From keeping rooms tidy to removing tough stains and dusting down surfaces, cleaning your house is something that should be done frequently, as addressing it on a regular basis rather than leaving things to pile up will help to maintain a clean and pleasant living environment. Here’s some of our top cleaning tips broken down to various rooms that will help to keep your home sparkling and tidy.
Top cleaning tips for your living room
- Before you start cleaning, gather all your cleaning items so that you won’t have to search all over the house for them later.
- Be ruthless with your decluttering. Don’t be afraid to get rid of unwanted things such as ornaments that now look outdated.
- Tidy things away once you’ve finished using them (e.g. board games) and ask your family to do the same.
- Start dusting from the top and work your way down, as going in the opposite direction will only lead to dust gathering at the bottom once more. Also, it’s best to leave vacuuming to the end of your cleaning once all the dust has gathered on the floor.
- Fire up a playlist of your favourite music for that extra bit of motivation!
- Top tip for a 15-minute clean:If you see anything that doesn’t belong in the living room, place it in a box and only bring it to its rightful place once you’ve fully finished cleaning the living room. This will save time and keep you focused on the task at hand.
Top cleaning tips for your dining room
- When cleaning your windows, use a microfibre cloth for best results, as it absorbs dirt whereas cotton fibre cloths tend to push dirt around the surface. Wipe horizontally, beginning at the top of the window and making your way down.
- Don’t clean windows in a circular motion, as this could leave streaks. Also, don’t use old newspapers, as some bits could get stuck to the windows or leave a residue.
- If you have fine china or dinnerware that you use for special occasions, polish it with a mixture of baking soda and boiling water.
- If you get a red wine stain on a white tablecloth, dab it with a damp cloth and slide a bowl underneath the tablecloth, with the stain at the centre of the bowl. Sprinkle the stain with salt, leave it settle for five minutes and carefully pour boiling water over the stain.
- Top tip for a 15-minute clean: Use a squeegee (this is a tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade available in most household shops) to clean large windows, or when you need an effective window clean quickly. These can reach window edges where dust is likely to build up and, as they clean straight, they won’t leave streaks.
Top cleaning tips for your kitchen
- When cleaning your kitchen sink, wipe it once with a mixture of baking soda and water, then wash away the residue. If you want your sink to truly shine, throw a few tablespoons of flour into it and rub it firmly but not forcefully with a soft cloth, then buff it with a few drops of baby oil on kitchen paper.
- Clean wooden surfaces by mixing baking soda with warm water and rubbing this on the wood with a clean sponge. (See our in-depth guide to wood cleaning for further helpful tips!)
- Wipe down the cooker after you’ve finished using it. Don’t forget to clean the inside of the oven too once it has cooled.
- Wipe down your countertops after you’ve placed food on them.
- Never place boiling pots or pans directly on countertops, as the heat could leave a permanent mark on the surface.
- To remove burn marks on countertops, dampen a cloth with a mixture of warm water and a few drops of soap and wipe the marks. Then use a soft cloth to rub white toothpaste on the marks before applying a made-for-purpose countertop cleaner.
- Top tip for a 15-minute clean:Keep your blender clean by filling it halfway with hot water, adding a dash of washing-up liquid and turning it on for a minute before rinsing under the tap – quick and easy!
Top cleaning tips for your bedroom
- Open the windows for a few hours every day to allow fresh air into the room.
- Sprinkle your mattress with baking soda and vacuum after an hour or so if you notice a musty smell from it; the baking soda will neutralise the odours.
- Don’t forget to dust down surfaces such as chest of drawers, electronics and mirror/picture frames once a week to prevent a larger build-up of dust.
- Use a hairdryer to remove dust from lampshades and curtains.
- Top tip for a 15-minute clean: Feather dusters are excellent for quickly removing dust from surfaces such as blinds and picture frames when time is tight. They’re also very good for eliminating dust from tricky areas that are often hard to reach.
Top cleaning tips for your bathroom
- If your shower drain is clogged, pour some baking soda down the drain and wait a few minutes before pouring vinegar down. Leave for approximately two hours and the drain should be unclogged; then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to clean it.
- Once a week, sprinkle baking soda on the inside of the toilet and add white vinegar to the water before mixing them together with a toilet brush.
- A scouring powder of baking soda, washing soda, salt and drops of lemon is ideal for cleaning bathtubs and tougher stains around the bathroom.
- If you have glass doors on your shower, keep them clean with a mixture of hot water and fabric softener (ratio 5:1), applying the mixture with a fabric softener dryer sheet. This will loosen soap scum from the shower doors, making it easy to remove.
- Top tip for a 15-minute clean:For a quick way to shine chrome taps, rub them with plain flour, rinse with water and buff with a soft cloth. Then polish them with baby oil on a cotton wipe for a superb shine.