As the weather gets warmer, the sky bluer, and the days longer, it can only mean one thing – spring is here! Say goodbye to those bitterly cold mornings and depressingly dark nights, and say hello to the season of rebirth and renewal. Or at least in theory anyway, if the recent solar eclipse is anything to go by, grey skies are here to stay. But one thing that can’t be dampened by clouds is the fabled spring clean. Everybody knows they should do it, but if the weather does actually begin to get nice, why should I stay inside and clean? So we've put together five tips for an effective spring clean, enjoy!

1)     Make a Plan

While it may sound obvious, the sheer scale of a spring clean can catch people off guard, especially if you’ve never done one before. Make a plan with a section for each room of the house, and then list all the jobs you can think of. Think about tasks such as cleaning the baseboards, the walls and the windows, as well as moving and cleaning behind and underneath furniture. Doing this will mean the entire clean is organised and you will save hours of time.

2)     Get Prepared

You’ve agreed on a weekend, you’ve made a plan, you’re ready to do this. You open your store cupboard, only to be greeted by a 2 year old sponge, a feather duster, and half a bottle of bleach. Oh.  The last thing you want to do now is run to the shop and buy some supplies, so make sure you do this in advance. You’ll need an all-purpose cleaner for the walls to the floors and glass cleaner for windows and mirrors. And don’t forget about specialised cleaners such silver polish and oven cleaner for those once-a-year jobs. Equally important are your tools, inspect them all from mops to brooms and replace them if they’re out of shape. A frayed broom can make sweeping take twice as long. Finally, microfiber cloths are brilliant all for your dusting needs.

3)     Use your Spring clean to declutter

Despite what its name suggests, just tidying up is very important to a spring clean. There’s no point lifting up a stack of papers and cleaning under them, only to put them straight back afterwards. Yes, you’ll get rid of the dust but the room will look just as messy. Spend time arranging things neatly and ask yourself, do I really need this? If the answer is no (which it often is), get rid of it! Donate it to charity and add to the feel-good factor that spring brings. Alternatively, if you’re willing to invest a bit more time and money, there are some super-stylish storage solutions available – like the one shown below. Not only do they declutter the room, but if done properly they can look incredible.

4)     Attack the kitchen

While every single room is important, none sets the mood for the home quite like the kitchen. It is often the first and last impression your guests will have of your house, so the spring clean is a great way of ensuring it’s a good one. Remove any food from open view and then clean, scrub, wash and dust like you never have before. The cabinets, floor and worktops are the three essentials, scrub until they sparkle as the saying goes. And don’t forget the appliances; you want to clean until you can see your reflection. Our very own Robert Clark has made this handy guide for cleaning your kitchen doors – you can watch that here. On the other hand, if you’re a bit lazy like us – transform your kitchen by replacing the doors and drawer fronts for a clean, stylish look.

5)     Have Fun With Your Spring Clean

If you dread and fear the spring clean – you’re never going to enjoy it. It’s only as boring as you make it. Invite some friends and family round and make a day of it. Stick the radio on, have a few drinks and celebrate by buying them dinner – as long as they don’t make a mess!

So stop reading and preparing for that spring clean now! Or, let us know what your tips are in the comments below.