How to make my house look clean

[Howmanysleepstilchristmas]

I’ve swept and mopped, dusted, cleaned the kitchen surfaces and bathroom, wiped down skirting boards and fire surround, yet still nothing is sparkling clean. I want to see some results for my work, rather than just have a house that looks ok. What am I doing wrong? Any tips?

My best tip - let it get really dusty and dirty before you clean. You'll see massive results
Actually I always try to make mine smell nice if I want it to feel clean as well as look clean.
Coat of paint? Straight plaster finish. That's what makes a place stand out for me.

@Hairyhat what do you use to make yours smell nice?

It was painted not too long ago, but it’s of an age where nothing is straight! Will try scented candles and see if that helps.

If you’ve cleaned it, then it’s clean. Are you maybe wanting it to look new? Like all those new builds of the instagram cleaning gurus?

Is there a chance that you are being a bit obsessive? Very few people live in a show home or one anything like on the adverts.

If it's clean, it's clean.

If it smells clean it generally feels cleaner. I have an air diffuser that smells like fresh washing.

Victorian or older houses very often just don’t look sparkling clean, unless they’ve been completely gutted and everything has been replaced with sparkling new fixtures & fittings.

(Not being ‘old house-ist’, I live in one myself)

Well, presumably as you have cleaned it, it is clean? What are you seeing when you look around that you don’t like?

When my house starts to get like this it’s a sign more needs to be done. You might need to do 'hidden' jobs as well. I’m sure looking cleaning also includes smelling (subconsciously) clean.

Wipe down walls (yes, really). Wipe skirting boards. Clean under things. Clean the backs of things. Clear clutter (clutter never looks clean IMO, even if it’s spotless). Tops of curtain poles. All the things you've done, then some. Hoover before and after, when dust is settled.

Then dry/ polish. Buff things - that makes a differnce. I can clean my sink, but if I buff it, it’s a new sink again.

FWIW, I don’t think scented candles make a room smell of anything other than scented candle.

I find that regularly airing rooms by opening windows daily, changing bedlinen/towels frequently, emptying bins regularly and not having dirty dishes hanging around the house (so wash up as soon as you’ve finished or run the dishwasher regularly), keeps the place smelling fresh. As well as just cleaning it in general, obviously.

I use various zofloras on my floors. Mainly because they are a disinfectant as well as a nice smell (for me not everyone!). I have various pets so a disinfectant occasionally is essential for my type of floor. My favourite is warm cinnamon

I guess it’s that the furniture doesn’t look polished, the fire surround still seems smudged etc. Tbf, I couldn’t properly scrub etc because my hands bleed very easily due to an eczema flare up at the moment. Any low intensity hacks??

Make sure any mirrors are really spotless - makes any room look better.

Mr muscle window cleaner then wiped down with dry cloth / kitchen towel.

Works a treat to get most hard surfaces sparking especially bathrooms.

Can you wear thin cotton gloves under marigolds for housework with whatever emollient cream works best for your eczema? Might protect your hands as well as giving your skin a bit of help.

First of all, get a box of disposable vinyl gloves. I have eczema on my hands, too, and they are a lifesaver! Secondly, do you think you have too much clutter?

I put scented oil on the radiators to help the room smell nice
Fan of candles too!

I’ve got emollient under cotton gloves under marigolds, but my fingertips still bleed... I think that’s why I feel like I ought to have something to show for 4 hours of painful effort!
I’ll try the window cleaner,.,,

I agree that if you've cleaned thoroughly and it still doesn't seem clean then its generally that you need to go further. touch up paintwork, fill cracks (and then paint over) etc.

We've spent the past two weekends touching up and it makes an enormous difference.

Imagine you are putting your house on the market. What "stuff" would you happily bin?

In my case, I got rid of all the general "tat" lying around, such as leaving gifts from previous jobs, or souvenirs from tenerife,.

Amazing how much fresher the place looks.

Make sure all the wood in your house is light wood, it shows no dust. Since I got ash coloured shelving I haven't dusted in 6 months

Ooh, I’d love to bin stuff... unfortunately it’s not my stuff, so I can’t!

Use of microfibre cloths to buff things after you've cleaned.

A dry microfibre cloth used to polish any shiny bits, after the usual clean, makes a surprisingly big difference. Taps, metal door handles etc. Anything chrome or stainless steel. Just make sure the surface is dry before using the cloth and use gloves. Microfibres feels awful on all hands let alone sore for ones.

I also find sorting out a drawer or cupboard makes a place 'feel' cleaner, even if I can't see it. Which goes to show a lot of it is in the mind.

A Karcher window vac is my new favourite tool. Mirrors and windows have never been so crystal clear. I was surprised how much difference that made too and I always cleaned both thoroughly.