6 Sunflower Shine Cleaning Themes

Make your home feel instantly fresher across 6 themes in your Home. Choose according to the time you have available.

Fast Tips are instant wins. Efficient Tips give the most effect in the shortest time. Thorough Tips are perfect for when you are deep cleaning or looking to really enhance hygiene. Underlined wording will give you a link to products and further advice. Before you start when cleaning in the home always wear gloves where there may be risk of infection in kitchen or bathroom, and when handling household chemicals even “green” or eco friendly ingredients can be damaging to skin. Wash dry and moisturise your hands before and after and turn up the cheesy music and have fun! We recommend BloominSoap products as Suffolk based, smell amazing and are kind to skin, but any ordinary soap will do.

Here are our top themes for an achieveable focused clean! Pick one a day to avoid overwhelm and get things feeling under control.

1. Windows - Let light and Air in
   
   Fast Open the windows and french doors if you have them. Fresh air does your home good and improves hygiene.  Add some plants or fresh flowers to windowsills and these will be the focus not your dusting. If you are short of outdoor space also a great place to grow herbs and chillis for extra vitamins and flavour. Talk to your local garden centre for advice. We love Nareys and Roots and Shoots on our doorstep or for instant colour fresh flowers and our favourite quick win this October, ornamental pumpkins from Hollow Trees Farm Shop in Semer.
   
   Efficient  If you are short of time...Spot clean the windows and sills to brighten the room. I love Method in Lavender for the sills and when you spot clean just use two cloths - one with warm water and a dab of washing up liquid then rub off with dry cloth.  For stubborn marks on windows a quick spritz of vinegar spray or window cleaning spray and a little effort followed by dry cloth to buff should do it. 
   

   Thorough If you already have pot plants a quick removal of dead leaves and a soak so they can take water from a saucer underneath will help them look their best. Nareys or Roots and Shoots can recommend a good feed or give advice if they look lack lustre. Some prefer more or less light or are fussy about how much water and when. Opening the window giving them fresh air and wiping leaves of dust will help. If you want the wow factor nothing beats a thorough clean with the right kit. Karcher do a great window vacuum ideal for interior window and conservatories  retailing around £50 to £65 but restricted to what you can reach by hand or on a ladder - much less advisable.  Window cleaning squeegees on an extendable pole are a more affordable option too you can expect to pay between £10 (Amazon/ Lakeland) and £26.00 (Screwfix professional).  No ladders and great finish. Or save yourself the bother and  give Sunflower Shine a call! 07523137385.
   

2. What a load of Rubbish - let bad smells and dirt out!
   Fast Empty the bins - and place a piece of kitchen roll spritzed with antibacterial spray beneath the bin liner.  Bathroom and kitchen bins should be lined. Use biodegradable liners for food compost bins and tie handles when putting into outside bins. If your bin is really full double bag to avoid splits.
   
   Efficient
   
   When you empty the bins, dispose of your vacuum dirt, check and clean filters and replace vacuum bag. Drop a cotton wool ball scented with lavender oil into the bin of your vacuum for freshness as you clean.
   
   Remember plastics and cardboard from the bathroom can be recycled from loo rolltube to plastic shampoo bottles. Have an upstairs recycle bin as well as a downstairs one.  Bins will need emptying less frequently and smell better as lids will close properly without bulky waste in them. Line lidded bins for sanitary waste, including Covid-19 testing kit waste to reduce infection risk. Double bag if there are concerns around covid symptoms.
   
   Thorough Clean the bin too! Good House Keeping recommends:
   
   If it’s been a while and the bin's particularly gruesome, take it outside and hose it down first to loosen the worst of the grime. If you don't have a garden, you could also do this in the shower or bathtub. Use a multi-purpose disinfectant spray on the inside of the bin and, then scrub it with a brush if it's really dirty. Rinse out into the toilet - clean it after and leave bin to dry.  GHI TIP: Ideally, allow the bin to dry in the sun as the heat gets rid of mould. Then replace the bin liner.

3. Bedrooms - Restoring rest and calm
   
   Fast Strip and Make the beds.   Include pet beds. Love the tips from these real life vets on keeping everything clean Spring Clean tips for Pets
   
   Put clean laundry away or into airing cupboard.
   
