming really high.
U is for Underneath
Like cupboard tops, we often don’t even look under furniture where dust and hair lingers causing allergies and irritation. Simple remove any clutter, vaccum and deodorise.
V is for Vacuum
Did you know your vacuum cleaner can lose suction if the filters and hoses get clogged up? So give it a good spring clean too. Change the bag and filters and it’ll be as good as new!
W is for Wardrobe
There’s nothing worse than clutter falling out of a wardrobe that’s so full the doors won’t close. Do yourself a favour and get rid of anything you haven’t worn for the last six months (there are plenty of places to donate them to). Sort out a system for packing up winter clothes to create space for your spring and summer wardrobe. Then use a dehumidifier to keep those clothes fresh.
X is for Xtra
If you’ve got a lot of cleaning to do, buy your cleaning in bulk, you’ll save money and you won’t run out of cleaning products just when you need them most.
Y is for Yukky Paintwork
Give your paintwork a wipe to clean away dust, dirt and debris that’s collected over the year. It’ll freshen the air and get rid of nasties. Try Bio-D Multi-surface Sanitiser. “I use this everywhere floors paintwork worktops it’s amazing, you don’t need a lot of it. Everybody should use this.” P. S., Chelmsford
Z is for zzzzzz
Time to have a coffee and put your feet up (you’ve earned it!)