How To Spring Clean Your Rental Home
30 Mar 2023
The days are getting longer and the nights are getting lighter, meaning one thing - spring is on the way!
Now is the perfect time to give your property some TLC and get it fresh and sparkling for the upcoming warmer months.
As a tenant, one of the biggest obligations you have is to keep your property clean and damage-free, to avoid any fines or charges when you move out.
Why do we traditionally clean our homes at the start of spring?
The tradition of spring cleaning in the UK can be dated back to Victorian times when homes were heated and lit with coal and oil during the winter. This would leave a layer of soot, dust and grime on the windows, carpets and furniture, which needed to be cleaned off when the weather got warmer and the evenings got lighter.
Although our heating and lighting methods have changed since then, spring cleaning remains a popular ritual. Spring is often regarded as a time for new beginnings and fresh starts, making it the perfect time to refresh your home and clean up your space.
Whether you’re approaching the end of your tenancy already or just want to keep on top of things so you’re not left with a mammoth task, here are our top tips for spring cleaning your rental home.
Top tips for spring cleaning
- Do things in the right order
To avoid giving yourself extra work and having to clean things twice, think about the order you clean. For instance, it is best to dust your surfaces before any vacuuming or sweeping, as excess dust often falls onto the floor, and always work top to bottom. It can also make things easier to work room by room, checking tasks off as you go.
- Use natural cleaning products
Cleaning doesn’t have to be bad for your wallet or the planet. In fact, there are lots of natural products that do the job just as well as lots of the big cleaning brands. These include baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar, which can all be mixed with hot water to give you the sparkle you’re looking for.
While baking soda is good for removing grease stains from spaces like your oven and removing mildew from bathroom tiles, vinegar is good for cleaning mirrors and windows, and lemon juice can help remove any foul odours from your fridge.
Mixing baking soda and white vinegar with warm water can work to unblock drains too.
- Don’t forget lesser-seen surfaces
Out of sight, out of mind, as the old saying goes! However, it is really important to make sure you give all surfaces a thorough clean before you hand back the keys to your property, including those you might not see day to day. Make sure to clean behind your bed, sofa and any furniture that’s against the wall, as well as inside light fittings and cupboards. Any air vents and extractor fans will also need to be cleaned out, as well as the inside of your oven, fridge and freezer.
You should also run a cleaning cycle on your washing machine and dishwasher, if you have one, to remove any built-up grime.
- Clean windows on a cloudy day
When cleaning the inside of your windows, choose a cloudier or more overcast day to ensure a streak-free finish, as blaring sunshine can make it difficult to see properly. Rubbing in a circular motion, before moving to vertical, and finally horizontal, is often the best approach for buffing, and using newspaper to buff your windows is a lesser-known hack for a sparkling shine. This also works for other reflective surfaces such as mirrors.
- Increase ventilation in your home
One of the most common problems in winter is that the cold weather leads to a lack of ventilation as we tend to keep windows closed, which can lead to a build-up of condensation and mould. As temperatures rise, making sure you open your windows occasionally could help tackle any mould that has been growing over winter, as well as counteract any stale odours.
Avoiding fees and charges
One of the most common reasons for charges and fees at the end of a tenancy is insufficient cleanliness and poor condition of the property, so make sure to follow these tips and leave your property in the same condition it was when you moved in to avoid this.