In this article we look to the pros for their cleaning tips and tricks and Redrow have asked their in-house interior and sustainability experts for ways to become cleaner and greener, as well as speaking to some homeowners to find their favourite home hacks.
If you’re planning a traditional spring clean, then this article might help – with some handpicked storage hacks and cleaning tips just for you. Decluttering and organising our homes has become a media phenomenon, starting in the US and now gaining traction among UK viewers, with experts like Marie Kondo, The Home Edit team and even Stacey Solomon giving us tips to organise and spruce up our homes.
Kitchen storage hacks and kitchen cleaning tips
The kitchen is at the heart of most homes, and the place many of us spend the majority of our time. Redrow homes feature open-plan kitchens combined with dining and family spaces, designed to be a central hub. Because they are so well-used, kitchens can be a magnet for clutter and cleaning can become a burden, if it’s not regularly attended to.
Olivia Ward, sustainability manager at Redrow, said: “There are lots of alternative household products you can use to clean that don’t contain harsh chemicals. If you want to know an eco-friendly method of how to clean an oven, try spreading a paste made from half a cup of baking soda and 2-3 tablespoons of water throughout and then wiping off with a damp cloth. Spray white vinegar over tougher patches of dirt. This will foam with the remaining baking soda and ensure your oven is sparkling.
“Using vinegar is also one of my favourite tips for cleaning a microwave. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to a small bowl of water and heat on high for five minutes. The steam will do its work and make your microwave much easier to clean.”
Redrow ambassador Kerry Kellet has a similar kitchen cleaning hack for the sink; mixing bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar: “This works brilliantly on a stainless-steel sink to keep it fresh. Scrub with a toothbrush to remove any tough stains.”
Redrow’s interior designer and self-confessed decluttering addict Alysha Alli said: “I love to use lots of kitchen cupboard storage hacks at home to stay organised. Tiered condiment and spice racks and lazy Susans can all really help keep the inside of your cabinets looking Instagram ready.”
Homeowner Charlotte Chapman adds: “We have made the most of the space in our house by adding extra shelves into all of our cupboards. In the kitchen we have the tall, ‘pantry’ cupboard, where we have added labelled storage boxes on each shelf, which makes things so much easier to find and keep tidy. We did the same with our under-sink cupboard to organise our cleaning supplies.”
Storing food properly can help to reduce food waste so Olivia’s advice is to invest in reusable containers to keep things like cheese, cooked meats and leftovers fresh. “Decanting goods like cereals and pasta into clear containers can also help you to see what you have in stock so you don’t overbuy,” said Olivia.
Bathroom storage hacks and bathroom cleaning tips
Our old favourite – white vinegar – is back and it’s another of Oliva’s favourite bathroom cleaning hacks.
“Vinegar makes a brilliant homemade glass cleaner so it can be used on your bathroom mirrors and shower screens. If you infuse the vinegar in a glass jar with leftover citrus peels, you can create a really fresh smelling solution too.”
Charlotte adds: “I love how easy we can clean the windows in our Redrow house. You open the window like normal, then unclip child-safety mechanism at the top and it turns, making it easy to clean the outside too!”
Fellow homeowner Kirsten Farmer believes the key to keeping on top of bathroom cleaning is to do a little bit every day to stop the grime building up. She also has a great grout cleaning hack, saying: “I use a daily shower cleaner after each shower to keep tiles and grout clean without having to do much work – such a time saver!”
And if you do find your grout begins to stain over time, Charlotte said, “We always keep a grout pen spare for when the grout in between the tiles gets slightly discoloured.”
Bedroom storage hacks
One of Alysha’s favourite bedroom storage hacks comes from one of her favourite Instagram organising influencers @thisgirlcanorganise: “Adding fabric boxes or wicker baskets to wardrobe shelves is the perfect way to store more while ensuring everything looks neat and tidy. You don’t have to use plastic. Natural and more sustainable materials like coloured wicker, cork and linen look great and your clothes won’t come tumbling out when you open the door. Use Marie Kondo’s technique of ‘vertical folding’ (folding clothes and stacking them side on so you can see everything) in the baskets.”
Keeping the bed beautifully made stops Kirsten from creating mess: “Making my bed look lovely each morning helps to keep the bedroom from getting messy as, once it’s done, I don’t want to throw anything on it!”
Storage tips for small bedrooms include buying furniture that doubles as a place to keep clothes, bedding, towels or toiletries. Alysha says: “A storage bed can be a game changer, as it can house bulkier items or piles of linen and frees up your wardrobes and drawers for clothes. Ottomans at the end of the bed provide a seating area as well as a stylish place to keep shoes or bags, while you can make use of vacuum storage bags to store out-of-season clothes so that they take up less space.”
Toy storage hacks can work a treat in children’s bedrooms to keep teddies, games and playthings neatly stowed and use less space. Care.com has some great tips for reducing kids clutter, including keeping games and puzzles stacked in zipped pouches.
Bedrooms don’t usually need more than a weekly dust and vacuum, Alysha says, but over time wear and tear can mean they need a little ‘TLC’. She adds “A great hack to remove furniture scratches is to use toothpaste. Use a small amount of non-gel based toothpaste on the scratch and gently buff till it’s faded, then wipe with a damp cloth.”
For more of Alysha’s storage ideas check out her style-led storage hacks article here.
