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Spring cleaning your home is not only therapeutic but also prepares you for the extended family descending on your home over the festive season.
Wilhemina Petersen, Head Housekeeper at ANEW Hotel Green Point Cape Town, knows all about keeping any space in tip-top shape. She shares some great Spring-cleaning tips on how to make your home, feel like a top hotel.
SPRING CLEAN
Happy plants
The right amount of greenery brings life and vibrancy to any space. If you’re not the best at keeping orchids alive, Spring is the perfect time to clean their roots and replant them for healthy growth.
Be mindful of where you position your plants, especially palm trees and Delicious Monsters. Avoid placing them too close to walls or curtains, as this can cause the leaves to turn brown. Aim for at least 10 cm of space between the leaves and surfaces to keep your plants thriving.
Towel and linen TLC
Eliminate odours and add revive your towels’ fluffiness by adding a tablespoon of baking soda and a dessert spoon of white vinegar to your wash.
From the tiles to the window panes
When it comes to granite or marble tiles, skip the chemicals that dull the shine and damage the surface. Rather use piping hot water, followed by a good buff to bring back that fresh glow.
For sparkling clean windows and walls mix equal parts water and white vinegar with a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. This natural solution cuts through grime and leaves surfaces streak-free. Plus, it’s eco-friendly! Use a microfiber cloth for the best results.
Get rid of dusty or mouldy odours
Mix one part fabric softener with two parts water in a spray bottle. Lightly mist your furniture, carpets and curtains to help reduce the dusty or musty smell and leave a lovely scent behind. This handy trick also minimises that unpleasant “dust cloud” after you have vacuumed a space and will leave your home fresh and inviting.
CLUTTER CLEANSE
Decluttering is not only for ridding your life of unnecessary items but simplifying the aesthetic of your space. When decluttering, have a few boxes handy to divide items into sell, donate, toss or return to their correct place in your home.
Try these handy tips for keeping a clutter-free space:
Out in the open clutter
Frequently used items such as keys, remotes and sunglasses need not be clutter. For ease of access without them lying untidily around the house or nowhere to be found, use small baskets, decorative trays and bowls to give your small everyday items a permanent home.
Streamline your tech
Chargers and cords can quickly take over and look messy. Create a charging station in the living room or kitchen using charging docks, mail organisers, magazine racks or repurpose an old wooden box to keep your cables under control.
Under-the bed storage:
Keep your bedroom hotel-like by utilising the space under your bed. Use foldable bins or drawers with castors to store bedding and other items, turning that often-wasted area into a practical storage solution.
Savvy bathrooms:
Instead of adding bulky cabinets to an already small bathroom space, consider creating a built-in wall section that functions as a shelf for an industrial yet stylish look. This design seamlessly fuses storage and display space, where you can add your neatly folded towels and toiletries in baskets.
Broom storage:
If you don’t have a broom cupboard keep your broom and mop out of the way by attaching hooks with string or bar on the inside of your cupboard to keep them neatly out of sight.
Similarly, you can do the same with pots and pans, if your kitchen lacks storage space use S-hooks to hang on your walls or tiles, or below kitchen shelves.