10 Spring Cleaning Hacks For Chinese New Year

It’s that time of the year again where we have friends and family over for merrymaking. As much as we love catching up with our nearest and dearest, the thought of having to keep everything spick and span makes us want to run away and skip Chinese New Year altogether. Fortunately, we’ve found 10 awesome tips that will make cleaning less of a chore – for a more stress-free you!

1. Start The Right Way

Cleaning becomes a lot easier if you follow a systematic way of tackling it. For example, begin with the right side of a room and continue in a clockwise or anti-clockwise manner. This will get you into the swing of things. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll get more and more efficient with every room.

2. Prepare A Cleaning Bag

So you are in the middle of scrubbing your bathroom floor when you realise you’ve left your microfiber cloth in the kitchen. You spend the next 10 minutes searching for it, then realise you’ve completely forgotten about the furniture polish. Load your detergents and cleaning tools into a bag, so you can grab them easily and immediately get down to business the next time you clean! You won’t believe how much time this tip can save you.

3. Set A Time Limit

Sometimes, we can get carried away with certain chores, and devote too much time to scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain. Time that could be productively spent in the living room is wasted when we pick at something that, in fact, requires professional help. Set a time limit for each task. This way, you’ll know when to move on and not be delayed by trying to perfect every single thing.

4. Top To Bottom

It’s tempting to clean the dustiest part of a furniture first, and randomly wipe around its surfaces. Unfortunately, this may cause dirt to settle over surfaces you’ve already cleaned and detergent to drip all over. Take on a piece of furniture by starting at the top, and then make your way down to its base. This system is much more standardised, and you’ll never miss a dirty spot!

5. Keep Trays Stain-Free

Don’t let your brown and stained baking trays discourage you from doing your annual baking. Create a magical cleaning paste by mixing hydrogen peroxide with baking soda. Spread it out onto the dirty parts of your tray, and let it sit for a few hours. You’ll be amazed by what this concoction can do. We love how it cleans tough stains effortlessly with no need for heavy scrubbing!

6. Re-use Old Pillowcases

We love tips that involve recycling because it feels like we’re killing two birds with one stone. To clean your dusty ceiling fan, hook an old pillowcase onto each blade, and slide it down by pulling the tip. This genius way of cleaning just needs one swipe for every blade, and you won’t even need to rummage through your store room for the ladder.

7. Power Of Salt

So you need to head out for your Chinese New Year gathering soon, and are about to iron your favourite shirt when you notice how grimy the underside of the appliance is. Get rid of the residue by pouring salt onto a paper towel and ironing over it. Just remember to turn it to the highest setting, and switch your steamer off. Bonus trick: Use coarser salt as it has more surface area, which means it’ll grab more dirt!

8. Dress For Cleaning

People often overlook this aspect, but it is actually more important than it seems. The way we dress affects us psychologically, and can influence our moods for different occasions. Wear something comfortable that will make you feel like you can conquer the world on the day of cleaning! Remember to don an apron so you’ll be protected from all the filth.

9. Corral Loose Items

This is especially useful in a bathroom because we know how difficult it is to limit the amount of hand soaps and lotions you wish to present on the counter. A part of you wants to provide your guests with variety, but the other desires to keep the place as de-cluttered as possible. Good news - you can now keep everything and still make your space look organised by arranging the containers neatly on an elegant tray.

10. Super Quick Home Touch Ups

But my in-laws are coming in 15 minutes!

Don’t panic, these shortcut cheats will fool them into thinking you started cleaning weeks ago.

• Spritz linen spray such as Febreze on your pillows, sheets, and couch to fake that fresh-out-of-the-laundry smell.
• For a quick dust-down, use a lint roller on your lampshade or sofa. All things unsightly will stick to it in no time.
• Spray furniture polish on conspicuous surfaces like the coffee table or fridge for a shiny and spotless appearance.