A full-on spring clean might be more than you can face this year if you are juggling home schooling and home working, or extra work outside the home. Here are five cleaning tasks that will give your living space a little lift this spring.

1. A quick declutter will work wonders

A little decluttering is an easy win. First have a plan for what you will do with the out-of-place items you find. In general, you’ll find three categories of clutter:

• rubbish (broken items and old magazines for example)
• items that need putting away (out-of-season goods that you only use in winter, for example, which could go into storage)
• items that you want to donate (books and media you have finished with; unwanted gifts)

During lockdown it has been difficult to donate unwanted goods, and even to access household waste sites. So you may need to store items that you want to donate until life gets back to normal. Or look out for organisations that will let you post items to them for recycling or re-use – for example the charity Smalls for All takes gently used bras.

Target items that can go straight in your domestic waste first; and then look for possessions that you don’t use regularly but are in your living space. These can go into storage, either in your home, or outside if you can safely access a self-storage site. You can rent a storage unit for a few days, or keep it as a long-term storage space, so it’s a good solution if you need to make a bit of room at home.

Of course in an ideal world we would all dispose of our unwanted items in a responsible way. But it’s important to prioritise your mental health, and if clutter is bringing you down because you can’t access your usual environmentally-friendly waste streams, no-one will judge you for putting unwanted items into your domestic waste.

2. Clean windows

Cleaning a room’s windows will let in more light, and banish mould that thrives in wintertime condensation. First clean the sills and the bars with a wet cloth – use a weak bleach solution or other mould remover if needed. Then use a microfibre cloth dampened with vinegar or window cleaning spray to clean the glazing, starting at the top and working down.

3. Shine the taps

Giving the taps in the bathroom, cloakroom or kitchen a quick shine gives the room a bit of a lift for minimal effort. Use a damp microfibre cloth – or add a dab of bathroom cleaner if limescale is a problem. If your taps are really grimy, spray a little bathroom cleaner and scrub with an old toothbrush – don’t forget the base – and then rinse off.

4. Re-arrange the furniture

This might be a bit controversial because moving furniture will expose dusty patches and you might find yourself tempted to get the vacuum cleaner out… but re-arranging furniture can freshen up a room and will help you use the space in a whole new way. Also, the way light falls into a room changes as the year turns, so by adjusting the seating in a room you can more easily take advantage of a sunny spot, or avoid it if it interferes with your work or TV viewing.

There’s no need to do a full-on spring clean in 2021 if you don’t feel up to it – but doing a few easy jobs will lift your mood and let you see your home in its best possible light.