Whilst it's supposed to be bad luck to take your Christmas decorations down before 12th Night (January 6th), I suspect many of us have already removed them.
Once the tree and baubles have been put away, the house looks bare, a bit unloved and, if you've got kids, in need of a thorough Spring clean!
Grab yourself a coffee and draw up a plan of action - and I've a great giveaway of some fabulous cleaning products from Kilrock to help you at the bottom of this post.
So where to start?
These are my 'grubby hotspots' which usually need tackling first.
The Bathroom
Attack the bathroom with a product such as Blast Away Mould – in spray or gel format, which is ideal for ridding door and window seals, shower units, bathrooms, sinks and WCs of mould and mildew. You can use it on plastic furniture too.
If the bath or sink are running sluggishly and have become clogged with yucky hair, try Kil-Block Drain Unblocker which is a powerful, fast-acting, multi-purpose drain and plughole unblocker.
Now is also a good time to chuck threadbare towels and flannels and replace them with some fresh new linen in bright spring colours. Giving each member of the family their own colour flannel is a good idea too - and stops arguments!
Whilst you're at it, why not replace frayed toothbrushes and chuck any toothbrush mugs in the dishwasher. Electric toothbrush heads can also be replaced.
I like to splash out on some fancy French soap - anything from Roger & Gallet is heaven.
If you want to go a bit "Marie Kondo" (from the cult decluttering book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying"), you should throw out anything that does not "spark joy".
That should include all those half used bottles of shampoo, face creams which just don't do the job, all those hotel toiletries you convinced yourself you'd use and those bath gels you hate the smell of.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is really the heart of the home yet it can often appear quite unloved (and grimy!).
Attack those surfaces and worktops with an effective, multi-purpose product like Bar Keepers Friend - a specialist, multi-surface cleaner that cuts through grease, grime, rust, and stains to give gleaming results every time. You can use it on steel, ceramics, copper, brass, chrome, glass and more.
Descale your kettle, coffee machine and iron with a product such as Kilrock-K Multi Purpose descaler which will totally clears heavily scaled appliances in minutes. You can also use it on your shower head.
Clear out any out of date food and leftovers which are unlikely to be used from the fridge and give it a thorough wipe down.
Put a date in your diary to defrost the freezer and make a note to start using up the food you have in there.
For example, chicken can be frozen for up to 9 months but bacon only lasts a month.
Emptying all the bins and adding a fresh bunch or two of Daffodils also works wonders!
The Bedrooms
Start by stripping the beds and vacuuming the mattresses to get rid of dust mites. This is particularly important when you or your little ones have allergies.
Next, check that your mattress protectors are up to the job and actually cover the mattress. If your mattress is over 8 years old, the advice is that is should be replaced.
Check that your pillows are not damp or mildewed and that they have their own protectors. The Sleep Council advises that pillows should be replaced at least every two years.
Tidy up your bedding by storing a double sheet and pillowcases inside a double duvet cover so that everything is altogether. I've wasted hours trying to find the right bedding.
If bedrooms are damp, you could try Damp Clear Moisture Trap which is an effective, hassle-free solution for the removal of excessive moisture. It protects against mould, mildew and damp, combats musty odours, lasts three months and is refillable.
If you would like to win a selection of Kilrock products worth £50 to help you get your home sparkling for spring, just enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget below.
Kilrock manufactures problem solving household products many of which are firm favourites among British households and motorhome owners. Available, variously, at Robert Dyas, Lakeland, John Lewis, B & Q, Homebase, independent homeware stores or www.kilrock.co.uk.
The prize consists of:-
Damp Clear Moisture Trap x 2
Blast Away Mould x 4
Bar Keepers Friend x 3
Kilrock K x 2
KilBlock Drain Unblocker x 2
Please note that Kilrock K works best in hard water areas where limescale is a problem.
Terms and conditions apply and can be viewed on my competitions page.
UK entrants only and the giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 27th January 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!
