After a long, long winter it is finally starting to feel like spring around here.
It is so lovely to be able to throw open all the windows and let the fresh air and gorgeous sunlight into the house. But have you ever noticed that in that bright natural light you can suddenly see all the dust that’s been hidden by the dark winter? It’s definitely time for a spot of spring cleaning and to refresh our house a little bit.
We were sent a few bits and pieces from Home Bargains recently to help spruce things up a bit around here, and it’s been lovely to get moving and blow away the winter cobwebs from the house.
The first room I tackled was the bathroom. We were sent some rubber gloves, some fab microfiber cleaning clothes and this Cif power and shine bathroom spray, so I couldn’t really avoid cleaning this room!
I normally use just a general antibacterial cleaning spray in our bathroom and it always seems to have done a decent enough job of keeping things clean. After using this Cif though I think I might make the switch to a spray that is specifically designed for bathrooms.
The sink and the bath were really sparkling when I’d finished cleaning them with this.
And I love the fact that it is meant to help repel water and dirt, so cleaning the bathroom in the future should be even quicker and easier!
After tackling the sink, bath and toilet with the Cif spray I did the mirror and glass shelf with a vinegar-based spray and the microfiber clothes for a nice streak-free finish. I popped the mats in the wash and cleaned the floor.
Then all that was left to do was put out this lovely scented candle to keep the room smelling nice and fresh!
I think that the way your home smells can have a big impact on how fresh and clean it feels, and I really love reed diffusers for the constant scent they give.
We were sent this vanilla orchid diffuser and it smells lovely.
It’s sitting on the mantelpiece in our lounge and I can actually smell it right now from my desk. It’s not too overpowering but it is a noticeable scent, which I like.
Putting it on display on the mantelpiece also prompted me to take everything else off there first and give it a good dusting, which is something I don’t do anywhere near as regularly as I should. I’m working on a bit of a cleaning schedule at the moment to try and get into a bit of a routine to make sure jobs like that actually get done on a more regular basis!
Along with adding a new fragrance, putting new photos or decorative items up at home can really freshen things up for the new season.
I’m planning on getting some of our family photos printed out in a bigger size than the prints I’ve been putting in our family album, so that we can frame them and hang them up somewhere in the house.
In the meantime though, I’ve moved a few of our current pieces around a bit to freshen things up, and to make room for this lovely ‘there’s no place like home’ frame that we were sent from Home Bargains.
I’ve hung it up in our hallway and it’s lovely to come home to every day.
Now I just have to decide if I want to hang up a photo or two with the cute little pegs, or if we’ll use it to hang up notes to remind ourselves of any important things we need take with us when we leave the house!
This quick spring refresh has really spurred me on to get the whole house sorted and ready for the new season. I think I may well be popping in to Home Bargains next time I’m in that part of town to pick up a few more bits and pieces. The cleaning products are always a great deal there, and there are always fab bits of homeware that I love browsing through!
Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Do you follow a particular cleaning schedule or just tackle things as and when they look like they need doing?
Disclaimer: I was sent a selection of products for the purposes of this post, however all words, opinions and photos are my own.