What non-obvious things make a house feel clean?

[Custardapples]

Obviously you can have a clean sink, loo, etc. but I think there are some non-obvious things that help make a house look and feel clean and I want to know what they are! My house never feels like this and some other people’s homes do. I feel like I’m missing crucial knowledge of how this works.

One thing I’ve just discovered is that the grout between our kitchen floor tiles hasn’t been sealed and that’s why it’s always so grubby. Things like that.

What else can I do to help my house feel clean, fresh and pleasant apart from the obvious?

Thank you!

Thought of a couple today- vacuum lines on your carpets and sofa cushions. And when you really pull up the pile on your carpets and rugs, not just a quick hoover- you can definitely tell when it’s been thoroughly done

Vacuum lines and karate chops on cushions are Instagram nonsense

Wood filler or decorators' caulk for your tiny cracks on the stairs' woodwork. Could the flooring be cleaned?

Sounds basic, but your house will feel clean if it IS clean.

Yeah our house is pretty spotless but my DP is literally always cleaning / tidying (I’m not that bothered tbh, as long as it’s clean-ish with kids and dogs I’m happy!). We also don’t have much stuff or clutter so the sides aren’t covered in stuff and there’s a place for everything.

OP - I echo pp who said windows and skirting boards are the biggest thing for me

Keep windows clean

I do all my washing at weekends & ALWAYS wash my bedding weekly

Hoover behind furniture including 3'piece-suite

Good ventilation to get rid of lingering smells, especially if you have a pet - fresh air makes a massive difference.

Modern light coloured furniture, fixtures, furnishings, wall colourings etc - dark colours "look" dirty even if they're not. With light coloured, you can "see" that they are clean.

Windows regularly cleaned inside and out to let more light in.

Declutter - minimise "things" left on surfaces, so minimise ornaments etc. Likewise minimise pictures on walls etc. Obviously put stuff away that isn't meant to be displayed, such as clothes, toys, stationery, life admin paperwork etc.

Light coloured houseplants, i.e. light coloured flowers or light green stems/leaves.

Regularly properly clean and polish surfaces that are to be touched, such as table tops and work surfaces as these can often feel "sticky" which gives them impression they're not clean, even if they are. Use proper degreasers, polishes, etc rather than a quick rub over with a damp cloth which won't get the grease off.

Best tip is what I do.

Live alone, with a feather duster, a robovac, a window cleaner and a gardener for occasional company.

I also put a 200cm x 200cm fleece on the settee. With one of my cat's who suckles on his blanket still
And the fleece I have on the recliner chair too. They both get washed weekly also. As do their cooling mats & just change them for fresh ones as have two of each, so always have s spare set.

Could you please tell me the name of the mousse from Amazon, many thanks.

make sure all the surfaces are dust free... window sill, skirting boards, shelves, TV! zoflora everywhere! I feel like this makes a huge difference..like air smells better.

also streakfree clean glass (windows, shower glass etc)

I had visions of big beer jugs everywhere 😅

Getting rid of my hoarding, untidy husband would make the biggest difference

This 100%

I think having lots of cupboards with opaque doors really helps. If all the stuff is hidden away then it is easy to clean the surfaces. My house is not currently like this.

😂😂

I recently moved and I still have huge piles of boxes etc in the garage yet to be unpacked. Thing is I don't 'need' these things. The house is now nicely uncluttered (unlike previous house). I feel like I'm in an unfinished episode of Sort Your Life Out. But boy, it's made cleaning so much easier. Things can be put away, as there is room.
Oh, and open windows, a spray of decent room scent each night.

It’s this one xx

Hanging washing up inside. Put harpic in the loo. Wipe lemon spray on kitchen counters. Air rooms by having a good breeze flowing (draft by any other name).

To quicken your ironing time put foil over the hot part of the iron . This ensures both sides are ironed at the same time

I don’t understand this, can someone explain? I’m thinking if you put foil over the iron plate then the steam can’t get out, that’s how both sides of my items get done quicker, buy using the steam function.

Zoflora- clean linen is potent. Put a few drops in cleaning liquid for floors and surfaces and the whole house smells divine. Soak A cotton wool ball in your favourite essential oil and in it can be left behind a radiator or picture frame to scent a room.

We have a vax carpet cleaner with a drying function -
takes house to another level of clean

Cleaning skirting boards. When I had a cleaner she never did it. It’s not a big job, do I did it myself self, but I found it strange that she didn’t notice.

I have the Eufy Omni C20. It has a fairly big station which has two water tanks, one for clean water and one for dirty water. The machine itself has brushes and the vacuum part at the front and mop pads at the back and so as it goes around vacuuming it is also mopping where it has just sucked up. It goes back to its station for emptying into the dust bag and for cleaning the mop heads and refilling with water/emptying out the dirty water. You can programme rooms and areas and can all be done from your phone so I often turn it on if I'm out so that everything is clean when I get home. I put water into the clean water tank with a drop of zoflora and I empty out the dirty tank before I go to bed. We have a dog and two cats and its made an enormous difference since the floors are now easy to keep on top of and always clean.