Once the tree and baubles have been put away, the house looks bare, a bit unloved and, if you've got kids, in need of a thorough Spring clean!
Grab yourself a coffee and draw up a plan of action - and I've a great giveaway of some fabulous cleaning products from Kilrock to help you at the bottom of this post.
So where to start?
These are my 'grubby hotspots' which usually need tackling first.
The Bathroom
Attack the bathroom with a product such as Blast Away Mould – in spray or gel format, which is ideal for ridding door and window seals, shower units, bathrooms, sinks and WCs of mould and mildew. You can use it on plastic furniture too.
If the bath or sink are running sluggishly and have become clogged with yucky hair, try Kil-Block Drain Unblocker which is a powerful, fast-acting, multi-purpose drain and plughole unblocker.
Now is also a good time to chuck threadbare towels and flannels and replace them with some fresh new linen in bright spring colours. Giving each member of the family their own colour flannel is a good idea too - and stops arguments!
Whilst you're at it, why not replace frayed toothbrushes and chuck any toothbrush mugs in the dishwasher. Electric toothbrush heads can also be replaced.
I like to splash out on some fancy French soap - anything from Roger & Gallet is heaven.
If you want to go a bit "Marie Kondo" (from the cult decluttering book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying"), you should throw out anything that does not "spark joy".
That should include all those half used bottles of shampoo, face creams which just don't do the job, all those hotel toiletries you convinced yourself you'd use and those bath gels you hate the smell of.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is really the heart of the home yet it can often appear quite unloved (and grimy!).
Attack those surfaces and worktops with an effective, multi-purpose product like Bar Keepers Friend - a specialist, multi-surface cleaner that cuts through grease, grime, rust, and stains to give gleaming results every time. You can use it on steel, ceramics, copper, brass, chrome, glass and more.
Descale your kettle, coffee machine and iron with a product such as Kilrock-K Multi Purpose descaler which will totally clears heavily scaled appliances in minutes. You can also use it on your shower head.
Clear out any out of date food and leftovers which are unlikely to be used from the fridge and give it a thorough wipe down.
Put a date in your diary to defrost the freezer and make a note to start using up the food you have in there.
For example, chicken can be frozen for up to 9 months but bacon only lasts a month.
Emptying all the bins and adding a fresh bunch or two of Daffodils also works wonders!
The Bedrooms
Start by stripping the beds and vacuuming the mattresses to get rid of dust mites. This is particularly important when you or your little ones have allergies.
Next, check that your mattress protectors are up to the job and actually cover the mattress. If your mattress is over 8 years old, the advice is that is should be replaced.
Check that your pillows are not damp or mildewed and that they have their own protectors. The Sleep Council advises that pillows should be replaced at least every two years.
Tidy up your bedding by storing a double sheet and pillowcases inside a double duvet cover so that everything is altogether. I've wasted hours trying to find the right bedding.
If bedrooms are damp, you could try Damp Clear Moisture Trap which is an effective, hassle-free solution for the removal of excessive moisture. It protects against mould, mildew and damp, combats musty odours, lasts three months and is refillable.
If you would like to win a selection of Kilrock products worth £50 to help you get your home sparkling for spring, just enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget below.
Kilrock manufactures problem solving household products many of which are firm favourites among British households and motorhome owners. Available, variously, at Robert Dyas, Lakeland, John Lewis, B & Q, Homebase, independent homeware stores or www.kilrock.co.uk.
 |
| The prize is a selection of Kilrock Products - Contents May Differ From This Picture |
The prize consists of:-
Damp Clear Moisture Trap x 2
Blast Away Mould x 4
Bar Keepers Friend x 3
Kilrock K x 2
KilBlock Drain Unblocker x 2
Please note that Kilrock K works best in hard water areas where limescale is a problem.
Terms and conditions apply and can be viewed on my competitions page.
UK entrants only and the giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 27th January 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!
