A third (36%) feel the need to de clutter their life
40% feel that their home could do with a spring clean
44% feel that having a tidy home can make them feel more productive
Spring is finally on the way. It’s officially time to shake off the winter blues – get the duster out, clean the red wine stains off the carpet and fish out the old pieces of wrapping paper from behind the sofa from Christmas.
However, despite the arrival of the new season it has been revealed that two thirds (66%) of us aren’t willing to do an annual clean this National Spring Cleaning Week.
Every year National Spring Cleaning Week aims to support, give advice and provide tips on how you can spring clean every area of your life – from your home to your diet. It’s the perfect time to give you that extra boost to bring in the new season as almost half (44%) have said that having a tidy home makes them feel more productive.
Founder of National Spring Cleaning Week Adam Cox said. “For more than 10 years National Spring Cleaning Week has been encouraging the UK to take spring cleaning to a whole new level. Since our research shows that only 1 in 3 are willing to make the effort there’s clearly more work to do. This year we’re encouraging the UK to make it as fun as possible – put some music on, grab the rubber gloves and duster and get going”.
So, to help you with your yearly ‘cleanse’ we’ve got together five of the must know facts and tips to help you spring clean every area of you, your life and your home:
Spring Clean Your Sponges
Albeit random, this is a cleaning must-know. A moist kitchen sponge is a haven for bacteria to live and accumulate. Your sponge can contain thousands of bacteria per square inch. Researchers have even reported that just 1m of water from a kitchen sponge can contain as much as 10 million bacteria. Bacteria love moisture and the moister a kitchen sponge is, the more it helps the bacteria to survive.
Top tip: To avoid this, you can pop the sponge in the dishwasher every few days on the ‘heated dry’ setting, or alternatively saturate the sponge (add a bit of lemon juice to the water to keep it extra fresh) and heat on high for two minutes every couple of days. However, be sure to keep an eye on it when it’s in there.
Spring Clean Your Work Out
Ok, just because you mop the floors doesn’t mean you can skip a workout, but you would be surprised how many calories your annual spring clean can burn.
Top tips: An hour of mopping can shed 153 calories. Vacuuming can put a big dent in your 10,000 steps a day whilst also burning 119 calories per 30 minutes. Scrubbing the bath can burn 90 calories in 15 minutes and sweeping for 30 minutes can burn 136 calories.
Spring Clean Your Clutter
Spring Cleaning Week offers up the perfect opportunity to clear out all the things you don’t need. A third (36%) has revealed they need to de-clutter their life, whether that be throwing out old clothes or clearing out the rubbish from their car. This will make you feel rejuvenated just in time for the new season.
Top tip: Go through everything. Throw away or give to charity any old clothes that you no longer wear. You can even sell them to make a small profit. Clear out the kitchen cupboards of the jar of mixed herbs that passed its sell by date 3 years ago. Maybe even rearrange some of your furniture. De-cluttering and changing the ordering of your furniture can be a great boost for your mental health.
Spring Clean Your Carpets
A recent study by FastKlean revealed that 12% of us don’t feel that our lifestyle allows enough time to regularly vacuum our houses. Despite this studies have shown that carpets collect approximately ten times more dust than floor boards. They contain hair cells, skin cells, food debris, dirt and insects.
Top tip: Make sure you sweep your carpet with a broom; this will loosen up any ground in dirt for you to then vacuum.
Spring Clean Your Diet
Busy lifestyle and habit often lead to eating the same meals over and over with very little variation. Sticking to the same meals may mean that you’re missing out on certain nutrients and may mean you’re enjoying your food a lot less.
Top tip: Try and boost your inspiration for cooking. Try experimenting with foods that you have never tried, or even just purchase some different herbs and spices that you wouldn’t ordinarily put in your food. If you’re an unhealthy snacker – it may also be good to swap these for some healthy alternatives to mix up your diet.
Adam went on to add: “Most of us have had the experience of appreciating our taken for granted cars once they’ve had a good clean and the same is true of you and your home. The start of spring offers the perfect time to clean up your home and diet. For those of you that really don’t like cleaning then either get technology or someone else to do it for you…”
National Spring Cleaning Week has now been running for 10 years, giving you a hand around the house with moral support, tips, advice and motivation. For more information please go to: www.nationalspringcleaningweek.co.uk