   Efficient Plan ahead for next time.
   
   Give each  bedroom a laundry basket or bag and make the room owner  responsible for putting dirty clothes and bedlinen in. This will save everyone time and help prevent floordrobe by creating good habits from the beginning.

   Also put an extra set of bedding into a pillowcase from that set - Duvet cover, Fitted Sheet, pillowcases all folded fit perfectly and they can be stored in a drawer in the room or in linen cupboard. Have 2 mattress protectors, one to wash and one to put on. These can be washed less frequently but this is very useful if you have allergies or if anyone is sick in the night for a quick change and helps to reduce risk of sharing germs.
   
   Thorough Once bed is stripped plump pillows  remove matress protector and vacuum mattress, especially if you co sleep with pets at times. Leave to air before remaking the bed. Launder the just used bedding and get it out on the washing line on the same day  especially if anyone has been unwell. The Sun is a great natural antiseptic.
   

4. Bathroom
   Fast
   In an already clean bathroom . . .
   Soda crystals are great to freshen the plug hole.
   Hang up towels and mats after use, ideally put towels and bath mats into a wash once a week and put out fresh ones. Wipe down both sides of non slip mats and ensure you aire these too. It is best to put bath mats over the side of the bath or on a rail rather than on the floor when they are not in use as when damp they cause moisture damage and mould and contribute to musty smells.  Where there are shiny floors they can also be a trip hazard. 
   
   Efficient
   For hygiene and to discourage damp,  it is a good idea if you give the towel to the person using it rather than hanging all communally in the bathroom.
   
   They need a radiator airer in their room so when they have used the towel they can dry it - we recommend Wilko 4 Bar Radiator Airer . next best is back of the door hook or towel rail.  Hanging towels over the corner of the door can damage wood over time and does not reduce moisture in the room so may cause mould spores to develop.
   
   Thorough
   Remove everything from the room that is not a fixture when you clean.  Use Method Bathroom cleaner for the freshest scent.  Here in Suffolk limescale is a huge problem.  Limescale tablets and scrubbing work well for the toilet - a decent brush is an essential. For a sparkly shower screen try the incredibly cheap vinegar spray and a squeegee - or if its really in need of care give Sunflower Shine a call! 07523137385 or email mary@sunflowershine.co.uk.
   

5. Kitchen

   The heroes of this room are the sink, the hob, the oven and the table. Bring in some roses or lavender from the garden arrange in a vase, jug or jam jar for fresh scents.

   Fast
   Clean the sink and put soda crystals down plug hole to freshen. Buy and use a washing up bowl to prevent permanent scratches and chips to plastic, enamel and pale coloured sinks. Easily hidden but much cheaper to replace and especially do this if you have a fondness for orange foods or black tea. Cream cleaner is best but can leave residue so damp wipe, rinse  and dry buff after applying. I love the Unsponge by Ladybird Stitches for sink cleaning where there are more tricky residues. Its tough but gentler than harsh sponges and scourers that could damage the sink. If they are out of stock do get in touch via their Etsy page as they are in demand and worth the wait!
   
   On stainless steel a tiny amount of baby oil buffed up can make for an impressive shine. But be sure it is stainless steel and use sparingly.
   
   Clear and wipe the table, empty mugs and plates into the dishwasher. 
   Use hob cleaner on ceramic hobs - it takes very little time if used regularly
   Use Fabulosa or similar multipurpose spray on exterior of oven doors.  When clean buff to a shine with a lint free cloth.
   

   Efficient
   Stock these items in your kitchen cupboard under the sink for easy cleaning. Have one in use and one spare.

   Multipurpose spray - Method Rhubarb for kitchens is my favourite for lounges and bedrooms I prefer calming lavender version - great on skirting boards and window sills
   Cream Cleaner
   Hob Cleaner
   Oven cleaner
   Glass cleaner - for high shine kitchen surfaces as well as glass
   Soda Crystals
   Vinegar spray replaces harsh limescale remover and glass cleaner for glass once it is in a maintainable state.
   Floor cleaner suitable for your floors - one size does not fit all
   Baking soda for floor freshen especially if you have pets
   If you have real wood in the home Wood Polish
   Old toothbrush for cleaning taps etc
   10 cleaning cloths - wash and dry after use no point cleaning with dirty cloths
   Spare mop heads - you should use a different one for kitchen and bathroom areas and wash frequently

   Declutter the table - Have a box file for each person using the kitchen table with distinctive colour or label. Then when its dinner time it is much less of a chore for them to pack up homework, drawings or work and easier for them to put it somewhere easy to find. Start this as toddlers and you will find there is less cajoling needed later on.

