9 ways to Spring Clean your Life.

I've said this before, but I REALLY love Spring.

After months of feeling so cold you can't even imagine wearing less than 7 layers and just curling up into a ball on the sofa all the time, it feels amazing to walk the dog without a coat and with only one scarf on (in the depths of winter I wear three, with gloves, and 2 pairs of socks, and earmuffs, and sometimes I wear jogging bottoms over jeans. I hate the cold).

It’s good to finally stretch out in the weak spring sunshine and come out of hibernation. But then you have a look around and see that actually you’ve not done a lot over winter and everything needs a bit of sprucing up. And there is nothing I like better than a good spring detox.

9 Steps to a Deep Spring clean.

1. Fresh bedding. Clean covers day is my favourite. I always strip the bed in the morning and hang the duvet up to let the bed 'breathe' throughout the day. I'm pretty sure this is just a made up thing I've picked up from my mum, but it makes me feel better. Shove it all in the washing machine with your favourite lemony washing powder and tonnes of lavender fabric conditioner. Then either dry it in the tumble dryer, which also makes your house smell good, or hang it outside (it's Spring yay) and put it all back on before bedtime. Get into bed and prepare yourself for the best night sleep of the week.

2. De-fuzzed legs and clean pyjamas. ALWAYS pair this with clean bedding day. The feeling of perfectly smooth legs and clean jammies, with fresh bedding is THE BEST. I like to swoosh my legs around under the covers just to fully enjoy how soft and smooth everything all is, Tom doesn't appreciate this.

3. Throw away your pants. Obviously not all of them, but every morning I rifle through old, tatty pants to find a normal pair to wear. Why do we hoard them? I'm pretty sure there will never be an underwear-related emergency in which you will need those grey ones with the holes in them, so pick out all the ones you've not worn in the past month and bin them. If that means you don't have enough left, go out and buy a set of new cotton panties, and a couple of floral lacey ones to mix it up. News pants are very satisfying.

4. Give away old clothes. I like to rotate my wardrobe a little bit, keeping the Spring/Autumn clothes out all the time but swapping around the hardcore Summer/Winter clothes seasonally. In October I packed all my bikinis, strappy tops and shorts into a big bag and with a tear in my eye, hid it under the bed. Now, whilst it’s not quite time to put my thick woolly jumpers into hibernation, this is the perfect opportunity to have a sort out. If you haven’t worn that weird knitted dress all winter that you bought years ago, get rid! I get so many of those charity bags through the door collecting old clothes, or take it down to the local charity shop. You’ll clear space in your wardrobe (for more clothes) and be helping a worthy cause. Win win!

5. Clean your kitchen cupboards. I think along with wiping down the kitchen worktops, this is my mama's second favourite thing to do. Her cupboards are always so organised and 'minimal', whilst I cannot compete with her dedication I do try and have a clear out once a month or so. Get rid of anything that's out of date and sort things so you can actually see what food you have. Then fill your kitchen sink with hot, soapy water and wipe all the shelves down to get rid of the olive oil slime and balsamic vinegar rings. It'll mean not wasting money when you go food shopping on things you already have, and make you feel like super-woman for being so on top of things. No matter what else is happening, if your kitchen cupboards are as spotless as your mum’s then your life is sorted.

6. Plants. I dream of plants and gardening and vases of home-grown cut flowers all the time, every day. Like, I went to the garden centre on Saturday and cried when I got home because I don't have a proper garden to fill with flowers and grow veg in, I have a rubbish little patio at the back of our rented house. So fill a couple of plant pots with primroses and put them by your front door so you’re welcomed home by them in the evenings. Then plant geranium seeds in trays on your window sills to replace them in the summer, they’re really easy to grow and provide lots of colour well into Autumn. If you don’t have a garden at all and you’re coping with it better than I am, get potted mint and oregano plants for your kitchen windowsill. The more of it you use, the more it will grow. Or just buy a bunch of tulips, they’ll last at least a week if you change the water regularly and make a huge difference when it goes all grey and cloudy again outside.

7. Clean your bathroom. This is one of the housework chores I am adamant gets done religiously, obviously. But Tom thinks it's unnecessary; 'doesn't the shower clean itself?' more evidence that boys are EW. But when there is a full spring clean in progress I really go to town with it. Get one of of those bleachy bathroom sprays, rubber gloves, a sponge with a scrourer bit on the back and just scrub EVERYTHING. Then BIN the sponge. Ew ew ew.

8. Pamper yourself. Take an hour or so to just treat yourself. Run a bubble bath, put Ed Sheeran on and relax. I’m trying to avoid chemicals and icky things on my hair and skin so I like to wet my hair and slather it in coconut oil. Then mix olive oil and sugar to give your face a good exfoliation as a cheap home-made spa evening. You can use the scrub on your hands and feet as well, and paint your nails with a dark red varnish. Now flick your shiny hair around, and with your baby soft face and red nails you are ready to sit down for the next step.

9. What do you want? Lastly, have a little revival of your own life. What is it that you really want? Lose 5lbs? Become a vet? Move to Spain? Whatever it is, write it down, work out what you need to do to get it and start. It really won’t be as difficult as you think, and even if it is, at least you’ve started moving towards it.

Do all of the above or even just one or two, and I guarantee you will feel all en-powered and accomplished and like you're life is all really on track. Even if you did do the majority on them in your pyjamas.

What do you think?

Gemma

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