If you are struggling to keep your house nice and tidy, then you might benefit from reading on.
-Polish isn’t necessary. You only need to polish all the wood once a year. The rest of the time you can simply buff the wood with a cloth. Sticky marks can be wiped away with diluted white vinegar.
-Use a feather duster. Dust once a week, starting at the ceiling and working down. Ostrich feather dusters are best, combined with a damp cloth. If you have really fragile ornaments, simply use a hairdryer on the cool setting to dust them.
– Keep bicarbonate of soda to hand. It is a handy deodoriser. Every week, pour half a cup of white wine vinegar and half a cup of bicarbonate of soda down the sink and then pour boiling water down. Do not be alarmed if it froths for a short time.
-White vinegar is key. Use it to get rid of unsightly shower marks. By soaking a piece of cotton in white vinegar, then wrapping it around a tap and leaving it overnight, you can also get rid of any limescale on the taps.
-Iron the sheets. For an extra special feeling when you get into bed, iron your bed covers and sheets.
-Wash towels carefully. Over time, the mineral deposits left in the towels from fabric softeners and your washing powder will harden. Use laundry liquid to wash the towels instead and try to remember to bring towels in from outside before they are completely bone dry.
-Invest in a variable speed vacuum cleaner. These are great for hoovering all sorts of different things, such as mattresses in order to get rid of bed bugs.
-Steam cleaners are your friends. Hiring one of these every few months will help to get your hob, oven and shower tiles really clean.
-Buy a decent bucket. Either find a handled bucket which is easy to carry even when full, or a double bucket and wringer, which you can use to keep dirty water separate from clean water.
-Make sure you have a decent kit. Always check before you start cleaning that you have everything you need to hand. There’s nothing worse than realising halfway through the job that you’re out of kitchen towel or bleach. So be prepared!
Cleaning is time-consuming, but it is also rewarding. I always get a buzz from that lovely feeling when I know everything is clean and tidy, ready for the weekend. Hopefully these cleaning tips will help you to get your home spick and span.