What thing, no matter how small, really improved how clean or tidy you manage to keep your house?

[Cotherstone]

With hindsight our old house was not clean at all - it was old and run down and I hated cleaning as it never made a dent to the overall picture. We’ve recently been lucky to move into a new, and newer, place which the previous owners kept immaculate, so I’ve been trying to really up my game.

The main things I’ve learnt are:

A decent stick hoover means you actually can whip it around every few days, or even every day in certain areas, and my word that makes a difference to everything else!

The dining table is obviously the tempting place to dump everything but keeping it clear with some flowers (even fake ones) and a fruit bowl on it makes me feel so much better

Trying to stop seeing cleaning as “wasted time” - I’m starting to understand that 15 minutes running the cloth and hoover round the kitchen after dinner isn’t wasted, and while I don’t have to love doing it, it genuinely pays off with an improved state of mind because the kitchen looks nice in the morning

For the first time as an adult I finally have a house that’s not perfect, but definitely in a state where I’m not going to panic if someone drops in unannounced.

Anyone else have one or two things that seem to have made a real difference?

Do things straight away - I don't think about doing it, I just do it as soon as I see it.

2 stick hoovers - one upstairs and one downstairs. Both kept in a cupboard on charge so they are ready to go. Keep a spray mop next to each too, with method floor cleaner in.

Cleaning stuff next to every loo/in each bathroom so if I spot it needs a quick wipe around I have everything to hand

Squeegee in the shower along with a dishmatic filled with bathroom cleaner. Just have a quick clean of it when I've finished showering, and then squeegee the glass and its done - takes less that 2 minutes.

Never go up/downstairs empty handed. I make sure everything goes back to where it came from the same day if I can.

Clean kitchen straight after using it.

Declutter ruthlessly and then create a home for everything and label it all!

I think 'little and often' makes the biggest difference though. I barely notice I'm doing it as I just chip away as I'm doing other stuff.

If you can keep crap off sides and tops of tables you've cracked it, it really is a very quick job that makes everything look better but feels weirdly daunting to actually do it (disclaimer I'm sat on a sofa with party bag debris next to me looking at coffee table with three day old homework sat there and a certificate for son that's been there a fortnight - would take less than ten seconds to clear all of it !!

Also tomm thing of bathrooms and hoovering downstairs everyday is brilliant

Deciding to leave nothing on the worktop except for a kettle. It’s therefore easier to wipe down and makes the whole kitchen look cleaner than it really is.

The cordless vacuum cleaner is the game changer. So you do a bit of hoovering regularly, rather than a big session.

Accepting that the work will never be done. Trying to stop buying so much crap from Amazon, aiming to have more leaving the house that comes in.

Not storing any bottles on the bath so it doesn’t get dusty. And trying to use what’s there before opening up new stuff, so we don’t have lots of different type of shampoo open at the same time.

The organised mum method really works for me. I don’t follow it religiously at all, but I find having the structure really helpful.

FoamyBanana

Do things straight away - I don't think about doing it, I just do it as soon as I see it.

Very much this.

I used to notice, say, some fingerprints on the front door and note that I must wipe the door next time I clean the hall.
Today I just wiped them off and felt better straight away.
I had time to shake and straighten the doormat, so I did.
But it wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't.

AM: unload dishwasher, unload washing machine, put on next load, wipe kitchen counters (kitchen always has to be immaculate).

Go to work for about 10 hours.

PM: through door, pick up post, open post, deal with post and straight into recycling, take wet washing upstairs, fold and put away dry washing that doesn't need ironing.

Other tip - put it away, straight away, wipe it up straight away, hang it up straight away.

I struggle with the decluttering thing. Do you just literally throw stuff away? I hate waste so our house is full of stuff that we have up for sale or to give away on Facebook or ebay, and boxes of stuff to do a car boot sale. I can't bring myself to throw things away unless they are actually broken or totally useless to anyone.

