Spring has most definitely sprung in the Daddy Geek house. As soon as the first buds appeared on the trees and the grass grew over two inches, I was thrown into the garden armed with a lawnmower and some pruning shears. The garden was subsequently tidied up and trimmed ready for the upcoming warm weather.
Once the garden was sorted (for now), the house was next on the list, and the yearly spring clean was upon us. However, this time around I was prepared and had a clear plan to spring clean, the Daddy Geek way.
New Carpets
It’s been five years since the last flooring update in my house, so I approached the spring clean as a great opportunity to update the flooring. We started with the high-traffic rooms of the living room and kitchen, as these had seen better days and our previous vinyl choice didn’t age well. We used Donnelly Watson carpets and flooring in Ipswich as they had a free home-measuring service and a price promise, so we knew we were getting the best deal (even after my rigorous internet research). Once I removed the cost of a carpet cleaner (which we would have needed), the price was even more reasonable. The new flooring in these two key rooms really helped lift the whole house going into spring.
New Technology
Being a huge fan of technology, I jumped at the chance to choose the family vacuum. Having used various shapes, sizes and weights over the years, I was determined to get something ‘high-end’ this time around. After a heated multi-family discussion about the pros and cons of the G-Tech versus the Dyson, in which a ‘carpet-industry’ family almost came to blows with a ‘technology-industry’ family, we agreed on the G-Tech Air Ram K9 (with all the trimmings). This lightweight cordless wonder was a joy to use and suited the whole family, including my young daughters who could use it like a normal vacuum due to the lowering handle. The lay-flat mode also means that it can get under beds and sofas with ease and made the whole spring clean a breeze.
New Thinking
It doesn’t take a long trip around the Daddy Geek website to realise that I like lists, and the Spring Clean project was no different. Before the family started on this epic cleaning adventure, I listed all the life hacks, hints, tips and jobs needed to do a thorough job. The Reader’s Digest provided a great list to kick things off and, ‘starting from the top’, we worked our way down the house. From flipping the mattresses to washing the curtains, we ticked off jobs left, right and centre.
New Start
A surprising side-effect from seeing a ‘cleaner, more spacious house’ was a change in attitude from my family. My children happily donated a huge amount of toys and games to charity (that they previously wouldn’t let go) and my wife became a brutal recycler, getting rid of magazines, clothes and a slew of shoes that she loved more than me. The whole experience was refreshing and the sense of accomplishment was felt by all. What initially sounded like a weekend full of chores actually turned out to be refreshing for both the house and the soul.
So, if you are hesitating when it comes to spring cleaning this year, remember that you could end up cleansing more than just your sideboards.