   Use a dishwasher to clean oven shelves and metal hob filters - don’t put anything else in with them and clean filters well.  Use a dishwasher cleaning product after too for a less whiffy dishwasher

   Thorough
   Sweep or vacuum the floor, then wash it.  Sweeping first even if you are going to hoover is gold standard- it saves smelly bits of dropped food clogging up the hoover - who wants the odour of onion in every room? And ensures all loose dirt is gone before we wash the floor.

6. Lounge
   
   Fast
   Tidy cushions and remove items from seating (people included they can return when you are done). Remove old newspapers and magazines and recycle. Brush off any loose crumbs with gloved hands and vacuum the room.

   Dust with long handled duster to chase out spiders and then use a microfibre or duster cloth to dust  TV and tables.
   
   Efficient
   Keep the dust down by dusting either with a vacuum attachment or by using a long handled duster, especially at high level.  Do not stand on a chair but rather choose a telescopic duster. These come in all sizes including Doca poles to reach barn height rafters. You only need to vacuum floors once a week generally if you adopt this approach. When you vacuum include use of attachments on curtains at low setting and in corners and edges of skirting boards for a perfect finish. Do not forget behind doors and under mats for even wear. 

   If you have hardwood floors or laminate use method for wood floors. Brush off mud use minimal water as this can damage oiled and engineered wood floors. Never use steam cleaners on wooden floors. It is not recommended that you use steam cleaners to clean your hardwood floor as they can breakdown the finish as well as potentially cause damage to the floorboards.

   Thorough
   Use glass cleaner on glass tables as well as windows and fabulosa on fashionable glass and chrome - but do not over clean.  These metallic surfaces are often not hardwearing and become dulled by over cleaning to which people often respond by cleaning more! Do not do it!

   Damp wipe china ornaments very gently using damp cotton wool balls. Often just water or a small amount of dish soap will bring up. Do not scrub.
   Brasses really need brasso - but not too often once in 6 months is plenty. Over polishing will damage. 

   Lord Sheraton Wood balsam is a treat for wooden furniture, wooden mantels  and bannisters use sparingly and be prepared for strong nose clearing fresh scent of turps/eucalyptus! Method wood is kinder on the nose but not as good for bringing up neglected wood that has not seen real wood polish in years. The aerosol chemically stuff is simply not as good for real wood, but again no need to over polish - dry dusting is generally enough.
   
   

And Finally a note of caution
Some modern cleaning products may be too harsh for antique furniture and metallic style surfaces. Check the instructions and warnings carefully and always do a spot test when using a new cleaning product.  To be effective check the product effect after 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 30 minutes to decide if it is suitable and make sure you follow the dilution and rinsing advice carefully. Please never mix products - this can be very dangerous causing chemical reactions that can cause gases to be released. Safety around household chemicals is discussed here: Rospa advice on home safety

In particular avoid using limescale remover on metal finishes such as chrome or brass effect finishes and do not leave - rinse as per instructions.  This can be very corrosive taking the metal right back leaving an ugly under metal or even plastic showing which can only be corrected by replacement.

Change gloves if they split, and wear separate gloves for kitchen and bathroom areas. Launder your mop heads, dusters and cloths after use. Leaving them wet will create bad odours and can be an infection risk.

Finally for your period home in Suffolk  do take advice from the experts for long term care of the historic materials  which make your home so unique and characterful. 
Historic England offers a handbook for owners of historic buildings covering basic maintenance and things to look out for to keep your home in good condition to get a free copy follow this link Owner's Handbook

Care notes for old floors in hardwood, stone or tile provided by SPAB here: Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings especially note that over wetting or inappropriate chemical cleaners can be permanently damaging so do take this information on board.