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Each March search demand for “Spring Cleaning” peaks in the UK as Brits look to start the new spring season with a deep clean or clear-out of their home. Searches for “How to spring clean” have risen 49% over the last week as the first day of spring approaches compared to the same period last year.  While there is nothing more satisfying than having an annual spring clean once the warmer season hits - it’s often hard to know where to start and the sheer amount of clutter you may be clearing out can be overwhelming. TikTok is a great place to find tips and tricks you may not have thought of and with over 18,700 posts with the hashtags “#Springclean” and seeing over 322.5 million views, there are plenty of tips to be found. With this in mind, the experts at Yell have trawled through Tiktok’s most popular tips to compile a list of their top hacks on how best to spring clean your home in 2024. As we reach the end of the winter months, getting organised and transforming your space into a freshly cleaned and less cluttered environment boosts your mood and gets you ready for the next season. 1. Start Small Before the deep spring cleaning can commence, it is a great time to clear out any clutter. Clearing out the clutter can be incredibly overwhelming - especially when you accumulated a lot over a long period. A key tip is to start small. Starting small allows you to make small steps towards a big, long-term goal, and a little progress every day will have a far bigger impact over time. If you start small you will feel a sense of achievement quickly. This will motivate you to continue. A great principle to stick to was created by online creator Becoming Minimalist , called the 12-12-12 Challenge. The idea is that you locate only a select number of items at a time dedicated to the clearing out of your home. First, you need to locate 12 items that you are going to donate, then 12 to throw away or recycle, and 12 to return to their proper home in your house. Repeat as often as you like, and you’ll start to see the clutter disappear. 2. The 20/20 Rule The need to hold onto too many items, otherwise known as the “just in case” items, can really impact your spring cleaning and make the venture that much more difficult. When struggling to make decluttering decisions so you can easily deep clean your home, the 20/20 rule comes into play. The 20/20 rule is designed to help you get rid of those items that are cluttering up your home, that you’ve held onto “just in case” but have instead remained unused, taking up space in your home. When coming across these times you need to ask two questions - can this be replaced for under £20 or less? Can I replace this item in 20 minutes or less? If the answer is yes to both of these questions - it’s time to get rid. If the answer is yes to one of these, then take more time to consider if it’s easily replaceable and if you have the space to keep it in the meantime. 3. Learn How to Spot Clutter Learn how to spot clutter when it comes to spring cleaning your home to ensure a quicker and more efficient cleaning process. This can apply to any item that you might not actually need. Anything you are keeping ‘just because’ or through obligation, it may be time to show it the door. Clutter can grow exponentially through bad habits or even guilt, and result in a build-up of dust and dirt in difficult-to-reach places due to excessive amounts of clutter. If you take the time to identify the usefulness of said clutter regularly and discard things that way, you can easily release any of it from your home before it creates an irritating build-up and makes your spring cleaning journey more difficult. 4. Create a Spring Cleaning Checklist Lists are always a great place to start when it comes to spring cleaning your home. This way, you can plan and map out as much as you want to get done within certain time frames. When we step into a dirty or cluttered room, our brains are immediately overstimulated which makes it difficult to focus. It’s easy it is to get distracted while clearing out and cleaning when you start doing 5 things at once. A key tip is to make a list of every room in your house. When you enter the room make a list of everything that needs to be both cleaned and decluttered. Take on one room at a time and tick off each section of the room as you clean. With a checklist handy, you can focus on one thing at a time, taking you through a more structured approach to your spring clean. It not only keeps you as organised as possible but gives a great sense of achievement as you tick off each item on your list. 5. Let Go of Stuff That Doesn’t Fit Your Current Lifestyle Take an inventory of everything that you own, from the spare chair you have cluttering up your hallway to the winter jacket that you haven’t worn in 5 years. Assess each of them individually and ask yourself if they align with your current lifestyle. Does it bring you joy and does it serve a purpose? If it’s not seasonal and you haven’t used it in the last 6 months, it may be time to consider getting rid of it. This also applies to keeping things just because they were expensive - sorry to break it to you, but that money has been and gone. If you don’t use it anymore, consider donating it or if you want to make back that expense consider selling it on a re-sale site. 6. Start With What You Can See When it comes to knowing where to start, it’s recommended to begin cleaning and clearing out the parts of your home that most need it. Start decluttering the stuff that you can see (the stuff that's taking up visible space all over the house rather than items stuffed in a wardrobe or a cabinet) and do a deep clean on, around, and underneath those items. The rooms that are generally used the most are usually the ones to accumulate the most dust, clutter and dirt and therefore are likely to need more immediate attention. The kitchen and living rooms are great places to start your spring cleaning venture. As hubs of the home, if the rooms are messy, cluttered or dirty, they can feel stressful and frustrating. 7. Tackle the Entryway/Space by the Front Door There is nothing more stressful than staring straight at a bunch of dust, general clutter or dirt as soon as you walk through the front door. The hallway or entryway is usually the place that has to handle the most dirt, dust, and clutter, due to the level of footfall every single day. Clear and wipe down any surfaces, put away any out-of-season coats or shoes, and give the space a real deep clean. From mud on the floor from shoes to dust bunnies that have accumulated over time, giving your entryway a real deep clean will make the rest of your home feel easier to tackle. If you are looking at throwing away a significant amount of clutter, be it from your entryway or the house in general, hiring a skip is a great way to remove large amounts of clutter that allows you to really clean every spot thoroughly. 8. Get Organised Cleaning your house in preparation for spring is far easier when your home is organised. Although moving items from one place to another seems slightly redundant, utilising storage spaces is a great way to organise and sort things out that don’t necessarily need to be in your house, but you want to keep. Ideal for anything from furniture to boxes of books and children's toys, storage units are available in various sizes depending on what you need to store away. This way, your home can only have things in it that are needed, making it easier to keep on top of your regular cleaning activities. By staying on top of your organisation, cleaning your home will feel less stressful and can be done quickly and easily. This way, you can have a clear and organised home that’s the peaceful and calming space it should be. Checking Off Your Spring Cleaning Checklist Spring cleaning your home doesn't have to be the daunting task you are putting off on your to-do list. By following this expert-approved checklist, you can avoid any unnecessary stress and stay on top of your home environment by organising and cleaning quickly and easily - ready to help you start the new spring/summer season afresh.

