Top Tips for Spring Cleaning

Sophie Lane, training manager at Miele shares her top tips to help you clean and declutter to create a calming environment for all the family – as well as advice on cleaning your large electrical appliances.

Start by decluttering surfaces, cupboards and flooring

Deep cleaning the entire home can feel daunting but by tackling one room at a time, it gives everyone space to breathe and means that only one room at a time is in chaos while the cleaning takes place. Choose which room to start in then have a good sort out of all the cupboards, shelves and surfaces as well as clearing space on the floor too, by using storage to have a proper tidy up and put all the essentials in the right place. This will instantly reduce that overwhelming feeling and gives dust fewer places to hide. Next, give the carpet or hard floor a good vacuum to get rid of dust, dirt and grime and prevent it from recirculating and resettling around the room. Once you’ve finished in one room, it’s time to move onto the next.

Available in five models and seven colours, Miele’s stylish new Duoflex vacuum cleaner has 55 minutes’ runtime on a single charge and comes with all the accessories and tools needed to clean all around the home, while the Fine Dust Separation function helps to keep dust out of the main container, ideal for allergy sufferers.

Use the right vacuum tool for the job

For a really deep clean, it’s important to make use of all the accessories and tools that come with a vacuum cleaner. Miele vacuums come with different nozzles and brushes for gentle dusting, cleaning upholstery and getting into awkward nooks and crannies. Use these to clean around furniture and fittings as well as inside cabinets, cupboards and drawers. Miele also has a range of optional additional vacuum cleaner accessories including a Radiator Brush and Flexibly Adjustable Universal Brush with Natural Bristles.

Clean beds, curtains and soft furnishings

Climbing into a clean, fresh bed at the end of the day is one of life’s simple pleasures, so use this spring clean to give beds a deep clean from top to bottom. Start by stripping the bed and washing the bedlinen. Miele has a wide range of energy and water efficient washing machines and tumble dryers to take care of all laundry needs. Next, vacuum the bare mattress with Miele’s extra-wide Mattress Nozzle and get in between the mattress and bed frame then flip the mattress over to clean both sides. For an extra deep clean, sprinkle baking soda on the mattress and leave for a few hours before vacuuming to absorb moisture and eliminate odours.

Next, move on to duvets, pillows, curtains and cushions. Check the maximum weight that the washing machine will take – Miele’s new 10kg PowerWash washing machines are perfect for big and bulky items – and make use of special cycles for delicates, duvets and curtains.

Deep cleaning the kitchen

When it comes to the kitchen, have a clear out of all the cabinets, cupboards, drawers and shelves. Recycle, donate or bin anything that’s broken or not been used for six months and deep clean inside the cabinets as well as all the worksurfaces, moving small appliances and accessories to one side. Get rid of out of date food and ingredients, not forgetting that spice rack, and use a vacuum attachment to clear out any crumbs lingering inside food cupboards.

Cleaning the fridge and freezer

It’s all very well giving appliances a wipe with a damp cloth on a regular basis but it’s important to also do regular deep cleans. For the fridge and freezer, empty them both out, check ‘best before’ dates and bin anything out of date. Use ice packs or a cool box to store fresh meat and fish while you clean and remove shelves, racks and drawers to wash in warm, soapy water. Use anti-bac spray to wipe away food residue and clean the drain hole at the back of the fridge interior. Wipe excess moisture with a clean cloth, dry and place everything back in, with food that needs eating sooner at the front. Finish by cleaning freezer drawers one at a time in warm soapy water.

Deep clean the oven

To save time and elbow grease, a Miele oven with a Pyrolytic self-cleaning function is easy and effortless. This programme heats the oven interior to over 400˚C, turning any grease and food residue to a fine ash that can simply be wiped away when cooled. For ovens without this feature, use a specialist cleaning product such as Miele’s OvenClean, which can be sprayed on and left for a few minutes to reduce baked-on residue to a jelly-like substance that can be wiped away with a warm, damp cloth. Be careful not to spray into the oven fan or any air vents and wipe the oven thoroughly afterwards to remove all traces. Clean racks by soaking in hot, soapy water and scrub with a non-scratch scourer for stubborn stains.

Use specialist products for the hob

It’s always better to use specialist products to clean appliances and Miele’s Ceramic and Stainless Steel Cleaner is perfect for hobs with its fine crystal formula that removes grease and baked-on residue to leave a ceramic or stainless steel hob good as new. For really stubborn spills on ceramic glass hobs, use Miele’s Scraper for Cleaning.

Don’t forget the microwave

In the microwave, wipe away loose residue with a warm, damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid and to remove burnt-on food residue, heat a cup of water inside the appliance for a couple of minutes and let the steam soften the stains then wipe clean. Adding a cup of water with some lemon juice squeezed in will also help to neutralise any odours.

Finally, deep clean the washing machine and dishwasher

Even appliances that are used to clean will need cleaning themselves so remember to pay attention to your washing machine and dishwasher, too. Low temperature washing for instance can allow grease and dirt to build up in both appliances so running regular maintenance programmes is important in order to keep them hygienic and performing properly. Miele’s IntenseClean formula is perfect for giving washing machines and dishwashers a really good, deep clean. Use with a hot wash to clear away any build-up of grease and bacteria). You should also clear the drain filters and detergent drawer - follow the operating manuals to see how this is done.