Storage definitely is the key to being tidy, I think. Our dining room is much tidier since we got a kallax filled with cupboards and drawers. One cupboard just has an extension lead with charging cables in so they aren't trailing on the floor all over the place.

Decluttering, good storage, place for everything, clean as you go (where possible)

Take away the friction where you can - make it habit. So the squeegee likes on the side of the shower and is used every time (awful hard water), Eufy lives in the living room and can be sent round every day as we tend to have fluff and crumbs in there. And my cordless hoover lives on the landing where the carpet needs doing every day (I hate it).

I also have cleaning spray I love the smell of so love wiping surfaces in the kitchen! Same for the washing up liquid.

Apple airpods. No task seems as much of a chore when I can listen to a book or podcast while I do it.

Getting a cleaner (sorry, I realise that’s not a hugely helpful tip for everyone but it’s true for me)

Being generally tidy / putting stuff away between uses (it’s much easier to clean a tidy room than a messy one).

Shark stick vacuum(the corded as never runs out)just fab

I put things a-fucking-way. I have a friend who is always ranting about the state of their house and always coos about how tidy mine is and talks about how she’s just too busy to tidy hers but literally the only difference between us is that I put stuff away in the proper place as soon as it’s finished with, and I make my daughter do the same. She dumps things any old where and then it builds up to absolute chaos. I genuinely think on balance I spend less time tidying than she does!

No longer having a man living in my house 😂

Honestly I never realised how much mess an adult male makes till I no longer had one!

It was a revelation!

I have a rule called 'see it, do it'. It means all the small stuff I spot, like a quick dust of cat hair off a windowsill, a glass being taken to the kitchen as I go or a skirting board that's dusty that catches my eye - gets done there and then. It means I am always on top of the smaller stuff that can accumulate as well as all the standard/cleaning tidying which is easier because of it.
Also ongoing lists help me keep on track of what needs doing and when!

My house was immaculate before my boyfriend moved in. I'll say no more!

What is shower shine?

You can buy shower spray most places, using a squeegee and spraying that after ever shower makes a huge difference

I love shower shine; Lidl's is really good. @PineMartenPeanutbutter you just basically spray it all round your shower tiles and screen as soon as you get out and it's still wet and it helps to not leave watermarks. Once a day is enough to keep on top of it and then a proper clean when you normally would.

Decluttering absolutely is the answer. I've got two small children who have lots of STUFF, lots of it bought by indulgent grandparents (whom we are very lucky to have, don't get me wrong), so I am not winning this battle at the moment. But ruthless chuck outs, storage that isn't Jenga-like, and clear surfaces makes such a difference to the speed and experience of cleaning and tidying.

I live on my own but still keep the rules I had when the family was here:

All cushions plumped and throws refolded before going to bed
All surfaces clean in the kitchen, dishwasher stacked
Cup out with tea bag in ready on the counter
Kettle filled with cuppa water

In the morning, duvet thrown back to air the bed, and window opened
< I've never understood making up the bed as soon as you get out of it>

Adding recycling bins into various rooms. Yes it means we have extra bins in the loo, bedroom and study but it means recycling doesn’t clutter the surfaces until we take it outside to the recycling bin

Make bed as soon as you get up
Crack open windows in each room for at least 30 mins each morning
Tidy and clean up immediately after each meal
Ensure every item has a home
Clean bathroom before/after using
Keep kitchen worktops clear except for toaster, kettle, breadbin etc
Keep dining table clear
Put one load of washing on each day
Straighten lounge before going up to bed
Get rid of clothes/shoes your dc have outgrown - donate to charity if in good condition
Keep access to rooms and hallways clear
Take photographs of dcs art/project work and dispose
Take photographs of letters, party invitations, other and dispose

I bought vacuum bags and use them to store bed linen. I have limited storage space so this has helped so much. I originally got them for suitcases, but they are so useful. Also, rolling towels to store them. Saves so much room and they look tidy in the cupboard. And if someone takes on, chances are you don't cause a towel avalanche!

Decluttering, getting a cleaner once a week, not caring as much.