Easter Bank Holiday Monday 2017

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A clean home is a happy home, and seeing as we're a houseproud nation, before plastering the walls with bunting, putting out drinks and a spread of finger foods, we must give our living spaces a good old clean.

But where exactly to start? Luckily, the experts at floorcare brand Vax have shared some top cleaning tips if you're planning to entertain friends and family over the Bank Holiday. This guide will ensure you'll be relaxing with a glass of bubbly in no time.

1. Add a fresh fragrance

While the garden is naturally fragranced with the scent of perfumed flowers or - perhaps more likely - wet grass, the smell indoors is all up to you. How do you bring the fresh smells of the season into your house? General cleanliness will improve the smell, but as a quick fix add some scented vacuum granules into the dirt bin before vacuum cleaning and they will release a pleasant fragrance as you go. Two birds, one stone!

2. Think pets

As much as we love them, our favourite bundles of fur – big or small – can create chaos in the home and nothing turns the stomach quite like pet mess. Vacuuming can help get rid of their hair - be sure to pay special attention to the areas that your pets love i.e. their beds, sofas, rugs. Some vacuums come with a special tool for removing pet hair that makes the job easy. Go over your carpets with a vacuum before washing them and they will be even cleaner and fresher, especially if you use a specialist pet solution to tackle any nasty smells. Don't forget to give their bowls a clean too.

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3. Make carpets like new

Carpet has a huge impact on the overall appearance of the home. Use an extraction washer like the Vax Dual Power Pro Advance, and as well as giving your carpets a thorough, all-over wash, make sure to treat any tough marks and stains to make your carpet look like new!

4. Refresh upholstery

Whether you're entertaining inside or outside, it's likely friends and family will want soft clean surfaces to sit on, so ensure you clean the sofas, curtains, chairs and more. If you've left the cushions on your patio furniture outside in the garden for a while, or there have been some spills on your indoor furniture, this is even more important.

5. Clean high, clean low, clean in between

The areas at eye-level are the ones your friends are most likely to see but dust can still congregate beneath furniture and up on high shelves. This can cause discomfort to guests who suffer from asthma and dust allergies, so try to focus attention on the less obvious places too. Cordless vacuum cleaners and handhelds are a lifesaver for hard-to-reach zones, so getting up high and down low needn't hurt your back.

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6. Restroom is the best room

If the home is our castle, the bathroom is our throne room. A mess in here is the biggest faux-pas. Your guests should feel comfortable whatever room they are in and it's likely at some point they will all need to visit this one! Showers, taps and bath tubs will all be sparkling if you use a steam cleaner. From the mirrors, to the windows, to the sinks, to the shower door, steam can help you clean your bathroom and helps eliminate germs as you go!

7. Pressure wash your garden to perfection

Grime, moss and dirt are unsightly guests at any garden party, but show up uninvited from time to time regardless. The good news is blasting it away with a pressure washer is as satisfying as it is fun (think giant water pistol for cleaning inanimate objects). You can clean the BBQ, garden furniture, fences, patios, the shed, cars and bikes. Sure you don't need all of these for your party, but you might just get carried away…

8. Food preparation areas should be spotless

Maybe you're a host who prefers finger foods, or perhaps you're planning on throwing a three course dinner party - either way, your kitchens and serving areas will need to be spick and span! Clean all the surfaces – even the ones you won't be using like the cooker, as you will still want it to appear clean. Empty the bins and leave something with a light fragrance in these areas beforehand – like a reed diffuser – to make them inviting.

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9. Have an emergency 'toolkit' to hand

Where fun is to be had, spills and accidents are always a possibility. Of course you don't want to spend the whole occasion cleaning up . Keep it simple and stress free, make sure you have the right tools for the job. Keep an emergency 'toolkit' to hand, including a clean sponge, lint roller, dust pan and brush, stain remover and rubber gloves. If required, whip these out, swiftly deal with the mess and you're done. Back to the party!

10. Mess prevention ahead of time

It's one thing cleaning up messes after the event but prevention is even better than cure. When it comes to the carpets and upholstery you can help prevent stains from ever happening in the first place! After cleaning, use some carpet protector spray in the high traffic and problem areas and it will help protect against stains. That means you can spread your hard work even further.

And there you have it - one squeaky clean home ready for your guests to admire. You'll soon be throwing parties every weekend just to show it off!

Olivia Heath Executive Digital Editor, House Beautiful UK Olivia Heath is the Executive Digital Editor at House Beautiful UK where she's busy uncovering tomorrow's biggest home trends, all whilst delivering stylish room inspiration, small space solutions, easy garden ideas and house tours of the hottest properties on the market.

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Easter Bank Holiday Monday 2017

Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/cleaning/tips/a769/cleaning-tips-for-a-bank-holiday/

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