Housekeeping Tips with the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House

With the changing of the seasons, it’s time to start thinking about sprucing up your home for the warmer months ahead. We’ve paired-up with the award-winning Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, located in the beautiful Lake District, to find out how you can keep your home looking like a five-star hotel.

The Gilpin’s Head Housekeeper, Amanda Ramsay, shares her top tips and products to add some sparkle this Springtime.

1. Nooks & Crannies

“Like a home, there’s lots of nooks and crannies for us to clean at Gilpin, whether that’s the tall ceilings in our Lake House or the intricate detailing in our Spa Suites, not to mention our many ornate light fixings – a thorough dusting is essential. I’m a firm believer in making a job as easy as possible by having the right tools, for example if wishing to clean at height, an extendable duster is a must, and a flat duster is useful if trying to dust behind radiators and furniture, and even between panelling. Choosing the correct equipment not only helps with efficiency, but also ergonomically as it’s kinder on the body with less stretching and stress.”

Flatmate Long Flat Duster | £10.99

2. All in the Detail

“As well as daily housekeeping, we regularly deep clean areas to ensure our rooms remain beautifully presented and of five-star quality. This intensive clean requires lots of scrubbing, so any tools that can assist us with this, easing elbow grease whilst maintain standards, are very much welcomed. Gadgets such as the Sonic Scrubber make an excellent addition to any cleaning cupboard. Essentially a large toothbrush that with oscillating heads that move 10,000 times a minute, it makes light work of shifting grime. It comes with a range of heads, ideal for all-sorts of tasks, from scrubbing grout to getting to those hard-to-reach places, saving time and effort in the process.”

Sonic Scrubber Cleaning Tool | £22.99

3. Scented Sinks

“Here at Gilpin we love a beautiful bathroom, however with our statement baths, double showers and feature sinks, comes an area many of us overlook – plugholes. Often forgotten when cleaning at home, keeping on top of drains is so important, not only in relation to sanitation, but also from a maintenance perspective too. To save the cost of calling out a plumber for a blockage, I recommend incorporating plughole sticks as part of your regular cleaning routine. Simple to use, they work wonders on clogs to keep drains flowing freely, plus you can even get scented ones to keep them smelling fresh.”

Enzyme Cleaning Sticks | £7.99

4. Crystal Clear Windows

“We are very fortunate at Gilpin to have lots of light and bright bedrooms, particularly with our Spa Lodges and Spa Suites which boast panoramic windows. To ensure our guests make the most of these features (and of course the breath-taking views they look out on)we keep them sparkling clean. Investing in a good glass cleaner is vital, one that is fast-drying will keep smears and streaks at bay, combine with a lint free microfibre cloth to make sure no pesky bits of dust are left behind. As we approach the (hopefully) sunnier months, crystal clear windows will allow natural light to penetrate more effectively so that you can enjoy the benefits of a brighter home.”

Wilton London Glass Cleaner Botanical Lemon | £3.99

5. Fabulous Floors

“The final part of our housekeeping routine is always our floors, and with hard flooring such as wood and tile in all of our rooms, mopping is always the last thing we do. Before mopping, give floors a thorough vacuum to remove any loose dirt and dust and make the task in hand less arduous. Start mopping at the far corner of the room and work backwards, mopping from left to right, twisting the mop as you go.

I personally prefer a spray mop, rather than a traditional mop and bucket, as it is more economical with water and easier to carry from room-to-room. Ones with a slide out scrubber are particularly excellent as they have the ability to get rid of stubborn marks and spills without the need for you to bend down. Once you have finished mopping, be sure to wash your mop head, most can be popped in the washing machine – this means that next time you mop, your equipment will be clean and ready to go.”

OXO Microfibre Spray Mop | £39.99

About Gilpin Hotel & Lake House

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is one of the finest luxury Lake District hotels. Situated close to Lake Windermere, guests can choose between a very chilled-out hotel, Gilpin Hotel, or the hotel-come-country-house, Gilpin Lake House. Dining is heaven sent – there’s the Michelin Starred SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel and the casual pan Asian Gilpin Spice. Once you’ve experienced Gilpin’s offerings, you’ll lever look back! Learn more at Gilpin Hotel.