As the trees begin to blossom and nature slowly revives itself, signalling the return of spring, it’s a good time to have a deep clean.
With the main areas of your house decluttered and cleaned, you’re likely ready to say you’ve done your spring cleaning and call it quits. But there’s an easily overlooked area of your home that could do with a thorough clean too. The loft, a space that’s sometimes a bit too easy to dump old or unnecessary items.
Assess Your Loft
It can be difficult to know where to start, especially if your loft is flooded with boxes and miscellaneous items that you’ve thrown into it over the years. It’s best to take a moment to look around and get a vague idea of what you have in your loft. Making a note of what you can easily move and whether you’ve got any heavier items such as furniture up there.
Decluttering
If you’ve got enough space in your loft, then start to sort through your items; if not, you could move everything down to a larger space.
When you’re decluttering, it’s important to be ruthless with your decisions. Ignore the temptation of keeping something “just in case”, instead ask yourself whether you’ll use it in the next six months. Anything you haven’t used in years is probably not worth keeping either.
From there, sort your items into several categories to help you out too: keep, sell, donate and dispose of (responsibly).
Organising and Storing
Once you’ve decluttered your loft, you should consider creating zones to store your items. Categorising them together to make the most of your space too. For example, these categories could include seasonal decorations, sporting equipment, holiday items, sentimental keepsakes, etc.
By assigning and keeping to these specific zones, you’ll be able to find items when needed and maintain organisation easily throughout the year.
You should maximise the storage potential of your loft by investing in proper storage solutions. Think clear plastic bins, stackable containers and shelving units to keep items off the floor.
When space is limited, think vertically. Consider installing hooks or racks to hang bulky items such as bicycles or camping gear. Use wall-mounted shelving units or overhead storage racks to make the most of your loft’s vertical space.
Don’t forget to label your containers! This will help you easily find what you’re looking for.
Cleaning
Unlike your kitchen or bathroom, cleaning your loft is a bit different. This space isn’t on show for guests or your family. That’s not to say it doesn’t need to be cleaned though!
Before you start, you should probably wear a face mask to protect yourself from breathing in too much dust.
Like with most cleaning, you’ll want to go from the top and work your way down. Start by dusting he beam and corners of your loft. Getting rid of any spider webs you might find. Give any surfaces a wipe down with a damp cloth too; cleaning any dirt and grime that’s built up.
Whether you have luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), wood flooring or another kind of floor in your loft, you’ll want to sweep up any large bits of debris before giving it a vacuum. If you can, it might be a good idea to give them a wipe down with a mop too. Just be careful to not use too much water!
Check Your Lights
With your lights, you’ll not only want to give the fixtures a wipe down, getting rid of any accumulated dust, but you’ll also want to check the bulbs. Making sure they’re working fine. On the off chance you don’t have light bulbs, consider getting some – it’ll make your life a whole lot easier!
Ideas for Your Loft
During your spring cleaning, you might realise that you want to make your loft more than just a storage space. You could consider a loft conversion or even just a cosy retreat. If you’ve got leftover space, you could add some cushions, throws and area rugs to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Maybe even incorporating decorative touches like artwork or photographs. You could use some of the stored items to help create this retreat too.
Spring Cleaning Your Loft
With your loft clean, tidy and neatly organised, you can create a maintenance plan to keep it that way. Consider checking on the space every once in a while, to make sure everything is in place, that items have been stored properly. This way you can address potential clutter that may accumulate over time. Setting aside a day every season is an effective way to keep on track. Allowing you to maintain order, prevent clutter and keep the space clean.
Spring cleaning your loft may seem like a daunting task, but the outcome is worth it.
