Spring cleaning tips from the “Queen of Clean”

  • New research finds Brits spend 14 hours a week cleaning but could save hundreds of hours AND make money through just one annual ‘Spring Clean’
  • New research has revealed that over half (51%) of Brits NEVER ‘spring clean’ their homes
  • More than a third of Brits opt for frequent, ad-hoc cleaning instead , spending an average of 14 hours each week on this
  • Cleaning expert Lynsey “Queen of Clean” Crombie believes a yearly spring clean improves organisation and productivity, saving time in the long run

With spring just around the corner, you may think Brits are readying their rubber gloves or short term storage plans and disinfectant spray and jay cloths for the annual ‘big spring clean’ but new research suggests that an annual spring clean is a thing of the past for most people.

Brits are instead favouring smaller scale, frequent cleaning. However, this is perhaps not an efficient use of time as the research reveals that, on average, Brits spend up to 14 hours – or two working days – a week cleaning their homes. However, a spring clean generally just uses one day out of the calendar year, and you can actually make money from a spring clean. Over half of Brits (58.3%) say they have made money from selling unwanted, second-hand items from their home following a spring clean.

The research, conducted by storage providers, Space Station  found that more than a third (36%) of Brits clean in an ad hoc way throughout the year and never get round to conducting a deep clean of their home every spring. More than one in 10 Brits (12%) cite not having enough time as the reasoning behind this, despite the average Brit spending a staggering 28 days a year on regular cleaning.

Interestingly, millennials are the most regular ‘spring cleaners’ with almost three in five (56%) 25-34 year-olds partaking in the yearly spring clean, whereas only a quarter (25%) of 45-54 year-olds spring clean their home once a year.

Perhaps surprisingly, more males confess to undertaking a big spring clean than women. More than half of British males (52%) spring clean their homes over a year, whereas only 46% of females do. However, women are more likely to sell unwanted items following a clear out to make money, with almost two thirds (63%) making extra cash through this, whereas only 53% of men have done so.

When it comes to the benefits of a yearly spring clean, more than a quarter of Brits (26%) say that cleaning helps improve their wellbeing and mental health. More than half of Brits (52%) feel that the biggest benefit is being able to declutter your home. A further one in five (20%) admit that the biggest benefit is being able to make money from selling unwanted things or donating items they no longer need to charity.

The research comes at a time when cleaning and decluttering is becoming a hot topic on social media, with influencers such as Mrs Hinch, Marie Kondo and Lynsey ‘Queen of Clean’ Crombie, encouraging the nation to clean more efficiently by following  their cleaning hints and tips.

Commenting on the benefits of spring cleaning, expert author Lynsey Crombie, who is releasing her own book full of cleaning tips said:

Over the winter months we spend more time at home, so our homes take a lot more wear and tear. Also, over winter we tend to keep our windows closed, so our homes don’t get the opportunity to air properly, and indoor air pollution can be just as bad as outside pollution. By opening windows and airing our homes, we are actually improving our health by recirculating fresh air rather than old air.

Having a yearly or twice yearly spring clean will save you time in the long run, you will be more organised and productive from living in a clean and tidy space and you will be motivated to keep it like this.

Lynsey’s top spring cleaning tips

  • Turn off distractions, put your phone on aeroplane mode to avoid stopping for texts and phone calls.
  • Create a fun happy playlist to keep you motivated while you clean
  • Start at the top of the house and work your way down, and work top to bottom in each room (such as cleaning away cobwebs from your ceiling before hoovering)
  • Get all the family involved – a family that cleans together stays together!/
  • Open the windows and outside doors to air your home out
  • Make sure your vacuum has been cleaned and emptied before you start
  • Be ruthless – if you don’t need items you come across when spring cleaning, throw them out!
  • To keep on top of your regular cleaning, adapt a weekly cleaning plan and stick to it. Monday, clean the floors, Tuesday, clean the bathroom and so on. This way no job is left forgotten
  • Most importantly – have fun!

Commenting on the findings, Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station, said:

We all like to keep our homes clean and tidy. Getting rid of unwanted clutter in the home is especially rewarding as it allows for more space and more room to fill your house with things you actually love, use and need.

Whilst Brits are still regularly cleaning their homes, they don’t perhaps realise that opting for one or two big spring cleans per year will save you hundreds of hours per year. Of course, house cleaning and tidying needs to be addressed regularly, doing one big spring clean a year means you can just spruce up your home as and when instead of a regular deep clean. Our research has also found that Brits can even make money from selling items post spring clean, so hopefully Lynsey’s helpful tips will encourage more people to spring clean this year.