What Exactly Is A Spring Clean?

Alfietinker

Mmm, well I actually feel a little better after reading this! Our house is usually messy. We don't have a weekly cleaning routine, except for kitchen surfaces and bathrooms are kept clean. We rarely dust, hoover (no carpet so we sweep. I can't be bothered to get the hoover out for one stair carpet) or clean windows etc. So I thought we were slovenly (not that I care much ) I used to feel bad because people on here seem to be dusting/hoovering every couple of days.

But I've just realised. When we do clean, we effectively spring clean. :T About once a month it gets too much and I take a room an evening. I clean from top to bottom, skirting/woodwork, hoover/shake/wash curtains (as appropriate), move furniture, sort out drawers etc. I don't intend to spring clean, but I thought that was other more worthy peoples standard cleaning routine and I feel I have to catch up.

Don't feel so bad now!

Scottish_Mum-mum

Spring cleaning....you must be mad!! We moved house October- had youngest daughter's wedding 5 weeks later- yeah, I made the cake/bouquet/head dress/table decorations et al-then Christmas and now God help me- we are in the midst of completely renewing kitchen - gutted to a shell. Cooking facilities sit atop the dining table- if it cannot be zapped in microwave, or toasted - it ain't on the menu!!! Boxes still unpacked sit everywhere and we have made a circuitous route throught the maze to the tv and a couch ----spring cleaning will be a dawdle if and when we get cleared- and we are no longer "spring chickens"

charlie007

i have been doing loads of cleaning this past month, getting the house into a sellable state and i am shocked at how much needs doing, i thought it was fairly clean with the weekly once over it got - how wrong i was.

Penny-Pincher!!

Im pretty on top of my cleaning as Im quite particular:o but I have made an extra effort on sorting through my paperwork drawer. Ive filed everything needed and shredded the rest, so now just need to keep on top of it....we shall see.....LOL.

PP
xx

Little_Penguin_2

When my ex moved out at the beginning of the year, my mum came over and we gave the whole place a going over, hoovering sofa cushions, mattresses etc, since then I have just maintained it. Previously I had had a really big clean last Sept/Aug when I had new windows put in and everywhere got covered in dust. This makes me sound like I do a big clean every six months or so, but I am not that thorough!

I have several on-going 'sorting-out' project of photos and paperwork that I am currently procrasinating about. Maybe this weekend.... :undecided

loopylass

Im in the middle of my "spring clean" ive cleaned all the downstairs windows inside and out washed all the paintwork down cleaned kitchen cupboards dado rails in the living room just waiting for a windy day to wash my living room curtains
next week im doing all the dado rails upstairs,windows,curtains and paintwork
I iron once a week
clothes get sorted out every 6 months
I clean the bathroom and kitchen every day
I hoover,dust and clean floors downstairs twice a week
I hoover and dust upstairs once a week
After ive done the house the weather should be warmer to start in the garden
I do like doing more when the weather gets warmer but when its horrible weather i tend to slack a bit but with 4 kids 1 dog and 2 cats you cant slack too much otherwise i would be living in a mess by the end of the week lol:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Having read the 'When to Clean 'thread am I the only woman left in this country that does a 'spring clean' or some folk call it a 'bottoming out'
For as long as I can remember I have always done a total clean from top to bottom just before New years Eve, as it's what my late Mum always did .As she was Scots it was something apparently that was the norm .So you started the New Year with a spotless house. Then around March there was a big 'Spring clean' that involved cleaning and scrubbing every item in the house. Then another 'big' clean around September when the children went back to school and the last 'big' one just before the New Year again
I usually hoover and dust as and when it's needed, and obviously change the beds weekly, but I don't have a regular routine as I live alone and it doesn't really get that mucky. Do people not Spring clean anymore.I enjoy it so much more than drudging away every week.The house sparkles and after a couple of days cleaning it makes you feel in the mood for the coming spring.I then go to my two daughters houses and give them a hand to do theirs.
probably with all the cleaning lotions and potions on the market it's maybe not done anymore ,perhaps it's a generation thing as I am ..erm of the older generation.:rolleyes:

squeaky

Hi jackie

We have an older thread which talks about spring cleaning and so I have added your question to it.

You'll need to read this one from the beginning to catch up

Queenie

JackieO wrote:

Having read the 'When to Clean 'thread am I the only woman left in this country that does a 'spring clean' or some folk call it a 'bottoming out'
...

You're not alone Jackie, Spring & Autumn because it's also my time for mattress turning, taking down the heavy curtains and replacing with lighter ones and giving the nets/voiles/windows a good clean (and the Dyson filter cleaned, how else would I remember!??) :laugh: Ok, I'm not as pedantic about it as my own mother; but those are among the tasks are done.
Spring/Autumn cleaning is the ideal time to get and take a good nosey around the structure of the house to see how well it's held up over the winter and to plan the jobs which need to be done through the summer. (Roofs, walls, doors, windows, floors, ceilings, electrics, plumbing, heating, gutters, drains)
For example: floors, ceilings and stairs - check for damp spots, rot, woodworm, sagging or discoloured ceilings etc.
Doors and windows - flaky paintwork, sticking, warping (my kitchen door is looking warped so that has been put on the Round Tuit)
Walls - check the airbricks are cleared
Drains/guttering - check and clear out any debris
Plumbing - check for dripping taps; check, turn and test the stopk0ks;
Wastepipes - get the soda crystal/hot water treatment
and so on.

Housekeeping/maintenance go pretty much hand in hand Spring/Autumn time.

Now, whether all those Round Tuits bear fruit or not are something else entirely Much depends on your skills/budget.

AussieLass

I do all my big spring clean jobs in winter when the weather is cooler. For the hotter part of the year which usually lasts a good 5 months I really just do the normal weekly cleaning. It's just too hot to do jobs like washing walls & windows etc.