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As we close off the first half of 2024, Dubai’s property market has shown impressive growth across all residential sectors with no signs of slowing down.
All of a sudden we have found ourselves spending a lot more time at home! The more you’re there, the more you realise how unorganised you’ve become or how much you’ve let things slide in the cleaning department.
Well, there's no better time than the present to get your home in order and it just so happens that a lock down has come in the spring months - que the spring clean. Here are a few simple tips:
Get Organised!
A spring clean or a clean out in general can seem a little overwhelming if it’s been a while since you last tackled your overflowing wardrobe, so it’s best to make a plan and break your cleaning into small manageable chunks.
On day one of your spring clean, wake up nice and early and write down a to-do list. It’s good to start at the top and work your way down. Maybe task one could be that cupboard underneath the sink in your en-suite bathroom? Get all those half empty bottles of moisturiser sorted out and go from there. Before you know it, the bathroom will be all done and you’ll already feel like you’re getting somewhere.
If there’s a few of you in the house - get all hands on deck! A little hour every day for everyone will break up the time at home and it will make you feel good!
Get Ready!
Once you’ve set a spring clean plan, make sure you have all the cleaning and organising essentials at the ready! Empty the hoover, clean your dusters, stock up on the multi-surface cleaner and the anti-bacterial spray and get a new mop (when was the last time you cleaned that mop?)
Really Clean the Bathroom!
So let's say you’ve started in the bathroom, had a clear out and you’re ready to get cleaning. Grab your basket of cleaning products and get started.
There are 2 areas in the bathroom that you can really get into and that is the shower head and that discolouring grout.
For the shower head, Pour an ample amount of white vinegar into a plastic grocery bag (enough to fully submerge the shower head nozzle) and tie it in place for an overnight soaking. Remove it in the morning and run the water to rinse.
For the grout, Dip a grout brush (or an old toothbrush) in straight bleach and scrub any discolored areas; rinse well. Be sure to ventilate the room afterwards and keep kids and pets away.
Tackle the Wardrobe
The wardrobe is the most daunting spring cleaning step of all, so tackle this early on. It is also a step that you can only do yourself. You wouldn’t want your other half to take control of your ‘get rid’ pile would you?
Split your wardrobe clean out into categories and go from there. Sort through your jeans, then your tops and then your dresses and then your shoes and go on until you have cut your wardrobe almost in half. Whilst you’re emptying each of your cupboard’s have the cleaning material at the ready to give them a spruce before you put your nicely folded or hung up clothes back in. If you’re really getting into it, why not colour coordinate?
The Dreaded Kitchen Clean
Tackle the kitchen cupboards like you’ve tackled your wardrobe. Be ruthless with jars of food you’ve had for months (or years!) that have sat in your cupboard taking up valuable space. Remove items from every cupboard, give them a clean, clean the cupboard and then replace the items neatly and with an air of organisation. You’ll be surprised at the meal options you could make with everything you’ve now realised you have in your cupboards, freezer and fridge! No more ‘we’ve got nothing in for dinner’ excuses!
For a stainless steel sink, Create a blend of baking soda and lemon juice for the surface. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1/4 cup of lemon juice and pour it over the surface of your sink. Let this mixture stand for approximately 10 minutes before rinsing it away with hot water. Do this to your sink at least once a week. Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that breaks down dirt and grease, so feel free to sprinkle it on cracks and harder-to-hit places, such as around the faucet and handles, and scrub at it with a toothbrush.
The Miscellaneous Cupboard and Drawer Challenge
We all have one, that cupboard or drawer that we just throw a bit of anything in. It’s the drawer we open only to throw things in and never to get things out of - that’s a sign that we need to get in there and start throwing things away! You never know, you may come across something that you’ve been looking for and thought you’d lost - bonus!
Again, be ruthless with this drawer or cupboard, most of what’s in there, you do not need. Stop convincing yourself that you will use that broken pencil one day!