END OF THE YEAR: SPRING-CLEANING CHECKLIST

Spring-cleaning for the New Year is an Asian tradition that we’d do well to adopt too. After all, what better way to welcome in the New Year than with a thorough spring-cleaning?

In fact, for the Chinese, cleaning up before the Spring Festival means sweeping away the past, and by avoiding cleaning up after the New Year, we avoid scaring away the luck and good fortune we’re supposed to enjoy.

To make things more down-to-earth, spring-cleaning is essential to ensure that your home is clean and hygienic, ready to welcome guests for the festivities and beyond!

Whether you’re planning to clean before or after the holidays, we’ve put together a spring cleaning checklist for every room in the house to make the job easier.

So what does spring cleaning entail?

Basically, spring cleaning consists of 3 steps that you must apply to each room in the house:

Le tri  

Sorting is the first step in spring cleaning. It allows you to clear out your belongings to make more room and, above all, reduce the amount of waste piling up around the house. We recommend that you draw up a list of the essentials for each room, and throw out anything you don’t need, with no regrets! Remember, if you haven’t used it for a year, it’s unlikely to change in the New Year.

To speed things up, ask all family members to get rid of items they no longer use or that are damaged beyond repair.

Besides, you don’t have to throw useless items in the garbage can. You can donate them to associations. It’s also an opportunity to help the underprivileged!

Clean thoroughly

The second step, and surely the most important, is deep cleaning. To do this, you need to:

• Dust the inside of cupboards, drawers, wardrobes, etc. with a feather duster or cloth, then continue with the furniture.
• Clean ceilings and walls using a water-based solution with dishwashing liquid. Rub with a sponge or soft cloth, then rinse.
• Replace all household linen and do a full wash, preferably with a dishwashing liquid.
• Dust all mattresses and turn them over.
• Finish with the floors. In this article, we show you the infallible techniques for shining all kinds of floors.

Tidying up

At this stage, your home should be decluttered and clean. Now all you have to do is tidy up.

You’ll need to fold your clothes properly in your wardrobe, and put away any loose items in the appropriate storage compartments.

Remember to include a storage accessory in each room to keep clutter to a minimum. Attention,

Room-by-room cleaning

Armed with your hygiene products and cleaning equipment, proceed as follows to each room:

In the living room

Start by cleaning the furniture, removing the covers if possible. Soak them in water and laundry detergent to remove dirt and bad smells. Then move on to the window seals, which are usually neglected and therefore dirty. Simply brush them with soapy water or a bleach-free disinfectant to make them shine again.

In the kitchen

It’s time to thoroughly clean all your appliances with a degreasing dishwashing liquid. Disassemble removable parts, clean with soapy water, rinse well and dry. Don’t forget to wipe down power cables and plugs, which get dirty over time.

You should also empty and defrost the refrigerator. Clean and disinfect the inside of the appliance using a bleach-free detergent.

Finally, clean the sink thoroughly using a household descaling agent. If your sink is clogged, you can easily remove the clog with Impec® drain cleaner gel.

In the washrooms

Always clean taps with your household descaling agent. Brush and shine tiles using a disinfectant cleaner that not only cleans but also eliminates micro-organisms. Be careful not to brush mould dry, as you risk dispersing the spores and inadvertently inhaling them.

Lastly, remove the shower curtain and wash it to remove all dirt and limescale.