It's that time of year again when the dull overcast days, drizzle, fog and persistent rain can make you feel lethargic and fed up. Brighten your life and your home by spring cleaning! It will work wonders for your morale, your living space will be refreshed-all-in-all spring clean is a great way to banish the winter blues!



Take a positive approach and work in a methodical manner, otherwise you'll become overwhelmed and simply give up. Chose the lounge to begin with as this is the place you will be able to relax in at the end of the day and soak up the new ambience of the room.

De-clutter the room before you start cleaning. Gather up all old newspapers, books, clothes, shoes-whatever it is on your surfaces, sofas and chairs. Toss all unwanted paper into the recycling, take clothes and shoes and deposit them in their owners rooms! Once you have cleared away start cleaning!

It's always best to start from the top and work down. Remember this is not re-decorating this is spring cleaning! Use a soft broom or one of those feather type dusters on a stick to sweep down cob webs from the ceiling and corners. Don't forget to clean or dust light shades-spiders love making webs around these! If you have washable shades take them down and spruce them up with warm soapy water. If your lighting is old and dated, damaged or a colour which no longer blends with your colour scheme make a mental or better still a written note to search out something more appropriate. Lighting and choice of light shade can make or break a room's interior design style. There are some fantastic lights available which will brighten a room in more ways than one!

Work your way systematically round the room cleaning, dusting and polishing anything that isn't moving!

Take the curtains or blinds down and wash them-if you can. Having superb window dressing is a key factor in creating a fantastic interior design. Maybe it's time you replaced them? Like lighting there are some fabulous ready made curtains in a wealth of colours, plains and patterns to choose from. New design colours in blinds can be a very affordable way to inject colour into a room. Natural wood blinds are ideal as they blend effortlessly with any colour combinations and design styles. Before you get side tracked looking for new window dressings clean the windows inside and out-you will amazed the difference this will make.

Hover the carpet, shake out rugs, plump up the cushions, these little things will make a real difference. Place only your very favourite items for display. Shelves and mantle pieces bombarded with a disorganised mass of trinkets not only looks a shambles they attract dust, making cleaning chores even harder. Any interior design magazine or TV programme has only a few strategically placed items which add interest and focal points, you will rarely see a cluttered mess of mismatched items! The only exception to this maybe a ‘shabby chic' interior design style, but even this should have themed objects not mess.

It may be hard but once you have the de-clutter bug you will be able to zip round the other rooms and de-clutter and spring clean in no time at all!