Tenner Week Spring Clean 2016: Day 5

Hello again, it’s time for Day 5 of our Tenner Week Spring Clean schedule. Today’s simple, manageable task is called Scuffs and skirting as we continue to work our way further down from ceiling to floor.

While most of us are usually quite good at keeping things clean at eye level, it’s easy to forget to keep a note of what’s going on at skirting level. Look closer and there might be scuffs from shoes and bags, assorted grunge from pets and toddlers, drips and drops from drinks and food, and general dust in these areas.

Here’s today’s cleaning plan:

Look around the skirting area of the room. Crouch down and see what it really looks like.
With a slightly dampened cleaning cloth, gently wipe any areas of dirt on the lower walls. Try not to scrub hard over painted areas as it’s easy to start taking off the paintwork, especially if it’s been coated with standard emulsion paint.
For stubborn small marks, try using a cotton bud lightly dipped in cleaning fluid. You can also buy a Magic Sponge or similar product from most big supermarkets.
If the area is very grimy, wash it down with sugar soap or similar product from a hardware or DIY store. Follow the instructions on the bottle carefully.
Dust skirting boards or use a cleaning tool attachment on a vacuum cleaner. Get into all the corners, moving furniture if needed.
If any dirt remains on skirting boards after this, wipe it away with a damp cloth. Allow to everything to dry fully before putting furniture back into position.
Make a note of areas that need repainting.
Rinse out cleaning cloths and put them in the wash.

If you’re busy, carry out this quick clean in just one room, and if you want a quick win do this Spring Clean in a hallway or on a landing as that’s the worst affected spot in most homes.

If you’re feeling brave, do one floor of a house or a whole flat.

Also, if you find you need extra cleaning products for this clean and your £10 budget doesn’t stretch then it’s okay to improvise. Do what you can with dry and dampened cloths (improvising with an old t-shirt if needed), then add the cleaning products to next week’s shopping list. Complete the clean as soon as you can afford the extra materials.

I’m going to flick a duster around the skirting boards of the ground floor of my home today. I’ll also be wiping lower walls in the kitchen – fortunately I used wipe-clean paint in there when I decorated so it should be quick and easy.

What’s your Tenner Week budget looking like?

I’ve spent £4.50 so far this week, and I’m thinking about going out later and having a Friday treat of some sort. Maybe a coffee or a slice of cake…or a pint in the local. Tonight I’ll be cooking at home and making some kind of pie, as the weather’s pretty unpleasant here.

How’s your budget going? Let me know what you’ve been getting up to.