Spring is well and truly on its way, which can only mean one thing. The days of sowing seeds, growing and nurturing your garden as it comes back to life are just weeks away. Over the past week, searches for “want to sort the garden out, where do I begin?” have increased by 2,200% as avid gardeners start looking to prepare for the new season. According to data, 27 million people in the UK (42% of the population) partake in gardening activities at home during their leisure time but 7% of UK adults admitted to failing to keep their garden plants alive. With this in mind, gardening experts at Yell have compiled a list of expert-approved tips on how to prepare your garden for spring to ensure a successful growing season this year. Pre-Spring Gardening Tips When you’re pre-spring cleaning and preparing your garden for the new season, your main focuses should be: 1. Clearing moss from your lawn After a wet and rainy winter, you are likely to experience a slight moss problem on your lawn. In March, searches for “how to remove moss from lawns” spike by 49% as avid gardeners start preparing their gardens for spring. There are several types of moss that grow in lawns. These are usually coarse, loose, green or yellowish-green tufts between the grass, but can form densely matted tufts. Moss can be removed by raking or using a powered scarifier, or by applying a non-chemical, bacteria-based moss remover. To avoid moss growing in the future, make sure the growing environment is suitable - avoiding shade where you can, water-logged conditions, and dead patches. 2. Preparing your summer-blooming flowers in the spring During March-April, searches for “what bulbs should I plant” peak by 59%. As the seasons change, so should the bulbs you plant. Although you may find summer flowers in full bloom at garden centres by the time summer hits, this is the most expensive way to buy them. Growing them in the spring will cost you a fraction of the price, and ensure you have a beautiful oasis in full bloom by the summertime. Choose summer blooming bulbs: Dahlias, Begonias, Gladioli, Lilies, Peonies, Polianthes. Soak them in a bucket or tray of water. Doing this will wake them up and give them a good start when planted. Plant your bulbs in the garden in late May. 3. Pruning March is the second-highest month for searches on “How to prune flowers”, with 44,000 searches on average over the 31 days. Pruning dead and spent flowers, foliage, and stems encourages healthier, fuller plants and more flowers. It also helps remove any dead or diseased flowers to prevent spreading. Pinch or cut off dead and spent flowers and foliage. This will force the production of new stems, leaves, and flowers. When the plant has multiple buds growing along the stems, cut just below-spent flowers to create the blooms further down the stems. Plants to prune in the spring include roses, wisteria, winter jasmine, and buddleia. 4. Cutting your grass at the correct times In March, searches for “when to cut grass after winter” spike to their highest as Brits are debating when the best time is to start cutting grass after a long and cold winter. Cutting your grass after winter can be a great way to revive your garden and give it a good tidy up before the summer. Perform the first grass cut of the year around mid-late March. Mow the lawn at least once every week throughout the spring and summer. Try to keep grass the same height throughout the spring - ideally between 2.5-4cm. 5. Choosing the right plant containers For those with smaller gardens or patios, container growing is a more viable choice. Search demand for “plant containers” spike by 71% between February - March and are a popular choice amongst beginner gardeners. Bulbs are great for growing in containers because they can be replanted each year to create new blooms. Use good-quality, peat-free potting compost for temporary displays. Ensure your containers are the correct size for your bulbs and their roots. Note that plants in containers need watering more regularly than those in the ground. 6. Hanging some bird boxes Birds are wonderful visitors to have in your garden. And whilst they are relaxing to watch, they hold an array of benefits to your garden environment. They can help rid your lawn of weeds, are brilliant at eating unwanted pests and can also help with flower pollination. “How to hang a bird box” is searched an average of 1,000 times a month when it comes to springtime. Here is some advice on how best to place and hang your bird boxes: Do not place your bird box in a south-facing position. Hang your box between 1-5 metres from the ground. Ensure you are choosing the right size box for the types of birds you want to attract. By preparing your garden for spring in advance, you are giving your plants, vegetables and flowers the best possible chance of a successful growing season. Following these expert-approved tips will see your garden flourish throughout the spring and summer, providing you with a healthy and beautiful-looking space all season long. Contact your local garden services for help or advice.