We are all dreaming of some kind of normality this summer and being allowed to invite people into our homes; instead of huddling outside in the garden. You have probably spent time tidying the garden before the last easing of lockdown restrictions; but is your house ready for when friends and family can venture inside in a few weeks’ time? If not, here are some quick and easy tips to get your home ‘fit’ for summer.
Air your house Over the winter your home tends to trap smells like damp, smoke from fires and wood burners, cooking and pet odours. Now the weather is warming up, throw open those windows and doors and give your home a good freshen up throughout.
Let the sunshine in When the sun is out, it highlights all those dirty marks on the windows and glass doors; especially children’s handprints. Giving them a good clean inside and out will instantly make your home look fresher, let the light in more and remove all those spiders’ webs that have built up over the winter.
Clean those handprints With the kids being at home more than normal over the winter; it is likely the walls are also covered in dirty finger-prints. Give them a gentle wipe down to freshen them up and concentrate on those areas around the door frames which get filthy. You may have also noticed lots of little black dots around the house; these are spider poos – but just wipe off easily!
Freshen up your lounge area If your sofas and armchairs are looking worse for wear; it’s time to freshen them up. Remove any fitted cushions and vacuum up crumbs and other debris. Use a steam cleaner on the cushions or alternatively just use a good quality upholstery cleaner. However, if your sofas and armchairs are overdue a deep clean and you are really not confident – get a professional in. For sofas with removable covers; you can pop them in the washing machine on a hand-wash to get any stains off.
Wash your home furnishings It’s time to put all those heavy blankets and snuggly throws away after giving them a good shake outside and washing and drying them. Most cushion covers are removable and can be put on a hand or 30-degree wash and you will be surprised how dirty they actually are. If they are in need of an update; just pop a new cover over the old one and try mixing and matching yellows and bright colours/patterns for a summery feel.
Change your furniture around In the winter we tend to move our furniture for a cosy feel around a focal point like the fireplace; and away from the radiators to maximise the heat. However, in the summer we want to enjoy the views of the garden and the sunshine coming in, with our windows and doors all left open. There is nothing better than curling up on a armchair by the door with the sunshine warming you up.
Make updates to rooms Sometimes all it takes to refresh a room is to move photos or artwork around or update some of your accessories by adding a new statement piece of artwork or a new clock on the wall. Get yourself in the holiday mood (if we are lucky enough to go away this year) and have a selection of happy holiday photos printed and framed. Fresh flowers also really improve your indoor space and make you feel happy and summery.
Deep clean your bathroom With us being at home more, our bathrooms have been getting more use than ever and with no visitors using them recently; they may well have become neglected! Get your rubber gloves on, concentrate on any mould patches and let your toilets soak overnight with bleach in for those tough limescale marks. Always air your bathroom after showers and baths to avoid damp or mould building up from condensation. When it’s sparkling again; get some new towels if they are looking shabby and add candles and lotions and potions.
Cool and refresh your bed In the cooler months there is nothing better than staying in a nice warm bed; so, our beds now need a really deep clean. Strip your beds, turn the mattresses and wash or replace mattress protectors. Give your mattress a good hoover on both sides and then put some cool fresh bedding on. Store your throws and blankets away and remember to swap your winter duvet for the lower tog option to keep you cooler at night.
Put winter clothing away Once you are confident the warmer weather is here to stay, put your winter clothing into the loft to make more room for cooler summer clothing. It can be placed into vacuum packed bags to take up less room.
Tidy your outdoor space If your garden is not quite ready for visitors; just cutting the lawn can make a world of difference. Tidy the pots and flowerbeds and give your decking or patio a brush to get rid of dust, leaves and other debris. Pressure washing it can give amazing results or just use a hose, broom and scrubbing brush. Wash your chairs and tables and check they are still useable and have no cracks. If you haven’t yet enjoyed the first BBQ of the year; check it’s clean and ready for use; as it could still has the remnants of last summer’s sausages sitting there!
Love your home Our homes tend to get neglected over the winter as we just want to snuggle up on the sofa in front of the fire. However, once the weather starts to warm up; its all about connecting with our outside space again. Take time now to prepare your home and you will then be ready to entertain and catch up with all those friends and family you haven’t seen for months without worrying. It is also the ideal time weather wise to get the outside house maintenance jobs carried out that you ideally need better weather to carry out.
We hope these tips have been useful to help you organise and transform your home ready for the first visitors of the year 😊
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