Effortless Spring Cleaning Tips

VACUUMS

Beautiful carpets and upholstered furniture add comfort and warmth to the apartment and create visual highlights. A textile floor covering not only looks good, but improves the foothold and absorbs noises. However, sofas and similar items are exposed to many stresses day in day out. Fine dust, skin scales, crumbs, pet hair and spilt drinks – they absorb a lot of dirt over time. Regular cleaning preserves the look, extends the lifetime and also ensures hygiene. The last point plays a particularly important role especially in households with small children or allergy sufferers.

Rugs and carpets should be thoroughly vacuumed at least once a week. Active floor nozzles with motorised roller as well as vacuum cleaners, which detect the degree of contamination via sensors and automatically set the suction power accordingly, are perfect. For optimal cleaning power the nozzle should not be moved back and forth too quickly. A slow and smooth motion is better. A turbo nozzle can improve the result on fixed textile floor coverings. Special pet hair brushes facilitate vacuuming in households with four-legged friends! It is important that the hair is removed from the brush after the task. Otherwise, the cleaning power decreases very quickly.

WINDOW VAC

Cleaning windows can be time-consuming and energy-sapping, especially when it comes to cleaning large sections of glazing on floor-to-ceiling windows, patio doors or conservatories. And it takes a feat of ingenuity just to be able reach some of the windows or skylights in high stairwells. But deposits of dirt created by winter conditions, exhaust fumes, pollen, fallen leaves or residues from insects not only impact the visibility in the long run, but also shorten the life of window seals. Reason enough to take the opportunity of a spring clean to tackle those windows we have a habit of putting off. After all, it's about more than just squeaky-clean window panes, it's about value preservation too.

One way of taking the hard work out of window cleaning is with a cordless Window Vac and the right accessories. Simply spray on cleaning agent, spread around with the microfibre wiper to soften and loosen the dirt. With Kärcher, it couldn't be simpler because the microfibre pad is attached to the spray bottle itself. Everything you need fits in one hand. Then it's the job of the Window Vac to vacuum it all up. The results are fast, dazzling and streak-free. The dirty water flows directly into the machine's collecting container rather than dripping onto the floor – a clean solution all-round.

HARD FLOOR CLEANER

The vacuum cleaner is the popular alternative for cleaning. Unlike a brush, which kicks up dirt, it makes short work of crumbs and dust particles. This is important prior to wet cleaning as very coarse dirt cannot be picked up completely or can even leave visible scratches on sensitive surfaces such as parquet. Those who wish to save themselves this extra step can use the floor cleaner FC 7 from Kärcher, which sweeps and mops in one!

SPRAY EXTRACTION

If carpets or upholstered furniture are subject to heavy-duty use, e.g. in the dining area, playroom or hall, then regular vacuuming no longer yields the desired effect after a while. Carpets appear worn and upholstery has traces of unsightly stains because during vacuuming only surface dirt is vacuumed. 

At this stage it is time for deep cleaning with the spray extraction cleaner. During spray extraction cleaning detergent and water are sprayed onto the textile surface and removed from the fibres with the dirt by suction. This process may need to be repeated several times for stubborn dirt. Not only carpets are fresh and clean again. The method is also suitable for spot cleaning, e.g. of spilt drinks on upholstered furniture, mattresses and car seats. Battery-powered models like the Kärcher SE 3-18 Compact Battery are very convenient here.

STEAM CLEANING

There's no other room in the house where cleanliness and hygiene are as important as in the bathroom. There is a variety of opinions on the right way to clean showers, washbasins, toilets and so on. But what actually works well? How can you make cleaning particularly effective, quick and easy? With the following tips, dirt and stubborn limescale in the bathroom don't stand a chance.

Using a steam cleaner enables thorough cleaning without any chemicals and also with very low water consumption. For thorough and hygienic steam cleaning, powerful bursts of steam and a high temperature are used in combination with nozzles, brush attachments and suitable cleaning cloths.

Moisture, cold air, wet dirt and especially road salt – winter is a hard time of year for cars. This aggressive mixture can speed up the formation of rust. This is why thorough car washing is part of spring cleaning. This is quick and thorough with a pressure washer.

For this purpose, a flat jet should be used at a distance of about 30 centimetres from the surface. As far as possible, the underbody and wheel arches should be cleaned. Using a detergent makes it easier to dissolve dirt, which then only needs rinsing off. If you prefer to use a wash brush, the car should first be sprayed over completely so that stones and other dirt cannot scratch the paint.

Before washing the car, it is definitely worth finding out whether car washing is allowed on the street or private plot of land, as the laws can vary according to the Federal State, city or municipality. The possibility of polluting the groundwater should always be ruled out.

The tiles on the balcony, terrace and paths in front of the house are constantly exposed to weather. This often results in unpleasant dirt. Moss, lichen and greenery can be thoroughly cleaned in a flash using a pressure washer.

Ferrous objects such as garden furniture or lights lying on the ground and getting damp for extended periods of time may cause rust stains to develop. Acid-resistant stones such as granite or slate can be treated with citric acid. For acid-sensitive stones such as marble, a special acid-free rust remover is required.

Garden furniture in storage should be wiped off after the winter using water and dishwashing detergent in order to remove dirt and dust. High-pressure cleaning makes it faster. The additional use of a detergent that has a gentle effect on the surface is also recommended.

Garden furniture padding is subjected to sun and rain. As such, delicate materials and colours should be sprayed with a special stain guard. Synthetic fibre covers are easy to wash, whereas cotton covers should be cleaned chemically.

Whether wood or modern wood polymers – dirt gets stuck in natural structures more easily and is more difficult to remove than from smooth stone floors. In this instance, it is best to use a pressure washer. This allows for a gentle cleaning procedure – especially on wooden surfaces.

Through the use of a flat jet nozzle and spray lance, water pressure can be adjusted to match the material. Surfaces should be painted with a special wood varnish following cleaning. This protects against weathering and freshens up the colour.