How to freshen up your home this Spring.

Get stuck into Spring cleaning

Many Australian households take part in the deep cleaning ritual known as ‘Spring cleaning’. It’s that one time of the year when families dedicate a day (or an entire weekend!) to dusting, scrubbing and washing the areas that don’t get much attention throughout the year. This often involves moving furniture to get to hidden spaces, nooks and crannies, and giving special attention to windows, ceilings, walls, light fixtures, shelves, cabinet tops and architraves.

While there’s no right or wrong way to Spring clean your home, sometimes the task can seem less overwhelming if you create a checklist that you can tick off as you go. Creating checklists with stickers or rewards can be a fun way to get children involved.

Here are some tasks you might like to put on your Spring cleaning list:

• Clean away cobwebs

• Wash all windows (inside and out)

• Clean, and dust fan blades, light fixtures, and air vents

• Dust the tops of tall cabinets, cupboards, and shelves

• Sanitise light switches, doorknobs and remotes 

• Clean underneath and behind couches, cabinets, TV unit, and bedframes

• Wash all pillows and doonas 

• Deep clean mattresses 

• Deep clean carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture

• Wash down the garage door 

• Wipe down the walls

• Organise and downsize clothing, shoes, and other belongings

• Deep clean the washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher

• Sort through the pantry and fridge. Throw away out-of-date products and wipe down shelves and doors

Refresh your outdoor spaces

With warmer weather and longer days now upon us, it’s only natural that we spend more time outdoors. To make your outdoor time at home more enjoyable there are many things you can do. Depending on your preferences, this could involve creating an alfresco dining space with a table and chairs, or a lounging area with low-level couches and a fire pit. If you’re a green thumb, it could also involve planting flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables in garden beds or pots.

Whether you have a large backyard or a small courtyard, there are plenty of opportunities to transform a plain outdoor space into a peaceful oasis or an entertainer’s dream.

Add plants and greenery to your indoors spaces

As well as maximising your outdoor spaces, you may also like to invite the outside in by incorporating plants throughout your home. Indoor plants not only help to make your indoor spaces look lush and beautiful, they also offer a range of science-backed health benefits, from improving air quality, to reducing stress and lifting your mood.

If you’re new to indoor plants, some of the easiest to maintain include:

• Snake Plant

• Peace Lily

• Devil’s Ivy

• Monstera Deliciosa

• Succulents

• Zanzibar Gem

If you want to incorporate greenery throughout your home but keeping plants alive really isn’t your forte, then artificial plants are a great alternative!

Maximise the light, bright, and airy tones of Spring

As we embrace brighter and warmer days throughout the Spring and Summer months, you may like to invite this sense of brightness inside. This can be achieved in a range of simple ways:

• In your living spaces, swap out any cushions and blankets with deep, dark, and heavy fabrics for lighter alternatives. Think linen and cotton.

• In your bedrooms, replace your thick winter doona cover or bed throw with something more lightweight, and opt for lighter, brighter, or more natural-looking colours, such as white, ivory, blush, sage, pale blue, and beige.

• Spread the smell of Spring throughout your home with scented candles, diffusers, essential oils, or air fresheners that have light and crisp scents, like lavender, citrus, jasmine, and bergamot.

• Invest in some sheer curtains or blinds (which can be placed beneath your block-out ones) which will allow the sunlight to shine through and brighten your home, while still providing some privacy.

We hope these tips will help you to refresh and reinvigorate your home this Spring.