Cleaning your living room can breathe new life into your home!Of all the rooms in the house that seem to get dirty quickly, none gets filthier than the living room. Everyone dumps their stuff in there, people walk through and before you know it the focal point of your home is an absolute mess!
Spring cleaning your living room really will turn it back into a room that you and your family can enjoy. But it's not an easy task, and can take a good few hours to do properly.
If you're keen and ready, here's how to do it:
STAGE 1: DECLUTTER
- Place all items that don't belong in the living room in a large crate and put aside.
- Purge living room belongings - what do you actually use? Donate the rest to charity.
- If your dining table is in the living room, place the chairs elsewhere - this will give you more room.
- Remove cushions and place elsewhere.
- Take down paintings and photos.
STAGE 2: DRAPERIES, CURTAINS AND WINDOWS
- Take down curtains and draperies and dry clean or wash at home, as per manufacturer's instructions.
- Clean around curtain poles and blinds to ensure all dirt has been removed.
- Clean windows both inside and out. An old toothbrush can be used to clean gaps and crevices.
STAGE 3: CLEAN THE CEILING FAN
- If you've got one, you probably know how much dust it attracts. Give it a good dust, followed by a clean with bactericidal products, to ensure it's germ-free.
STAGE 4: CLEAN OUT CHAIRS AND SOFAS
- Check down the arms of sofas to ensure you don't lose any money (or keys!) in the hoover.
- Use hoover attachments to get in the nooks and crannies of your sofa.
- If you've rented a carpet cleaner, use the upholstery attachment to make your sofas look like new.
- If there are individual stubborn marks, use an upholstery spot cleaner, although as with all products test on an inconspicuous area first.
STAGE 5: CLEAN FURNITURE
- This can be a mammoth task so start early.
- Remove all items from furniture, dust down and store in a separate room.
- Clean out furniture using your bactericidal cleaner and allow to dry.
- Replace items.
STAGE 6: CLEAN LAMPS, BOOKS AND ORNAMENTS
- Books get especially dusty - you may want to clean them outside.
- Be careful with sentimental or fragile ornaments.
- Lamps can be cleaned easily with a small hoover attachment, although open the vent to decrease the flow if the lamp is made of fabric.
STAGE 7: CLEAN ELECTRONICS
- If you haven't cleaned your electronic equipment for a while, such as TVs or HI-FIs, they're likely to be very dusty and dirty.
- Unplug all cables and check for wear and tear.
- Using a soft cloth and cleaner, wipe down all equipment including the inside of TV cabinets.
- Use a gentle cleaner on screens and LCD displays as these can be sensitive.
STAGE 8: CLEAN CARPETS AND FLOORS
- Vacuum carpets and floors thoroughly. Do it again to make sure you've picked everything up.
- Shampoo carpets: you can hire a professional firm to do this or rent a unit yourself.
- Mop down hard floors with a dedicated product to remove marks and kill germs.
STAGE 9: DUST PAINTINGS AND PHOTOS AND REPLACE
- Be careful with original paintings or those on canvas.
- Now is a good time to re-tighten screws and fixtures.
HANDY TIPS:
- Spring cleaning gives you a great excuse to change stuff around a bit and give your living room a bit of a makeover. Research shows that regular changes help keep us happy, so why not move your sofa to the other side of the room?
- Enlist the help of a friend, put on some music and arrange some bubbly for after - who said cleaning couldn't be fun?
If you'd like any more tips on spring cleaning your living room, just post in the comments and we'll respond!