By Ashley Cameron
While the new year is often when we choose to give our bodies a gentle cleanse or detox, we usually don’t give the same attention to our home environment.
Even if you’re an avid declutterer and someone who embraces the opportunity to give your home a ‘spring clean’ at the beginning of each season, there are still a few common household items that you may be neglecting.
Why not use the new year to cleanse your space and give your home a little extra TLC?
Your Mattress
You probably change your bed linen on a weekly basis – and maybe you even wash your pillow every once in a while. But what about cleaning your mattress? According to research, we spend roughly a third of our lives in bed so not surprisingly, it contains a whole ecosystem of fungi, bacteria and potential allergens. While it’s unnecessary to give your mattress a deep clean every time you swap your sheets, once a month, flip it over and allow it to air, giving it a good vacuum to pick up excess debris, dust and skin cells. And, if you’ve been sleeping on the same mattress for decades, consider buying a new one. Experts agree that depending on the level of comfort and support you need, replacing your mattress every 7–10 years is a good idea. Research shows that popping your mattress and pillows in the sun can also be beneficial – helping to reduce levels of dust-dwelling bacteria.
The Dishwasher
If you’ve noticed that your dishes aren’t coming out of your dishwasher as clean and shiny as they once did, it might be time to give your dishwasher a little love. Given that the standard dishwasher goes from hot to cold and wet to dry on a daily basis, it’s the perfect environment to foster the growth of microbes. While there are countless ‘dishwasher cleaners’ on the market today, for a simple, natural solution – simply pop around half a cup of white vinegar into your dishwasher (standing upright), and turn on for a quick wash.
Light Switches
Next time you’re doing the dusting, turn your attention to your light switches. No doubt you touch the light switches in your home on a daily basis, but can you remember the last time you gave them a proper wipe down? At The Beauty Chef HQ, we love essential oils, so try making your own DIY cleaner by mixing together 3 parts filtered water, 1 part white vinegar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and a few drops of tea tree essential oil in a spray bottle.
Your Couch
Just like your mattress, you no doubt spend a lot of time sitting on your couch – although we probably don’t give too much thought to the dirt, dust and allergens that it comes into contact with on a daily basis. Every few weeks, give your couch a little extra TLC by flipping over the cushions and seats (effectively disassembling your couch) to allow them to air, vacuum under the seats to get rid of any old crumbs and wipe down any surface stains if the fabric of your couch allows it.
Do you have any top spring cleaning tips we need to try? Let us know!
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