Spring comes to a country cottage with a particular sort of insistence. The hedgerows begin to move, the light changes, and suddenly every window you have kept firmly shut against the winter seems to be holding its breath. This is the moment to throw them open. A cottage that has spent months with a log burner going and wellies drying by the door collects its own quiet weather indoors, and spring cleaning is less about scrubbing than about letting the place breathe again.

Start with Air and Light

Before you lift a cloth, open every window you can reach and leave them open for at least twenty minutes on a dry, breezy day. A cross-breeze through two opposite windows will do more in half an hour than any spray bottle. If the cottage is old, work through it in stages rather than all at once, so rooms do not go cold and damp in the process.

Take curtains down next. Shake them outside, then check the care label before you do anything else, because cottage curtains are often a mix of linen, wool and something inherited from a grandparent. Most washable fabrics will be happiest on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, and hung back slightly damp so they drop straight. While the curtains are down, wipe the glass with a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water, then buff with a dry cloth. Clean the frames, the sills and the little channels where window catches sit, and check the north-facing walls for any bloom of mould that has gathered over winter.

Strip, Soak and Line-Dry the Linens

Nothing freshens a cottage faster than a line of washing moving in the wind. Strip the beds, gather up tea towels, tablecloths, cushion covers and the throws that have been draped over chairs all winter. Wash what can be washed, and hang it outdoors, where sunlight does a gentle job of bleaching and the breeze does the rest. Where possible, let linens dry in the open air rather than a tumble dryer; the smell alone justifies the effort.

• Bedding: wash on the hottest setting the fabric allows, and turn mattresses while the sheets are off.
• Wool blankets: hand wash cool or use a wool cycle, then dry flat and away from direct heat.
• Mattresses: sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda, leave for an hour, then vacuum thoroughly.
• Airing cupboard: empty it, wipe the shelves, and tuck in lavender bags or a little cedar to keep moths at bay.

The Corners a Cottage Keeps Hidden

Old homes have more hiding places than new ones, and spring is the time to find them. Take a soft brush on a long handle to the beams and the ceiling corners, where cobwebs gather unnoticed. Work from the top of each room downwards so that dust does not settle on what you have already cleaned.

Then look lower. Skirting boards, door frames, picture rails and the tops of doors all collect a fine grey film. Move furniture out from the walls, vacuum behind radiators, and clean the extractor fan in the bathroom and the filters above the cooker. In the boot room, pull out the log basket and the row of wellies, sweep the grit that has gathered underneath, and wash the flagstones with a mild solution of soda crystals in warm water. Rinse well and dry them rather than leaving them wet, as old stone dislikes standing water. Wooden floors and furniture will thank you for a thin coat of beeswax or linseed oil rather than a soaking.

Kitchens, Hearths and Everyday Grime

The kitchen and the fireside take the hardest wear in any cottage, and both deserve a proper going-over once the heating is off. Empty cupboards shelf by shelf, wipe them out, and check flour, grains and dried goods for signs of weevils before returning them. Defrost the freezer, clear the fridge and clean the drain hole at the back, and descale the kettle with vinegar and water. A range cooker or hob will lift with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little water, left to sit before you wipe it away.

At the hearth, rake out old ash, clean the glass of a wood burner with a damp cloth dipped in fine ash, and book a chimney sweep if you have not had one this year. Restock the log store so that next winter's wood has months to season. Finally, turn to the doorstep: sweep the flags, scrub the boot scraper, and wash the mat that has been collecting the season's mud since October.

Keeping the Welcome Through the Season

A cottage does not need a military routine, just a gentle one repeated. Fifteen minutes each morning with the windows open, beds aired and surfaces wiped will keep on top of most of it. Keep a basket by the door for muddy boots, a mat that can be washed, and a pot of spring bulbs or herbs on the step to greet visitors.

Use the spring clean as a survey as well as a scrub. Note the damp patch behind the wardrobe, the hinge that has worked loose, the gutter that needs clearing and the window that sticks. Small repairs done in April save a great deal of trouble by November. Do that, and the cottage will feel as it should: cool, sweet-smelling and quietly ready for the long, light evenings ahead.