I don't know how to clean my house

[1940s]

For multiple reasons I don't need to go into, Ive never cleaned my own house. I'm now I'm a position to and I feel completely overwhelmed. I've tried to recently follow popular cleaning Instagram accounts but they have confused me even more.

I have started to clean my house and whilst I can get it clean it takes me so so long and I know I'm not doing things efficiently. Eg I use lots of kitchen paper, I use up so many sponges and then throw them, I can't get my glass shower shiny, I don't have an 'order' to do things in so I realise I need to dust after I've mopped or hoovered.

What is the best way for me to learn how to clean my house.

Please don't come at me with sarky comments, as I said there are numerous legitimate reasons I've not personally cleaned my house before (others have had to do it for me)

Break it down into small tasks. And don't throw sponges etc away, keep them and wash them in the machine, with some disinfectant, hey'll be all clean and hygienic again. Well, obviously keep the bathroom and kitchen ones separate.

Tidy before you clean because there's no point cleaning just to put stuff back on the clean surface.

Also before anyone comments - I'm alone so nobody to help do this for me in the house

Thanks so much @isabellerossignol

I move from one room to another. Only moving to the next room when I have completed the current one.

I use Viakal spray on my shower glass.

Think ceiling to floor. I use a feather duster for ceiling cobwebs. Then clean any mirrors on the wall (sometimes windows if needed). I wet dust furniture (damp cloth that is rinsed out between rooms and then washed at the end), tidying as I move. Finally floors are hoovered and mopped.

Bigger items like wiping down doors, door frames or skirting boards are done usually once a month.

Ok, think through the kitchen. You want to tidy things away then clean the surfaces. You want to work backwards - the last thing you want to do is wash down your sink, so work back from that and make sure you do everything else first.

The same with the bathroom, leave the sink until last.

Hoovering and dusting is personal choice I think. Some people say that hoovering throws more dust into the air so you do it first. Some people say that dusting comes first because the hoover picks up the dust.

Thank you all so much.

Any tips on products / sponges and how to apply those products are welcome as often I think I have 'all the gear and no idea' and am not using the products effectively

Another vote for Viakal on the shower door. It's a descaler and smells gorgeous!

Personally I don't think you need loads of different products. I use Stardrops for most cleaning, it foams up like washing up liquid, it doesn't leave a strong smell and it doesn't leave a residue. If I need something stronger (maybe if someone had been sick) I use a bit of Zoflora or Dettol, but it's not really necessary as soapy water will clean anything. I buy loads of old fashioned cotton cloths and wash them in the machine.

Actually the one other product that I always like to have is some sort of gentle scouring product, like Cif or Pink Stuff, it's great for getting the sink clean or soap scum off the shower door.

White vinegar spray is great on shower glass. I use it for my windows and mirrors to. Spray and leave to work for about 5 minutes before wiping down.
Generally I start at the top of the house and work down room by room, and apply the same to a room. So I dust high up first and hoover floor last.
I have a little basket to carry the stuff for cleaning I need around
Lots of the cleaning accounts of instagram seem to use lots of different products that all do similar things- you don’t need lots of different products keep it simple.

I use method cleaners. Not the cheapest but smell lovely and not as nasty ingredients wise.

Confession... My bathroom is tiny so I used loo roll for a quick wipe down after spraying with method antibac spray. Clean and dry in a flash. Microfibre cloth for floor. Cream cleaner for sink and bath.

My house isn't pristine. I just do stuff as I go and try not to let it get out of hand!

I can't tell you how grateful I am for these tips, I've been so overwhelmed with it all and going on Instagram just shows me very bizarre and detailed tips that are too advanced for me.

I want a clean and safe home that I can manage easily and with a method and routine.

Jumping on this thread too for tips. I do clean but I did have a cleaner before so I didn't need to do a deep clean. The luxury of a cleaner has now gone.

Tips please on the following:

1. Hair. I often use wipes to clean but know they aren't enviro friendly. But when I clean the bathroom you have so much little hairs that build up it's easier to pick them up. I always find that cloth kind of moves this around (think little hairs in the bath which I don't even use! Shower only). Any tips?

1. Toilet cleaning tips welcome too please. I never feel like I deep clean this enough. I know this sounds grim but just don't think I'm doing this right.

Following on from the above thread, viakil is meant to be great on stainless steel too.

I'm autistic and really struggle with this. I need a list I check off every day

• 1 load of laundry washed and the dry load from the day before folded and put away
• all dishes washed and put away. Kitchen surfaces wiped down, hob quickly wiped down.
• empty bins if they need it (compost/recycling/general)
• Go through each room and tidy (genuinely takes 20 mins max)
• prep and make dinner. Plan what we are having the next day.
• clean one room a day. Bathroom/3 bedrooms/ living room and stairs/kitchen.

I only use washing up liquid and water except the bathroom where I use viakal or mr muscle bathroom. I have lots of old face cloths/cut up towels/old teatowels and microfiber cloths that are washed on a 60° wash whenever I have a full load.

