10 Key Household Jobs to Tick Off in April
Make the most of the cooler autumn weather to tackle some home improvement tasks
By breaking down household jobs into weekly or monthly tasks, they won’t seem quite so daunting. In April, tick off the following 10 jobs to make your household more functional and efficient without compromising on style. Nearly all these jobs can be undertaken on your own, without the help of a professional.
2. Add a mud room
If you can, find an alternative entry point into your home and turn it into a hardworking mudroom. Even the tiniest little space can be converted to house wet or muddy footwear, raincoats and umbrellas.
At the very minimum, a basic mudroom has hooks for coats and jackets, a bench to sit on while you kick off your shoes and baskets in which to store them.
Tip: Add some radiant heating to dry the wet shoes and clothes.
If you can, find an alternative entry point into your home and turn it into a hardworking mudroom. Even the tiniest little space can be converted to house wet or muddy footwear, raincoats and umbrellas.
At the very minimum, a basic mudroom has hooks for coats and jackets, a bench to sit on while you kick off your shoes and baskets in which to store them.
Tip: Add some radiant heating to dry the wet shoes and clothes.
3. Clear the bench
The kitchen is the room that records the highest traffic in a house. As a result, benchtops often become natural dumping spots for bits and pieces as family members and housemates pass through. Bring some calm and order to the space this month by removing and relocating things that don’t belong on your kitchen bench. Once that’s done, wash down the kitchen and return those few items that really deserve a spot on the bench.
In a perfect world, the kitchen benchtop should only require two to three minutes to clear down. Make sure you spend these few minutes each day to keep the clutter at bay.
12 Tactics for Creating More Kitchen Bench Space
The kitchen is the room that records the highest traffic in a house. As a result, benchtops often become natural dumping spots for bits and pieces as family members and housemates pass through. Bring some calm and order to the space this month by removing and relocating things that don’t belong on your kitchen bench. Once that’s done, wash down the kitchen and return those few items that really deserve a spot on the bench.
In a perfect world, the kitchen benchtop should only require two to three minutes to clear down. Make sure you spend these few minutes each day to keep the clutter at bay.
12 Tactics for Creating More Kitchen Bench Space
4. Deep clean timber floors
Sadly, regular mopping of hardwood floors won’t remove ground-in dirt, grease and grime, so once in a while give your floors a deep clean. To properly care for your timber floors, start by spot cleaning with a soft cloth and dishwashing detergent. For more stubborn stains, use a fine steel wool followed by floor wax.
It’s really important not to allow water to puddle on the floor when washing it. Dilute the cleaning solution, saturate the mop and then wring it until it is just damp to the touch. Rinse the floor with a clean mop, dampened in clear water, and then wipe up any excess water with an old, clean towel. Open the doors and windows and operate a ceiling fan to speed up the drying process.
Greening Your Home: The Best Natural Products to Clean Your House With
Sadly, regular mopping of hardwood floors won’t remove ground-in dirt, grease and grime, so once in a while give your floors a deep clean. To properly care for your timber floors, start by spot cleaning with a soft cloth and dishwashing detergent. For more stubborn stains, use a fine steel wool followed by floor wax.
It’s really important not to allow water to puddle on the floor when washing it. Dilute the cleaning solution, saturate the mop and then wring it until it is just damp to the touch. Rinse the floor with a clean mop, dampened in clear water, and then wipe up any excess water with an old, clean towel. Open the doors and windows and operate a ceiling fan to speed up the drying process.
Greening Your Home: The Best Natural Products to Clean Your House With
5. Hang it all on hooks
I love a heated towel rail in the bathroom, but would happily forego that if it meant that the kids could easily hang their wet towels. Even teenagers seem to find a towel rail challenging!
Install hooks or knobs on the bathroom wall and behind the door. The cool ‘dots’ pictured here look great and make it really easy for anyone to hang their towel after use.
How to keep bath towels handy
I love a heated towel rail in the bathroom, but would happily forego that if it meant that the kids could easily hang their wet towels. Even teenagers seem to find a towel rail challenging!
Install hooks or knobs on the bathroom wall and behind the door. The cool ‘dots’ pictured here look great and make it really easy for anyone to hang their towel after use.
How to keep bath towels handy
6. Clean bathroom exhaust fans
This must be one of the more overlooked jobs in the house, yet one of the most important. Bathroom exhaust fans draw up a tonne of airborne particles that linger on the blades, vents and filters. Keeping them clean reduces the build-up of mould and mildew.
Remove the cover and soak it in a tub of warm water and detergent. Remove the dust from the motor and other nooks and crannies with a stiff, clean paintbrush or old toothbrush, and suck up the debris with a vacuum cleaner. Wipe down the lot with a damp cloth and leave to dry.
Tip: Do this job twice a year, at the beginning and end of the spring/summer months.
This must be one of the more overlooked jobs in the house, yet one of the most important. Bathroom exhaust fans draw up a tonne of airborne particles that linger on the blades, vents and filters. Keeping them clean reduces the build-up of mould and mildew.
Remove the cover and soak it in a tub of warm water and detergent. Remove the dust from the motor and other nooks and crannies with a stiff, clean paintbrush or old toothbrush, and suck up the debris with a vacuum cleaner. Wipe down the lot with a damp cloth and leave to dry.
Tip: Do this job twice a year, at the beginning and end of the spring/summer months.
