This time a year ago, who would have thought that half of the seven billion people that reside on this Earth would go under lockdown?
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the Covid-19 virus as a global pandemic that required stringent measures to bring under managed control. With no current vaccine and no specific treatment yet, the only approach that governments around the globe could adopt to slow its rate of spread was to shut all businesses, schools, shops and services down. Put simply: everyone has to stay at home until things get better. Now, after a month under lockdown, countries are beginning to explore how to gradually lift the lockdown restrictions. With social distancing indefinitely underway, you may be wondering how to spend all that time. Besides nature walks, (thankfully the weather is warming up as spring is officially here!), cooking, office work and exercising, what can you do?
Well mate, what about tackling some spring cleaning projects under this quarantine?
Do keep in mind that the following suggestions are not exactly super fun- but will leave you with a sense of accomplishment once completed.
Rinse your washer and dryer
When was the last time you gave your washer and dryer an effective cleaning?
Take out a nice, fresh dusting cloth and wipe down the outer sides of your washing machine/dryer. Don’t forget the surface as well as the door! Next, go for the caskets and wipe that down properly too. Take a bit of vinegar and water to clean the detergent dispenser. This combination will leave this part of your machine shiny and new-looking! Once you have taken care of these steps, start your washing machine on its hottest cycle and let it function for a complete cycle with two cups of vinegar instead of the traditional laundry detergent.
Okay, great! Now that your washing machine is sparkling, ready to give the dryer a go?
The dryer is a bit more challenging. Firstly, you will want to ensure that the lint trap and ductwork are liberated from any lint build-up. Take another clean cloth and dip it into a mixture of one part vinegar with one part water. With that rag, wipe down the inside of your dryer along with its door and its exterior components.
By keeping your washing machine and dryer clean, not only are you extending their product lifecycle, but you are maximizing their efficacy in washing your clothes. Attire needs to be washed properly with detergents that suit your needs. By maintaining them, you will ensure that your clothes are sanitized properly – something that is extremely important in these pandemic stricken times that we are living in!
Sterilise your dishwasher
It is perfectly natural if you tend to forget about cleaning your dishwasher. As human beings, we tend to forget that appliances that serve cleaning purposes also require some care. Also, you do not want your precious dishwasher to become a mating round for bacteria. Got an old toothbrush lying around? Take that and use it to scrub around the dishwasher machine’s door including the rubber gaskets that close it up. Take a cup of vinegar and put it in the soapbox and let the dishwasher run at its warmest cycle. Make sure that there are no dishes inside as it has to be completely empty. You can scatter a bit of baking soda on the inner floor of your dishwasher as well and let another cycle of hot water run through. This will really do a great job!
Clean your boiler
Let’s be honest: it is impossible to live without a boiler in cold winter months. If you wish to clean your boiler, the first thing to do is to switch it off. With temperatures rising under the lockdown, there is no better occasion. Once your boiler is off, let it cool down. Then, remove the chimney and vacuum the dirt out! Take a good steel brush and scrub your boiler from the top straight down to the bottom and into its firebox. When you are finished with these tasks, it is time to take out the burner. The secret here? Ensure that all power if off! You do not want to hurt yourself! Clean the gasket and put everything back together. Since you are making all this effort, it wouldn’t hurt to check out your boiler cover policy. Click here to learn more!
Dust your ceiling fans
Since your ceiling fan is, well on the ceiling, it is difficult to perceive how much dust tends to accumulate on it with the passage of time. That dust can cause allergies or other problems. Even if it does not, the mere fact is that it will not function properly if it is full of dust. Here is a fun tip to clean the fan blades: place an old pillowcase over each fan blade, one at a time and wipe them clean. The dust will gather in the pillowcase and all you have to do is take it outside and shake it out. Do not worry, you are not losing out on your precious pillowcase as you can always put it in your freshly cleaned washing machine and run a hot water cycle to sanitize it properly.
Purify your oven
We believe you clean your oven, but when was the last time you gave it a good deep scrubbing? Mix up vinegar, baking soda and a bit of dish soap with some fresh lemon juice. Take a clean cloth and dip it into this mixture and spread it onto your inner oven walls. Let it remain there for a few hours. Then, scrub the areas inside your oven where the stains are the worst with a sponge. Once done, use a kitchen cloth to wipe it clean and then wipe it down again with a clean cloth. This should make your oven as good as new!
Ready to get started? Best of luck!
Leave a Reply