Spring it back! The AA guide to spring-cleaning

Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying has been published in 30 countries and has sold over 4 million copies. In it, she encourages people to only keep things in their homes that ‘spark joy’. She says we need to put our hands on our possessions and ask ourselves if it ‘sparks joy’. If it doesn’t, get rid of it.

Now, my four slice toaster doesn’t make me want to do the Macarena every morning but I still need it – so don’t throw everything in the bin based on Kondo’s suggestion. While not many of us enjoy housework, spring is the perfect time to make your living space clean and serene. Read on for our very gentle guide to spring-cleaning.

CLEAR OUT THE KITCHEN

Start Operation Clear-out by opening all the presses and getting rid of anything out-of-date, beginning with the spice rack. When you bought three kilos of paprika in 1998, we know you intended to use every last ounce of it, but that was 20 years ago so into the bin it goes! How about that cactus jam you bought last summer in Fuertaventura and have not once spread on your batch loaf? Fuer-get about it. And as for the muffin maker from the centre aisle during your weekly shop, see you later muffinator!

Ditch the doubles

If you have any duplicate items that you really only need one of, keep your favourite and drop the others off to your local charity shop. You’ll be able to see what you have in your drawer straight away if you refine what you already have. Another way to help make your kitchen more efficient is to invest in some glass jars (or use whatever you have, as long as they’re see-through). This means you’ll be able to see what you’re running out of and only buy what you need.

SPRUCE UP THE SITTING ROOM

We get used to walking in and out of our homes every day and can become room-blind. We become so accustomed to seeing that one last Christmas decoration hanging off the mirror that when Easter rolls around and Santa is still dangling by his undies, we’re oblivious. The piles of magazines from the weekend papers that we say we’ll cut the recipes out of but never do grow higher with each passing week.

Scan your sitting room with fresh eyes come spring, and get rid of anything you don’t currently need. Recycle those newspapers and magazines you’ll never read again and donate some books to charity.

Make Dermot Bannon proud

While you’re at it, take down the curtains and have them dry cleaned, or if you can’t stretch to that, hang them outside and let the fresh air at them. If you have net or lace curtains, take them down too and wash them. Give everything a dust and polish and make your inner Dermot Bannon proud. Then sit on the couch for 12 hours, eating biscuits while you recover from your endeavours.

GET RID OF THE WINTER GEAR

If there is a little mountain by your front door made up of pairs of shoes kicked off as soon you get in, now is the time to sort it out. Fingers crossed it won’t snow again this year, or at least until the winter, so store away your wellies and snow boots for the year. If you’ve got a rug in your hall, the good news is that they are only meant to be cleaned every five years. This suits my personal cleaning schedule/desire to clean perfectly.

Off the coat-hook

The next thing to do is go through your coat-stand or coat-hooks and see if any can be given to charity or packed away. Heavier coats can be put away until it gets really cold again. Given that we live in Ireland and not the Bahamas, that could be in two minutes’ time but hey, we’re optimists. Removing bulky items such as coats and big woollen scarves will make your hall look less chaotic when you open the door and give you some space back.

DE-CLUTTER THE BEDROOM

In an ideal world, a bedroom would be just that: a light and airy space where we sleep like cute little angels on our super king memory foam mattresses. No clutter, no overflowing wardrobes, no old glasses of water and dirty clothes on the floor. A sleep sanctuary for sloths. The reality is probably quite different to the Instagram fantasy in our heads. Make your space more restful by using the tried and tested ‘getting rid of a load of rubbish and doing a good clear out’ system.

Pull out (not down) your drawers

Throw open your wardrobes and pull out (not down) your drawers. Unless you’re holding onto something for sentimental reasons, give away things you haven’t worn in over a year or are too small for you. If things need to be repaired, put them to one side and get them fixed so you can start enjoying them again. By having less things to choose from, you will hopefully use them more and it will take the hassle out of getting ready in the morning. Get yourself a clothes basket so dirty clothes end up there instead of on the floor. You’ll enjoy collapsing into a heap after a hard day’s work if you don’t have to wade through old socks en route to the bed.

Lightbulb moment

If a bulb is gone in your bedside lamp, go and get a new one. If a picture has fallen off the wall, get a nail and re-hang it (or if the blu-tack has lost its magic, get a new bit). Clean the dust from under your bed and fish out anything that’s been accidentally kicked underneath.

Don’t hate, rotate

We don’t all live in Kardashian-sized mega mansions so storage can be limited, especially if you live in an apartment. However, if you can, try and change the clothes in your everyday rotation with the seasons (i.e. cold, very cold, freezing, ooh what’s that shiny thing in the sky?) and it will free up space. Even though it never gets totally tropical here during the summer months, you’re probably safe to stick your Aran jumpers in the attic or in boxes under your bed until late August.

SORT OUT THE BATHROOM STORAGE

The bathroom is usually the smallest room in the house, but it’s surprising how much unnecessary clutter can accumulate. Once again, you need to employ the scientific ‘go through everything and throw out what you don’t use, is out-of-date, is empty’ method. Once you’ve reduced the amount of items in your cabinet or under the sink, you then need to store them so that they are easy for you to get at. You don’t necessarily need to spend money on fancy storage boxes though. An old biscuit tin will do. Putting your cleaning products into a storage box means you can lift them all out when you’re cleaning instead of using what’s nearest to the front all the time.

Kiss and make-up

Make-up and cosmetics are best kept in see-through containers which are for sale in a number of large high-street chains. When you can see what you have, you’ll be more efficient and more likely to use them. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. One other thing you can do is take out your towels and see what you actually need. Every family is different but two towels per person should be enough, not including hand towels. In addition, instead of storing them flat, rolling them and stacking them on top of one another is a better use of space. Similarly with bedsheets and duvet covers: if you have a matching set, store the cover inside the co-ordinating pillow case. This makes things a little bit easier when changing the sheets as everything is together.

Once you have your house shining like the top of the Chrysler building, give yourself peace of mind that all of your precious and dust-free items are protected with AA Home Insurance. See here for more details and to get a quote.