We’ve just moved to our forever home, an old 1930’s house, which is so exciting on one hand but on the other has brought about some new challenges in the way we live. We’ve taken on a bigger mortgage at the same time as everyone feeling the pinch with energy prices, alongside getting to grips with cleaning and organising an old house and new layout.
After finding some ways to make life easier, I wanted to share My Top Tips for Spring Cleaning and Decluttering the Home which I hope will help you too…
Drying Clothes
Ideally we’d always peg out the washing to save on energy bills but with the good old British weather it’s not always possible.
I’ve been reluctant to always use our tumble dryer for cost purposes (plus I’ve been known to shrink an item or two!) and our old house has little double glazing meaning we need the radiators uncovered (this method isn’t suppose to be cost-effective either), so I was relieved to discover the heated clothes airer.
We’ve got A Heated Clothes Airer which simply plugs in to the wall when we want to use it and folds away neatly into the under-stairs cupboard after use. It’s also narrow enough to fit along the wall opposite the washing machine whilst still giving us access to the back door.
According to research, heated airers are more economical than tumble dryers plus they offer the benefit of drying clothes from room airflow too, so it’s no surprise to read reports of them flying off the shelves.
I would highly recommend ours; as well as helping us to save money it’s helps me to get through my family’s washing far quicker than a standard airer ever would. I would never be able to keep up!
Organising the Laundry
Our new-old house has very impractical spaces until we renovate, meaning I’ve had to be cleverer with my organisation of the cleaning and decluttering.
One game changer has been adding a rail and narrow cabinet to the wall in the laundry area.
It’s such a small detail but since I’ve minimal storage space in this small room, it’s allowed me to hang storage baskets for pegs (and a little bit of prettiness with some faux flowers!), dry more items over the rail and have somewhere to keep laundry products. I’ve displayed our laundry tablets in glass apothecary jars on the unit so they’re nicer to look at.
We also have a box in the corner of the room for clothes which are no longer used or don’t fit. I either list and sell them or bag them up for the recycling bank before they end up back upstairs. Not only does it bring in some extra pennies but it declutters the wardrobes and helps to recycle too.
Cleaning
Rather than buying lots of cleaning gadgets to do lots of different jobs (then having to find storage for it all), we wanted to get smarter by finding one product that will do it all.
Our Steam Cleaner has been a game changer, particularly as a family of four with a Goldendoodle pup!
It kills 99.99% of bacteria meaning we get deep cleaning results without having to use harmful chemicals, which is really valuable considering we have eczema sufferers in the family.
Not only can we use it on the floors, a daily occurrence now we have real grass in the garden and a dog who is consistently in and out! But it also removes grease from oven doors and hobs, stains from upholstery and carpets, AND limescale and mould from tiles and taps. Say whaaaaaaat?!
See what I mean when I say game changer?!
I hope My Top Tips for Spring Cleaning and Decluttering the Home have given you some useful information if you’re trying to cost and space save in your own home.
If you’d like a nose around our old house, a 3 storey new build, to give you an idea on our style and how we’re likely to decorate our new one, our home has very kindly been featured on Love to Home.
Do add your own tips in the comments or tag me on Instagram so I can share them!
Until next time,
Kel x
Thank you to Very.co.uk for sponsoring this post.
