ACTION HOMELESS - Aspire Magazine

Spring Clean
Time For A
Spring
Clean
by Laura Hyde
Tips
• Make sure you have everything you need before you
star t to avoid unnecessary trips to the shops half way
through a job.
• Do one room at a time - why not play your favourite
upbeat songs to help keep you in the mood; you’ll also
burn more calories with all the dancing!
• Pour a couple of cups of white vinegar into your kettle
and boil to remove limescale - make sure you wash the
kettle out thoroughly afterwards.
• Pour half a cup of soda crystals down the drain to
prevent blockages - flush through with hot water.
• To give your house an inexpensive fresh feel for spring,
buy some new accessories, such as candles, throws and
cushions, and picture frames.
Spring Kitchen From John Lewis
Brighten up your kitchen this spring and give the heart of your home a fresh new look, with a few seasonal updates.
From crockery to cutlery, teapots to napkin rings, John Lewis Leicester has everything you need to entertain with style…
• Le Creuset Coastal Blue Casserole Pot - £12 * Exclusive to John Lewis
• Keep Calm & Carry On Teapot - £18
• Rob Ryan Plates (set of four) - £25
• Wooden Pinch Pots - £16
• Sophie Conran Measuring Cups (set of four) - £20
• Napkin Rings (set of four) - £12
• Coastal Napkins (set of four) - £14
• Brighton Jug - £15
• Coastal Glass - £5
• Union Jack Tea Towel - £10
• John Lewis Vintage Cutlery – from £3.50
This Sunday (March 20th) is the Vernal Equinox – the first day of spring. It’s traditionally a time for cleaning the
house, ridding it of winter cobwebs and generally preparing for the summer. So, it’s time to roll up your sleeves
and give it some elbow grease to ensure your house is shiny from top to bottom…
Living Room
It’s time to focus on all those spots that often get missed:
lampshades, skirting boards and the top of door frames are all
places that get neglected, so make sure you pay them a little
attention.
It’s also the perfect time to ensure windows and doors are
working properly. Clean the tracks on sliding windows and
doors so you can enjoy cool summer breezes when the time
comes. It’s also the ideal time to ensure your windows are
gleaming – give them a clean by applying window cleaner
and wiping over with a lint-free cloth. Dry them with a clean
sheet of newspaper for a streak-free finish.
Kitchen
With so many appliances and white goods in 21st Century
kitchens, we don’t often have time to clean them all on a
regular basis – the arrival of spring is the perfect time to
clean these, focusing especially on clearing out old food
from the fridge, and canned, jarred and packaged goods
from cupboards that have passed their expiry dates. In fact,
it’s reported that most people only clean their fridge once
or twice a year, so why not make an effort to wipe it out and
clean any glass shelves and drawers at least once a month.
The oven is another appliance many people avoid cleaning
regularly. Here, prevention is key; wipe any spills as they
happen and don’t let grease build up. However, if you haven’t
cleaned your oven since last spring, tough measure will be
needed to clean away all those meals, with some debris
probably left over from Christmas! Non-scratch scourer
sponges are great for burnt offerings and generally getting rid
of the first layer of grease and debris, but that fired on grease
needs a good soak in the sink with dishwasher detergent.
For inside the oven, an all-purpose oven cleaner is a great
idea, as is eye protection as the last thing you want is to be
splashed in the eye with strong cleaning fluid! Remove the
all-purpose cleaner with clean, warm water and a sponge and
wipe away any remaining grime with a non-scratch scourer
pad.
Bathroom
Like the kitchen, the bathroom is one room in the house
every member of the family uses on a daily basis, so it
deals with a lot. The arrival of spring gives us the chance
to clean those often forgotten about places, such as the
shower head. Scientists from the University of Colorado in
America have discovered that there’s a one in three chance
that your shower head is harbouring significant levels of
‘Mycobacterium avium’, which can cause lung disease.
To ensure your shower head isn’t delivering deadly diseasecausing
bacteria on a daily basis to your whole family,
unscrew it and place it in boiling water in an old saucepan
for 10 minutes. Do this once a month and you’ll be safe in the
knowledge you’re actually having a clean shower.
Another place in the bathroom that can harbour bacteria
that’s often missed during the weekly clean is the light cord.
Around one third of men don’t wash their hands properly
after going to the toilet, so your light cord and even door
handle can become a breeding ground for an array of
harmful bacteria. Just give the light cord and any bathroom
handles a wipe with diluted bleach (50/50) every time you
clean the bathroom.
As well as polishing bathroom mirrors, shower screens and
windows, a ‘spring clean’ gives us the perfect excuse to clear
out the bathroom cabinet; throw out anything half-used
that you’ve not touched in the last six months, and throw
out anything you don’t need any more.
Bedroom
The arrival of the warmer weather gives us the chance
to clean duvets, blankets and pillows, but don’t forget to
flip your mattress to help prevent sagging, increasing its
lifespan.
Spring is also the perfect time to clean out your wardrobe
of anything you didn’t wear during 2010, and re-introduce
some of the summery clothes you did wear but packed
away for the winter. Be strict and get rid of anything that
doesn’t fit or has holes in it that can’t be fixed. Once you’ve
sorted out your wardrobe, pack away your winter clothes
and throw in a mothball or two for good measure.
For more details, please visit www.johnlewisleicester.com or call 08456 049 049
Prices correct at time of print
ASPIRE 13