Help me be a domestic goddess.

[BethanyGilbert]

I try to keep my house tidy and clean but I’m a bit rubbish at it. I want to have a good spring clean tomorrow. What products should I get and what do I need to do make my house look clean and feel accomplished?

The products that you use make very little difference - regular elbow grease is the most important ingredient! We use a multi-purpose spray cleaner for most surfaces but if you have a lot of wood you'll need a wood cleaner. You'll need a bathroom cleaner and again I find a spray much easier although if you have ingrained dirt and heavy-marking you'll want a cream cleaner and you will need a toilet liquid. I use a specialist spray for the convection hob and it is more effective than the regular spray but if I don't have any left the regular stuff is fine. I also have a glass spray for the mirrors and windows and that really is all we use. I always choose eco-products because I prefer not to have the chemical smells and I don't use any bleach or anything anti-bacterial as I just don't think they are healthy.
I think the most important thing is to clean little and often otherwise it just becomes too big a job. There are no magic products regardless of what the likes of Mrs Hinch and the army of Instacleaners insist well they would given how much they are probably being paid to say so and anyway I wonder how many hours they have cleaners for anyway???
Good luck and have fun!

You don't really need any special products. All I use in the lounge and bedrooms is a duster with a spray of polish. I use flash bathroom spray with a microfiber cloth to wipe down the bathroom and I put a bit of Harpic down the loos. I also use flash kitchen spray to wipe down work surfaces in there and I mop my floors with a bucket of water with a capful of floor cleaner in it and a capful of zoflora.

Once you're in a routine it's much easier to keep on top of it. I wash all my laundry on a Friday night, iron and put it away Sunday morning then I give the house a good clean on a Monday while DH is at work and my eldest is at school.

If you're having a spring clean you might need:

Bin bags to sort through trash / recycling / charity

Some washable cloths to wipe down inside of drawers / cupboards, and to damp dust skirting board

Multi surface spray

Nobody cares about Domestic Goddesses and the closer you are to that model the more they'll expect from you so you will find yourself in a spiral where you will never never be able to relax. Overated.

Aspire to Good Enough, and anything you manage above that is a bonus. You'll have a much happier life.

We follow the organised mum method (hate the name but it works) and focus on cleaning one room per day mon - fri. Its suoposed to be half an hour but other than ot the bedroom day I never usually take that long.

And yes its just common sense but having it spelled out to us made a big difference and it works around our work patterns etc. All info is free on the blog.

Im no domestic godess though (still can't cook).

I was once told if you haven’t got time to be tidy then you certainly haven’t got time to be untidy and it’s very true. Everything needs a place then tidying is easy. I don’t like clutter anyway.
As for products I use exactly the same Regina above, make the beds everyday day. Wipe around the bathroom quickly every morning. Make sure kitchen worktops are wiped down after clearing up from each meal . Never leave washing up not done, wash and iron 3-4 times a week, then the ironing only takes about 15 minutes a time.
I hoover on the days I’m home which keeps on top of it. ( Work full time but usually over 4 days which can vary).
Shop on my weekday off and double up and freeze when cooking chilli, casserole etc

my roomba is my best tip. It goes on every day and the place is so much cleaner. Ive had it for 12 years now so it was money well spent.

For a spring clean you don't need much really. An all-purpose cleaner you can dilute would be good. Focus on the long term routine and whether there are products to help with that.

We recently got a microfibre spray flat mop which is brilliant for quickly cleaning our laminate floors. Next on our list is a Roomba to reduce sweeping.

But really, it's just keeping on top of things. I now do 30 mins at 8pm going around clearing stuff up, wipe down surfaces in kitchen and bathroom and sweep high traffic area whilst listening to a podcast. Other things get scheduled for weekly- e.g. laundry, toilets, quick dust, vacuum. Write it down on paper and tick it off if it helps.

It's not about the products you use, it's about the environment you're trying to keep clean. Sort your stuff out. Make sure you're not keeping crap you never use. Keep everywhere tidy - good storage is key!

Although I must say, a cordless vacuum has changed my life. So easy to vacuum 2 or 3 times a day if you're so inclined which I am

I like using products that smell good - makes me feel like I've got my home together
My favourites are:

• Botanical origin for laundry & surfaces (recent convert - eco brand for sensitive skin but just as good as the originals and makes the room smell nice while the laundry is drying!)
• Harpic Power Plus for the toilet (citrus one smells best - also use the tablets every now and then as so easy)

I also make sure I hoover regularly and try to avoid clutter (although easier said than done with 2 DCs and a DH!).
Always like a good reed diffuser or a bit of air freshener to keep the place fresh too.

Another one who does ‘The organised mum method’. Started doing it last year when our cleaner upped her prices. The house isn’t perfect but it’s loads better than it was!

You may not 'need' any special products as PP have suggested but poundland do a decrease actually called 'elbowgrease' and its friggin amazing! Cleaned our cooker hood brilliantly with not much effort from us and is great on most surfaces and the cooker itself. Bleach is my favourite for the bathroom, no fancy bathroom products etc, just good old bleach! Don't put too much pressure on yourself, go round with a bin bag first and be ruthless then maybe whip the hoover round and move onto specific items of furniture in rooms etc. Have some lunch ready before you start so you don't have another thing to do when you're ready for a break

Follow people like Marie Kondo, This Girl Can Organise, Mrs Hinch etc. I don't do everything they do but it gives me motivation and some worthwhile tips.

Elbow grease is amazing! I use it for cleaning and also getting rid of stains.

What products should I get and what do I need to do make my house look clean and feel accomplished?

The most important thing you have to do is get rid of clutter and useless tat. That's truly half the battle. A space that is cluttered with junk will never look clean or tidy, no matter how hard you try. After the rubbish is gone, cleaning and keeping it clean is easy.