Top 5 Tips To Refresh Your Place

How do you refresh a tired home without repainting it?

Most rooms that feel tired do not need a renovation. They need clutter removed, surfaces cleaned, mould dealt with and a few dents filled. That is the whole of this guide, and the products involved are cheap next to a coat of paint.

The five moves below are: clear out what has outstayed its welcome, clean the glass, rearrange, kill any mould, and clean rather than repaint the walls — with a bit of filling in between.

What you need

1. Out with the old

Audit the small items that are doing your home a disservice. Anything you have not used in the last six months to a year can probably go — you have already proved you can live without it. Welcome mats, toothbrush holders, tired accessories: replace what has overstayed its welcome.

2. Clean the glass

Nothing reads as "dirty" faster than grubby windows. Mix a batch of vinegar and water, spritz it on, wipe off with a soft cloth and finish drying with old newspaper for a streak-free result.

If you are reaching for a Selleys product on glass instead, be aware that sugar soap must be rinsed well from glass before it dries. Residue left to dry is what causes the streaking.

3. Shake it up

Move things around. Rearrange one or two key pieces of furniture, or rehang paintings and artwork. If you have hardwood floors, show them off — store the heavy rugs and go bare for a while. It costs nothing and changes a room more than most purchases do.

4. Remove unsightly mould

Mould and mildew make a clean room look dirty. Selleys Rapid Mould Killer eradicates mould, leaving treated surfaces hygienically clean with minimal effort. It:

Selleys' guidance is to let it dwell two to three minutes before rinsing on general surfaces. On silicone, rinse it off 30 seconds after applying.

Where it must not go: it is not suitable for fabric — bleaching will occur, and if you spill it, rinse immediately. It is also not for mirror tiles, metallic surfaces, or older baths and basins. On painted surfaces, test an inconspicuous area first, particularly with darker paint, because the product can have a bleaching effect.

5. Update a few pieces rather than repainting

Repainting walls is time-consuming. Updating a few key pieces of furniture with a lick of paint achieves much of the same lift for a fraction of the work. Before you start, fix any dents with Selleys No More Cracks Wood Filler.

Its published drying times at 25°C are 1–2 hours at 1mm depth and 2–3 hours at 2mm, longer in humid conditions. It is stainable and paintable with good adhesion, sands easily, and cleans up with water. Do not use it below 5°C, and where the joint actually moves — rather than simply being dented — use Selleys No More Gaps instead, because a rigid filler will crack in a moving joint.

If the piece lives outdoors, the exterior wood filler is the right one. It dries in 2–3 hours at 2–3mm depth, but a 10mm depth needs an extra 16 hours, and deep repairs should be built up in 10mm layers with each allowed to dry before the next. It is not for permanently wet areas or joints subject to movement, remove rotten wood and fix splits before filling, and protect it from rain until it is painted.

Clean the walls instead of repainting them

Scuff marks, fingerprints and general stains leave walls looking worse than they are. Before you commit to repainting, try cleaning. Selleys Original Sugar Soap, a bucket of water and a sponge will do more than most people expect.

Dilute half a cup into half a bucket — five litres — of water for most jobs, and use a mop or cloth. For stubborn or in-ground marks, use it neat with a non-scratch scouring sponge. On walls and ceilings there is no need to rinse.

Sugar soap removes dirty marks and smoke stains, and it prepares surfaces for painting and wallpapering — so if the cleaning does not go far enough, you have already done the prep for the repaint.

Limitations to keep in mind

Safety: the sugar soap on this list is the one product classified Danger

Most of what this guide asks you to do is low-risk. One product on the list is not, and it is the one used most casually.

Selleys Original Sugar Soap is classified hazardous with the signal word Danger, and it carries a single classification: H318, causes serious eye damage (Serious eye damage Category 1). Its first aid states the product can cause corneal burns. Nothing else — no skin, inhalation or flammability class. The eyes are the entire risk.

Category 1 means permanent, not stinging. The response is 15 minutes of irrigation with copious water, eyelids held open, then urgent medical attention. Most people rinse for ten seconds and blink, which is not what this classification needs.

Tip 5 is where the exposure actually is. Wall and ceiling washing means a loaded sponge held above your head with the solution running back down your forearm toward your face, and this page's own instruction for in-ground marks is to use the concentrate neat with a scouring sponge. Neat product, overhead, scrubbed hard: that is the highest-exposure combination in the whole guide, and it is described in one sentence. Wear eye and face protection for anything above shoulder height — safety glasses at minimum, goggles for a ceiling — plus gloves. Working at head height and below, gloves and ordinary care are enough.

