Got the spring-cleaning bug? Advice from a celebrity concierge

Spring has sprung! It’s that time of year when we are opening windows, putting away winter clothes and somehow finding energy to deep clean our homes.   

My #1 piece of advice? Do not leave the entire cleaning spree to just one time during the year. Break it up! Estate butlers follow extensive cleaning schedules and we can too. Check cleaning tasks off your list every weekend or, at least, once a month. You won’t feel so overwhelmed when the Spring weather arrives.  

Six tasks to attend to at least once a year with some helpful tips taken directly from celebrity homes:

• Always start by cleaning the washing machine. A good part of our yearly cleanse involves cleaning curtains, mats and other items.  Starting with a clean machine ensures a more sparkly outcome.  

• After your washer is clean, start from the top of the room and work down towards the floor. Dust ceiling fans and high shelves first. 

• Cleaning the range hood is a chore that tends to be put off. It’s a tough and dirty job, but if you schedule this task into your cleaning calendar at least twice a year it shouldn’t take as long.

• One of my favourite cleaning hacks is to use a wet pumice stone to clean stubborn stains and spills inside the oven. I love this because who really wants to spray all those corrosive chemicals into a place where you heat up food.  

• Talking about appliances, did you know that you can get a great shine on stainless steel by rubbing ketchup onto the surface and then wiping off with a microfibre cloth? Try it.  Promise … it works!

• I recommend storing winter sweaters by rolling them up and placing them in clear bins.  Also, give those sweaters a little spray of vodka before putting them away. They will come out smelling fresh instead of musty.  Quick fun fact: fold your delicate items in between tissue paper to keep them well-preserved during the summer months.  

Three cleaning products that celebrity butlers use: 

• Barkeeper’s Friend – Yes, it is an irritant, but it is naturally derived from rhubarb of all things. It makes counters, sinks, impossibly blackened pots and lime-stained coffee pots super shiny.  

• Don’t use harsh chemicals in the toilet. I use denture cleaning tablets. Let them sit in the bowl for 30 minutes, then flush.

• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is, honestly, the best invention ever for cleaning shoes, walls, counters, bathroom surfaces, patio furniture and pretty much anything else that is dirty in your home.

Feeling overwhelmed? Hire a professional to help.  

Time is valuable and you can lose a big chunk of it if you have left all your cleaning to the Spring. Bringing in professional help will reward you with a perfectly clean slate to start your new year’s cleaning schedule.

Fun story. Madonna brings in professional cleaners every time she leaves a dressing room or hotel room.  She hires a DNA team to pick up every skin particle and hair follicle she may have left behind. Now that is clean!

Quick tips for preparing your home for the cleaner

1. Make sure you hire an insured and bonded professional who cleans full time.

• Wash your dirty dishes. I would rather spend money on getting a deep clean of my sink than having someone do dishes for me

• Try to pick up all items off the floor and furniture. Lots of clutter-free space means a cleaner home.

• If you want to know if your cleaning pro did a thorough job, check the top of the fridge and the bottom of the toilet.  If they sparkle – you hired the best.

Oh and if you’re hungry after all that work? Check out this delicious recipe, right here.

HAPPY CLEANING!!!  

Tarra Stubbins is a Celebrity Concierge, Time Management Expert and the owner of Take It Easy Personal Concierge, Toronto’s premier boutique luxury concierge company that specializes in errand services and personal shopping.
https://www.takeiteasytoronto.ca/