2022 has arrived, and it’s time to start thinking about Spring Cleaning your home! But do you know why you should do Spring Cleaning? Or how you can make your chores so much easier? If not, don’t worry—read on to learn everything you need to know about Spring Cleaning, including the history and origins of the tradition, as well as some foolproof ways to avoid doing too much (or any) cleaning this season. 

(Spring Cleaning Sale and Free Printable Cleaning checklist at the end of the article!)

1. Why Do I Need To Do Spring Cleaning?

Apart from forming good habits and making your parents happy, Spring Cleaning is a vital aspect to starting the New Year. Your home houses plenty of germs, toxins, bacteria, and other creepy crawlies you would rather not know exist! 

What’s more, seasonal weather would make this a great time to give your home a proper scrub down. With it being very wet from November to February, there is bound to be plenty of mould hiding. Come March to May, the weather becomes very hot, giving all sorts of other bacteria the perfect conditions to fester.

What’s more, it has been suggested that a clean and decluttered space leads to better mental health and focus.

2. History & Origins Of Spring Cleaning

The term “Spring Cleaning” dates back at least as far as 1849, when it appeared in a novel by British novelist William Makepeace Thackeray. He wrote, “The house must be put into thorough spring-cleaning; and I propose that we shut up shop altogether for a fortnight, and go away somewhere into the country”. 

While the origins are not entirely clear and varies from culture to culture( some speculate it may have originated as far back as Ancient Persia), it is commonly believed that Spring Cleaning came as a celebration of the end of Winter. Houses were given a thorough clean before spending summer months out and about so as to enjoy fresh air and better living conditions. 

3. How Long Does it Take To Complete A Home Spring Clean

On average, it can take about four days for two people to clean a 5-bedroom HDB flat. While this may seem long, we are accounting for chores that include deep cleaning of every nook and cranny in the house. 

We recommend breaking up those four days into two weekends so you don’t feel like you’re cramming everything into one busy week. Two full weekends also give you time to deep clean separate rooms (such as bedrooms, bathrooms, or kitchens), which requires more than just surface scrubbing. 

Before you get to it, be sure that you are adopting good cleaning habits first from this article! You don’t want to end up spreading more germs and dirt.

3. Things To Consider
As the saying goes: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here is a basic breakdown on what to consider:

4. Step Checklist For Spring Cleaning
Don’t want to rack your brain around every single thing to clean? We got you covered! Click HERE for a printable to-do list.

Congratulations on making it this far! It means that you really care for your home and the people living in it. To give you a good head start, we are having a Spring Cleaning Sale from now until 31st Jan with up to 50% OFF storewide! Here’s to a great year ahead! SHOP NOW!

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From cleaning tools, laundry items to kitchen accessories, Leifheit has got all you need to make life at home easier. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more tips, tricks, and exclusive deals!

Before the holidays arrive, it’s time to prepare your home and yourself! If you want to be prepared for this Christmas and Holiday Season, we have outlined 3 things that will help you clean and organize your home so that everyone can have fun this Christmas. These tips are not just helpful before the holidays arrive, but they can be useful year-round to keep your home neat, tidy and looking its best! Enjoy!

In preparing your home for the holiday season, it’s important to get rid of clutter that could easily overwhelm you. Start by removing everything from your closets and drawers, then sort through it all and get rid of clothes you haven’t worn in a year or items that don’t fit anymore. 

As it’s the season of giving, we recommend that you donate these clothes to charity! You should also stow away any extra things lying around the house (this is especially so if you are expecting kids to visit your home).

We have plenty of cleaning checklists and articles that you can find here. If you are looking for the right cleaning tools, you're in luck as we are running our Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale from 20th to 30th November!

3. Prepare Some Recipes

In addition to all of your cleaning, cooking is an important part of making your home ready for guests. Use this time to check for dietary preferences. This should be easy since it’s Christmas time—there are plenty of holiday recipes online (on top of that, since there is a limited number of guests allowed to homes, you don't have to worry too much). If you don’t know any cookbooks by heart, just type a few into Google and pick out a few that look good!

You could also check out some fun food experiments in our articles here and here!

The holidays are an exciting time of year, but if you’re not prepared, they can also be stressful. Don’t get too busy hosting guests that you forget to make time for family! Whether or not it’s a party (or parties) at your place, it always pays off to try out new recipes with friends and family over holiday gatherings.

Share the article with your friends and family if the tips sounds useful!

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From cleaning tools, laundry items to kitchen accessories, Leifheit has got all you need to make life at home easier. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more tips, tricks, and exclusive deals!

In a week or so, you will be at home, waiting for your guests and relatives to arrive as Chinese New Year rolls in. After much procrastination and help from our article on Top 5 Tips For Last Minute Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning, you notice that your house has never been cleaner. You celebrate this personal victory, but only for a moment. You realise that all this effort will be easily undone by the day's end.

Don't worry, we got you covered. Here are some quick tips on cleaning up after your guests for this coming Chinese New Year.

1. Food and perishables

Make sure that this is the first step you do; who knows how tired you may be by the end of all the celebrations and merrymaking. Besides, if this is the only step you do, you won't have to worry about food going stale and the dishes will be ready for cleaning. While you are in the kitchen, you should also prepare some boiling water for step 3.

2. Wipe down any surfaces

Ensure that you have wiped all the top areas used by you and your guests. Pay special attention to table tops and chairs. Be sure to use disinfectant to get rid of those pesky germs and bacteria.  Don't be afraid to wipe off any dirt to the floor as the next step will take care of that. As long as you start from higher surfaces and go downwards, you won't have to do double duty in re-cleaning certain areas. As for furniture with fabric covers, a lint remover should make life a lot easier.