7. Create a blissful bedside
Transform your bedside table into an elegant and usable space by removing all the mess and replacing it with the few key items you find essential. For example, combine a shapely lamp with a pile of books and a candle or trinket bowl.
Also, make sure there is a small box for medicines if you need them, a coaster or tray for a glass of water and a place to put hair clips, pins or reading glasses if you use them. You could also add some vertical interest and reflected light with a mirror. Fresh flowers or a small potted plant add a nice organic touch if you have the tabletop space.
From a styling point of view, select items of varying heights and sizes to balance and add visual interest, and vary the shape of objects from hard-edged and boxy to curvy and organic.
Transform your bedside table into an elegant and usable space by removing all the mess and replacing it with the few key items you find essential. For example, combine a shapely lamp with a pile of books and a candle or trinket bowl.
Also, make sure there is a small box for medicines if you need them, a coaster or tray for a glass of water and a place to put hair clips, pins or reading glasses if you use them. You could also add some vertical interest and reflected light with a mirror. Fresh flowers or a small potted plant add a nice organic touch if you have the tabletop space.
From a styling point of view, select items of varying heights and sizes to balance and add visual interest, and vary the shape of objects from hard-edged and boxy to curvy and organic.
8. Slip off the covers
Before the sun gets lower in the sky and the days get shorter, make an effort to freshen up your soft furnishings. Launder or dry-clean slip covers. If you’ve laundered them, replace them when they’re slightly damp in order to get the best fit. Most small rugs can be laundered, but larger ones should be cleaned by a professional. Now is also a great time to take down the curtains and either launder or dry-clean them. Again, hanging slightly damp curtains will help them fall properly.
Before the sun gets lower in the sky and the days get shorter, make an effort to freshen up your soft furnishings. Launder or dry-clean slip covers. If you’ve laundered them, replace them when they’re slightly damp in order to get the best fit. Most small rugs can be laundered, but larger ones should be cleaned by a professional. Now is also a great time to take down the curtains and either launder or dry-clean them. Again, hanging slightly damp curtains will help them fall properly.
9. Hang an art gallery
Don’t forget to attend to a decorating project this month, even if it is something as simple as creating a gallery wall. The trick to hanging artwork is to make the arrangement look effortless. First and foremost, the art must hang at eye level. If you’re hanging art in a child’s room, that will mean the art should hang a little lower.
If you’re hanging artwork in a grid, try to keep it symmetrical and space each piece about 50-80 millimetres apart. For a uniform look, use the same colour and style of frame, or mix up the frame styles for a more eclectic look.
8 Creative Displays for Your Works of Art
Don’t forget to attend to a decorating project this month, even if it is something as simple as creating a gallery wall. The trick to hanging artwork is to make the arrangement look effortless. First and foremost, the art must hang at eye level. If you’re hanging art in a child’s room, that will mean the art should hang a little lower.
If you’re hanging artwork in a grid, try to keep it symmetrical and space each piece about 50-80 millimetres apart. For a uniform look, use the same colour and style of frame, or mix up the frame styles for a more eclectic look.
8 Creative Displays for Your Works of Art
10. Organise laundry essentials
April is a good month to get your laundry space under control as the temperatures are reasonable enough to work in – especially if you have a bit of handyperson work to do.
Storage is the key to a well-organised laundry, so make the most of the walls and ceiling by putting up shelves and even a drying rack that pulls out of the wall, or is suspended from the ceiling on a pulley system. Be practical and rearrange your products and supplies according to how often you use them. Consider having a ‘washed and folded’ basket for each person, so that they become responsible for returning their own laundered clothes and items to their rooms.
Tell us
What are your cleaning or sorting tips for autumn? Share them with us in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Prefer to outsource your home organisation? Find a professional organiser near you who can whip your house into shape
April is a good month to get your laundry space under control as the temperatures are reasonable enough to work in – especially if you have a bit of handyperson work to do.
Storage is the key to a well-organised laundry, so make the most of the walls and ceiling by putting up shelves and even a drying rack that pulls out of the wall, or is suspended from the ceiling on a pulley system. Be practical and rearrange your products and supplies according to how often you use them. Consider having a ‘washed and folded’ basket for each person, so that they become responsible for returning their own laundered clothes and items to their rooms.
Tell us
What are your cleaning or sorting tips for autumn? Share them with us in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Prefer to outsource your home organisation? Find a professional organiser near you who can whip your house into shape
The entrance or front hallway is the gateway to your home, and as first impressions count, make sure yours reflects your household habits as much as your decorating style.
Clear the area of any dump-it-at-the-door storage ideas you’ve put in place for kids or yourself through the warmer months, when a practical approach kept the mess generated by lots of outdoor activity at a manageable level.
As that indoor-outdoor lifestyle quietens down, style up your entrance to look warm and inviting. Don’t overdo it – too much clutter will hinder functionality. At the very least, hang some art and consider adding a mirror to brighten the room and give the illusion of space.
A well-planned, adjustable lighting scheme will enhance the area and create a welcoming vibe. And, if you have the room, a side table with trays, bowls or baskets for keys and other knick knacks can be both pretty and useful. Then add a vase of flowers or display a pretty indoor plant to complete the look.
Be prepared for dropping temperatures and rainy weather by installing some wall hooks for coats, hats and umbrellas and adding a basket for shoes.