The page's own no-rinse note is about the surface, not about you. Selleys says walls and ceilings do not need rinsing; floors, baths and shower recesses do. That is a finish instruction. Your hands and arms still get washed, and a splash on skin gets flushed with running water.

Lower-hazard alternatives are in the range and suit this job. Tip 5 is mostly scuffs, fingerprints and small marks — spot cleaning. Instant Sugar Soap is ready-to-use at Warning with H319 (serious eye irritation) only, and Sugar Soap Wipes are Warning with H315 and H319. Both are a genuine rung down, because neither is a concentrate.

Keep the bottle away from food and out of reach of children. Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand.

Common questions about refreshing your home

How long does Rapid Mould Killer need to sit?

Two to three minutes on general surfaces before rinsing. On silicone, rinse it off after 30 seconds.

Can I use Rapid Mould Killer on a rubber bath mat?

Yes — shower screens and rubber bath mats are among its listed uses. It is fabric, mirror tiles, metallic surfaces and older baths and basins that it should be kept away from.

Will the mould killer bleach my paint?

It can. Test an inconspicuous area first before using it on any painted surface, particularly darker colours.

Will sugar soap get rid of mould?

It will clean the surface, but it will not eliminate mould spores. Use Rapid Mould Killer for that.

Do I need to rinse sugar soap off the walls?

No. Selleys states no rinse is needed on walls and ceilings. Floors, baths and shower recesses do need rinsing.

How long before I can paint over the wood filler?

The interior filler dries in 1–2 hours at 1mm and 2–3 hours at 2mm at 25°C. Humidity extends that. Sand lightly once dry, then paint.

Can I stain the wood filler to match the timber?

The interior No More Cracks Wood Filler is stainable as well as paintable, with good adhesion and an easy-sand finish.

What if the crack keeps reopening?

That is movement, and a rigid filler will always crack in a moving joint. Use a flexible gap filler such as No More Gaps instead.

How much sugar soap does one bottle make?

The 750mL Original Sugar Soap makes up to 30 litres of cleaning solution; the 1L Super Concentrate makes up to 80 litres.

Is there a quicker option than mixing a bucket?

Yes — Instant Sugar Soap is a ready-to-use spray, and Sugar Soap Wipes handle small jobs without a bucket at all.

What is the topic of this Selleys guide?

The guide, titled "Top 5 Tips To Refresh Your Place," covers quick and easy home cleaning updates for a new look and feel, from decluttering to DIY projects.

What should you do before using a cleaner on a surface, according to the tips?

You should test your chosen cleaner in a small, inconspicuous area first to prevent damage to delicate surfaces and ensure compatibility, since what works on kitchen benchtops may damage surfaces like aluminum or brass.

What type of cleaner is recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas?

A disinfectant spray cleaner is recommended for hard non-porous surfaces like benchtops, basins, and toilets in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas.

How should floor cleaner be diluted for routine cleaning?

For routine cleaning, floor cleaner is typically diluted at 125mL of cleaner in 5L of water.

What is the recommended method for cleaning outdoor surfaces like weatherboards and pathways?

For outdoor surfaces such as weatherboards, pathways, and garden furniture, you should use an outdoor multi-surface cleaner applied in a top-to-bottom sweeping motion to ensure even coverage.

How long should an outdoor cleaner be left on a surface before rinsing?

Outdoor cleaners should have no more than 5 minutes of contact time to prevent the product from drying on the surface.

How long should disinfectant cleaner be left on surfaces before rinsing or wiping?

For disinfection purposes, the product should be sprayed and left for 10 minutes before rinsing or wiping.

Why is it important to rinse surfaces thoroughly after cleaning?

Surfaces should be rinsed thoroughly with water, especially those that contact food, to remove cleaning product residue.

What preparation step should be done before deep cleaning floors?

Floors should be swept or vacuumed before applying floor cleaner to remove loose debris, ensuring the cleaning product can work effectively rather than being absorbed by dirt and grime.

What should you do for tougher, stubborn cleaning spots?

For tougher jobs, you should allow the cleaner to sit briefly on stubborn spots before scrubbing.