It's spring cleaning time! Declutter as important as deep cleaning; ultimate hacks to do it right

Watching those cherry blossom trees or at least videos of the same on social media is a stark reminder of starting your spring cleaning process. For someone who enjoys organising things and cleaning (sure, OCD), this is a holiday season. But not everyone share the same enthusiasm. In fact, for many, spring cleaning is a task to conquer and a messy job. Well, it doesn't have to be.

Since we mostly focus on cleaning, organizing, and decluttering take a backseat. If you can do both, decluttering and deep cleaning, the spring cleaning will achieve the intended results.

Speaking to International Business Times, two experts on decluttering and deep cleaning shared their expert advice, which will make your spring cleaning a whole lot easier, and a lot less messy.

How do you declutter: Pro tips

Getting rid of any clutter that you believe is no longer useful is the first step. When you do so, you create a more streamlined living space. Decluttering not only makes cleaning easier, but it can also help reduce stress and increase productivity. Gayatri Gandhi, the founder of Joy Factory and India's first KonMari Certified Master Consultant, shares top 10 proven hacks for you to declutter more efficiently.

1. Start small: Focus on what to keep, rather than what to discard. This approach is positive and hence makes it easier to decide on what to keep and on what to give away.
2. Clean Up by Category, Not by Location: To declutter, categorize all the objects, such as clothes and utensils, and not spread your objects over different locations. This way, you save space and time by easily sorting items based on their types.
3. Put back anything you take out: Remember, they won't walk back on their own. This is a golden rule that applies to everything in the house.
4. Assign a home to each and every item in the house: Everything needs a resting place, just like us. If everything has a home, it's so much easier to put stuff away.
5. Keep like with like: You will never have to look for that one missing spoon.
6. Store vertically instead of horizontally: You'll be surprised at the space you save.
7. Baskets/boxes are your friends: Strategically placed baskets around the room can make tidying a breeze.
8. Pick up all the clutter at the end of the day: At first, this may seem like a new habit, but once you get into the routine of it, you will be able to maintain a tidier home in very little time.
9. Take a walk through the room as one of the last things you do at the end of the day: Pick up everything that doesn't belong and put it all away.
10. Vacuum regularly: Decluttering alone won't get your house clean. Regular vacuuming is essential to keep your home free of dust and debris. However, using your vacuum cleaner is not a one-time thing. Vacuum regularly as it eliminates dust and also force you to pick up orphan items and put them back where they belong.

Deep clean

Once decluttering is done, half of your task is sorted. Now you jump right into deep cleaning. Even though deep cleaning is a regular process, you can go further deep in getting those hidden spots cleaned for spring. But maintaining cleanliness is key.

"It is a cause for concern if people only clean when they spot visible dust on the floors as many dust particles are microscopic in size. However, just because it is out of sight does not mean it should be out of mind. Our research shows that the best way to tackle household dust is by removing it, cleaning regularly to prevent the build-up of dust in the home," Monika Stuczen, Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson, said.

Here's an ultimate guide for a stress-free cleaning regime to maintain a healthy home this spring.

Effective cleaning tools make so much sense

Different surfaces and spaces require different cleaning tools for effective removal of dust and debris. Sweeping and dusting only agitate dust, causing it to become airborne and settle elsewhere. Cord-free vacuum cleaners make great cleaning tools as they are versatile and also come with numerous attachments to ensure precise cleaning around tricky edges and hard-to-reach narrow spaces in your home. Dyson's cord-free vacuum cleaners are a match for every home depending on users' cleaning needs and habits. Dyson vacuum cleaners also come with dust illumination technology that allows the user to see invisible dust particles on hard floors.

Planning is key

With all the hassle that comes with Spring cleaning, creating a cleaning schedule is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home clean and organised.

• Create a task checklist
• Prioritise areas which are used less
• Go room by room to avoid overwhelming yourself

Take it from the top

Always clean your room from top to bottom so you capture any fallen airborne dust as you go. Begin by dusting the cobwebs and ceiling, then move to the walls, bookshelves and furniture. Clean your floor only at the end using the different cleaner heads depending on the type of floor.

1. Clean the top-mounted appliances first
2. Remove any wall-mounted items (photo frames, clocks) and vacuum the dust that has accumulated on the walls. Use the Dyson combination tool so that you don't put any scratches on the items. Don't forget to vacuum around any immovable furniture's crevices (bookcases, televisions)
3. Dust the walls with a vacuum with an advanced filtration system to ensure that the dust you're removing is trapped in the bin and not expelled back into the home
4. Don't forget the curtains and blinds. If you can't wash them, vacuum the dust away with the combination tool

Neglected spots

Neglected spots like mattresses, walls, and ceilings often go unnoticed during cleaning, yet they harbour dust mites, bacteria, and other particles that can trigger allergies. It's crucial to include these areas in your cleaning routine to effectively eliminate allergens from your home. Dyson's anti-tangle hair screw tool helps to tackle many such neglected spots including the mattress, couch, pet bed etc.

Icing on the cake

Indoor air pollution is often overlooked, but harmful particles from burning candles and cooking can affect people's well-being. Dyson purifier fans capture and destroy these particles, removing 99.95% of even the smallest particles, while also cooling the room with Air Multiplier technology. Having an air purifier of your choice goes a long way in maintaining a cleaner and healthier home.