It's time for a clear-out as winter starts to fade

Finally after all that snow in January we're slowly starting to see lighter nights and a little bit of sunshine – no doubt there'll still be more snow yet though. But it's nearly spring which also means it's time to do a really thorough spring clean.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2010, 12:49 BST
Updated 19th Feb 2010, 12:49 BST

It is thought that the idea of spring cleaning came from the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home ready for the spring-time holiday of Passover. Wherever it originated it's a good idea.

A spring clean out can make you feel great, plus it's also a pretty good workout too, so to get started, put on some old clothes and have your duster at the ready. It's best to get the toughest jobs out of the way first so how about a thorough sort out of your clothes? Now is a really important time to give to charity, so give away anything you don't need.

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Sort your remaining clothes into winter clothes and summer clothes and pack away any that you won't need for a while. Once sorted give everywhere a vacuum – especially under any furniture.

A great tip if your going for a full de-clutter is to clear out any storage areas first – that way when you come to de-clutter other areas you'll have somewhere to put all your stuff.

One of the jobs I absolutely hate is cleaning the windows but my mother gave me a really useful tip recently. Use window cleaner spray as usual but instead of using a cloth use crumpled-up newspaper. You might think that this would make them black but instead it leaves your windows with a gorgeous streak-free shine. I know many of us cheat when it comes to cleaning the mattress, either using the hoover or simply turning it over but that won't kill all the bugs so it really is important to get it cleaned professionally. Also open up any windows for an hour or so to air out the room. Hopefully by now your house should be absolutely sparkling but, if you still have some time left and the weather is nice, how about the garden?

Finally after all that hard work, why not treat yourself to something pretty and new for the house…you deserve it!

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