Spring cleaning is the thought on everyone’s mind as the warmer and arguably; unpredictable weather is finally upon us (at least it’s not cold).

Drying laundry on the line for that outdoor freshness no product can imitate is definitely a bonus for April.

So, while we’re airing our homes and clearing out those winter cobwebs, let’s have a look at the Top 5 Cleaning Hacks you can do this April…

#1 Pillows

No matter how much you protect them, pillows take the brunt of the work when it comes to bedding. As well as accumulating dust mites, we sneeze and snot on them when we’re sick with colds, and dribble away while we cocoon ourselves for winter hibernation snoozes.

Let’s be honest, pillows can get pretty funky after a while, so this is the perfect time to strip the bed and give everything a damn good clean.

Alongside your usual detergent and fabric conditioner; add hydrogen peroxide and a cup of vinegar.

Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent that can be used safely in your laundry. It breaks down into water and oxygen, which makes it more environmentally friendly, and a great substitute for chlorine bleach.

Vinegar is our favourite natural cleaning product. It tackles stains and smells and is a firm favourite in our cleaning toolkit.

#2 Windows

Once the sun starts shining, there’s no hiding those smudges and streaks on your windows. But cleaning them can be so frustrating, they look good from one angle and streaky from another.

For a quick solution, try the Spontex Microfibre Window Kit. This dual approach to cleaning offers two microfiber cloths that are great to use with just water, so great for asthma sufferers or eco-warriors.

The yellow microfibre cloth is thick and absorbent and great to give windows a thorough wash down, removing dirt and debris. Follow with the green microfibre cloth to wipe and buff windows, removing any excess dirt and smudges.

For those of us who need to see soap suds to know it’s clean, it’s our old favourite again: white vinegar. A 50/50 mix of vinegar to water, with a splodge of your favourite washing up liquid, will get those windows shiny and clean in no time.

Haven’t got a microfibre cloth? Use scrunched newspaper to wipe and buff for great shiny windows you can be proud of.

#3 Interior Doors

One of the biggest harbourers of germs, doors see a lot of daily traffic. From children’s sticky handprints, pets patting at them with mucky pads, to guests who may (or may not) have washed their hands after toileting (!)

Keeping doors clean and sanitised is up there with the priority jobs, and shouldn’t take much effort. [NB: for a wood finish, wax or oil treated doors, use a bar of oil soap for the best results. The following advice is suitable for painted and laminated doors].

• Clean the doorframe and the top of the door with a damp cloth. You can use warm soapy water for this or a multipurpose spray, like Stardrops Multi-Surface Spray. Then wipe to buff and dry with a fresh cloth.
• Use the same cleaner and method for the rest of the door, making sure to clean the closing strip which attracts a lot of dirt and bacteria build-up.
• You can clean the handles using soapy water. Or you might prefer using a disinfectant, like Zoflora. Our favorite is Lemon Zing for a gorgeously clean scent. Follow the dilution instructions on the bottle and wear gloves to thoroughly sanitise all your door handles.
• As an added extra, you could use an antibacterial coating spray once they’re dry to give you peace of mind.

#4 Patio Furniture

It wouldn’t be spring if we weren’t excited about sitting outside and enjoying the sometimes sun.

But even if you covered your outdoor furniture, or moved it into a shed or garage, there’s always cobwebs and dirt on it once it’s unveiled in the garden once more.

There’s some great products that make quick work of outdoor grime. Of course, soapy water will clean any surface, but for cleaning and stain removal give these products a go:

Cif Outdoor Multipurpose Cream is great on garden furniture and will even clean up the kid’s play equipment.

The Pink Stuff Miracle Paste is fabulous for cleaning most things. Made with 99% natural ingredients, this vegetable oil-based product is great for gardens too.

Elbow Grease All-Purpose Degreaser is an incredibly versatile product. Solvent-free, this powerful product is guaranteed to get rid of any oils or sticky stuff on your garden furniture, and it’ll also take on any left-overs from last year’s BBQ.

#5 Walls

Cleaning walls used to be a regular part of our grandparents’ cleaning routines, but with our busy schedules, we only do it when absolutely necessary.

There’s no art required, just a bit of care depending on whether your walls are painted or papered:

For painted walls:

Dust the walls first with a feather duster or microfibre cloth. If you don’t have a duster that can reach, just attach a cloth with some elastic bands to a sweeping brush.

Wash the walls using your gentlest cleaning solution, and your softest sponge or cleaning cloth. Anything including solvents or strong chemicals is best left in the cupboard though. These can strip or damage your paint.

Try adding Elbow Grease Washing Up Liquid to a bucket of warm water for an effective and solvent-free clean.

Keep your cloth or sponge of choice damp, not soaked to avoid drip marks on your wall.

Leave the solution for up to 10 minutes and rinse with warm water, again ensuring no drip or watermarks left behind.

Wallpaper:

Some wallpaper is washable, and others, not so much. If its vinyl or has a sheen on it, it should be good to go, but you should always proceed with caution and do a test patch on an inconspicuous area first.

Just a heads-up: painted lining paper won’t clean well. You’re likely to take off at least some of the paint during cleaning and could leave behind a patchy wall.

Similarly to painted walls, dust the wallpaper first and use a mild washing solution. It’s best to use a dabbing or sponging technique on each sheet of paper in a downward pattern.

Rinse immediately after at the end of each sheet, and blot dry with a towel. Et voila!

Still got marks & stains?

Grab a Flash Magic Eraser and simply wash those stains away. If you want to be extra careful, try some white vinegar on a cotton bud to remove excess stains.

Did you use any of our April Cleaning Hacks? Why not take a before and after pic and tag us with @shopatfabfinds or give us your top cleaning tips for April.