3. Sweep and mop the floor

Get your biggest broom and favourite mop ready. Pay special attention to the house entrance and dining areas as that's where most dirt would have accumulated throughout the visit. Add the boiled water to your favourite mopping cleaning product. This does 2 things: disinfect the water and also allows for shorter drying time after mopping up.

4. Toilet duties

Last but certainly not the least,  the bathroom. Focus on the toilet and sink. A quick wipe down of the sink faucet and toilet seat while also applying your favourite cleaning product into the toilet bowl should do the trick. Don't forget to chuck any of the hand towels into the laundry!

Congratulations, your house is almost as fresh as it was right after spring cleaning! An additional piece of advice: plan ahead. Simple steps such as storing away excess cushions would make this process a lot simpler. This is also a great opportunity to embrace that minimalist lifestyle as less clutter translates to more free time after cleaning.

As we are living through this pandemic, simple hygiene and cleaning practices goes a long way. It pays to be a good guest when you are visiting someone else's house this season; this means tidying up after yourself and staying home if you are not feeling well. That being said, do celebrate responsi bly and have a wonderful Chinese New Yea ahead!

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From cleaning tools, laundry items to kitchen accessories, Leifheit has got all you need to make life at home easier.

From today to 9th February 2021, check out our Spring Cleaning Sale and enjoy 30% storewide discounts!

Cleaning and fun definitely do not come together. However, it is a necessity to keep things together around the house. Instead of dreading the process, you can now find different ways to enjoy it and make things fun around the house. 

We have explored and compiled a few ways for you to have a good time while spring cleaning! 

1. Plan A Schedule

Don’t take on too many tasks and make yourself stressed out. Instead, plan out a schedule and chore list, and start gathering your supplies. Set realistic goals and an effective plan - for example, rather than having 5 people cleaning up the kitchen, have 2 people clean somewhere else. Set the dates, gather the people living in the house and have fun cleaning together! 

2. Put On Upbeat Music And Set A Timer 

Cleaning is a tough activity but you can lighten the mood by playing some music! Studies have shown that music can boost your mood and reduce stress. Just relax, switch on the music and have your own little dance party while cleaning. Here are some cleaning playlist recommendations on Spotify - Cleaning Kit, Cleaning Motivation and Get Chores Done. 

In addition, set a timer or clock to track your progress and keep yourself motivated. Allocate a goal time for each cleaning task and reward yourself once you hit the timing or finish earlier!

3. Cleaning Games

Switch up your sessions with fun cleaning games! You can make little bets throughout your spring cleaning day to hype things up. Some examples could be: pairing mismatched socks, sorting out expiry dates for dry ingredients or speed-folding clothes. This will make things fun and create some laughter around the house, while working hard. 

4. Upcycle Old Rubbish

Instead of thrashing your old junk, find clever ways to repurpose and recycle them. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest and the internet - such as stitching together old cloth to make a pillow, spray painting plastic containers to make beautiful planters and transforming cereal boxes into drawer organisers. Instead of just thrashing them, find cool and innovative ways to be creative! 

5. Host A Small Party After Cleaning

After a day of cleaning, host a party to celebrate your small wins! Be it a good dinner, ice cream or dessert treats, the rewards are just enough for you to commemorate a whole day of hard work. If there are kids cleaning with you, this will be a brilliant way to motivate them and they will definitely be excited for the next spring cleaning session! 

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Shop our spring cleaning sale with 30% off a wide range of home essentials here!

With Chinese New Year (CNY) around the corner, some people would already be in the midst or finishing up their spring cleaning sessions. However, if you are on this article and waiting for the upcoming weekends to pack everything in, here are top 5 tips for your last minute CNY spring cleaning! 

1. Replace Your Door Mat 

First impressions matter. A positive first impression can make or break your guests’ image on your house, especially if they are only visiting only once or twice during festive celebrations per year. You can make a last minute touch to your house by switching up the entrance area with a door mat or decorations! 

2. Clean Or Replace Bulbs

To enhance the look of your house, replace the lightbulb to make your house brighter and full of life. More importantly, if your cover and fixtures are covered with a layer of dust or dirt, grab an all-purpose cleaner and cloth to give it a wipe down! Unsure of what lightbulbs to use? Different coloured bulbs will give your rooms a different feeling - soft white tends to be warm and yellow, and are best suited for your bedrooms as it gives off a cozy feeling; while bright white tends to give off a more energetic vibe and are best for your living room spaces.  

3. Wipe Your Windows 

Unless your windows are fully covered up by curtains, fingerprints and oily smears are the most obvious on glass surfaces. If you do not want your guest to see the stains on your windows, grab your nearby window cleaner and wipe it down! A clean, streak-free, stainless window will be your proud end product. 

4. Prioritise Your Areas

Ideally, spring cleaning should mean that the whole house is thoroughly wiped down and cleaned. However, if you are talking about last minute spring cleaning … it would be best if only obvious places are being prioritised. 

One little trick to go about this would be to start from obvious places that guests will visit when they come over. Some places would be: the living room, dining area, washroom and kitchen.

5. Surround Yourself With Lucky Colours

Now, we are not talking about Chinese New Year without some festive and lucky colours! Check your zodiac or birth year for your lucky colour and spread them all over your house. These additions to your house will bring about the festive vibes and luck! 

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Shop our spring cleaning sale with 30% off a wide range of home essentials here!