In each room I use the feather duster for cobwebs (old house in the country- we get lots!), then I have a spray bottle with washing up liquid and water mix- do windows and window sills first, then dust any flat surfaces. Then go round the room in a clockwise fashion to vacuum. Honestly doesn't take more than 20 mins per room as I tidy each day.

Beds are changed once a week.
By no ones standards is my house neat and show home like, but it's fairly clean and tidy now.

That's really helpful @Queenfreak and the level of detail that is going to really help me thank you for sharing

Get a load of microfibre cloths, you can clean with them and then use a dry cloth to buff. Once you’ve cleaned stick them in hot wash in the washing machine.

I use the method cleaning sprays for most things, viakal for silver things and windolene for glass.

I use zoflora for damp dusting. You pour a small amount into a spray bottle and top up with water. Again with a microfibre cloth. Damp dusting is a good idea because it captures the dust more effectively.

And get a cordless vacuum cleaner - best invention ever!

Check out the organised mum method website (or on FB or instagram) it’s designed to break it all down so that you only spend 45 minutes a day Mon-Fri cleaning but that everything gets done. I’m a bit crap at sticking to it but have taken loads of tips from there that have helped me a lot.

I use a dust pan and brush on the bathroom floor @SC1989 then my normal washing up liquid &water spray bottle and cloth (also small bathroom)

With the toilet I stick Mr muscle down to sit while I the rest of the bathroom. Then use toilet brush (I know, I know, the horror!) Then I pop more mr muscle down and scrub with a cloth. I figure I've caught poop from my toddlers bum with my bare hand
, so this is actually better.

Is Viakal honestly good? I've tried to clean our shower door and not had much success.
OP I'm not an expert , Mrs Hinch can sleep tonight, but I agree: break it down into manageable chunks; go top to bottom so finish with hoovering as dust will have got on the floor. I like micro fibre cloths and I wash them with towels. I think there are lots of fancy products when you need very few- an antibacterial spray and mr sheen which also does glass. Finally, I tend to watch something lowbrow in an iPad, or listen to it and it does make it more enjoyable. Good luck! And I need to clean the bathroom... Argh.

I do a big clean once a week - so all furniture, doors, door handles, light switches, banister and skirting board included. All surfaces and sofa hoovered and sprayed. Chair covers washed. Hoover and mop last.

On a daily basis I clean traffic areas such as toilets/sinks and kitchen work tops. Hoover everyday and mop every other day. I have three kids so they make a lot of mess.

I like to use zoflora on furniture and doors. But I find if you damp dust the dust stays on the furniture still so I prefer to dust it off using pledge dusting sheets and then damp clean it with zoflora. Leaves it streak free. Also use it on doors and handles and floors.

Viakal is good for shower doors and getting rid of limescale.

Toilets are bleached once a week but invetween that I disinfect it too. I disinfect the entire bathroom once cleaned with flash bathroom as it cleans but doesn't kill any germs.

Why don't you make a weekly plan that fits in with your schedule. If you live alone, it shouldn't be too dirty? Here's my brief routine for a full weekly clean up.

1. Go round with a bin bag and empty all the bins.
2. Put all items back in the right rooms
3. Bedrooms: put all clothes away/ in the laundry basket. Strip beds. Dust surfaces and blinds (I use a feather duster) remake beds. Vacuum carpets. Put bedding on to wash.

Spray shower, toilet, sink and bath ready for cleaning last. Downstairs

1. Plump up cushions on sofas
2. Dust surfaces and blinds
3. Wipe over coffee tables with damp cloth
4. Vacuum

Kitchen/diner

1. Put everything away
2. Clean worktops, cupboard fronts and tiles with damp cloth

10. Wipe over appliances 11. Wipe over dining table and chairs with damp cloth 12 vacuum then mop floor Finally to the bathroom. I use microfibre cloths on the surfaces and a sponge scoured with a handle that you fill with washing up liquid for the shower cubicle.

Fill sink with v hot water and a drop of bleach to rinse cloth in.
Clean toilet
Rinse cloth in bleach water.
Clean sink with different cloth ( I use 2 different colours)
Clean outside of shower.
Sweep floor.
At this point I strip off and get in the shower. Give it a good scrub then rinse. Have a shower!
Finally once I've had my shower I then mop the floor.

All I use is microfibre cloths which are washable, bleach and the cheapest bathroom cleaner diluted in a spray bottle, plus v hot water and the shower sponge thingy.

Once a month I clean all the windows inside, and wipe down all the door frames where there's finger marks.

For the toilet I squirt some toilet cleaner around it and let that sit whilst I clean the toilet seat and handle. When you lift the lid you'll be horrified at the yellow marks underneath; the only thing for it is to get the rubber gloves on and give it a good scrub. And clean around the hinges where the seat meets the toilet. Those get stomach churningly disgusting too. If you're feeling really brave, take a cloth and put it over the head of a flat screwdriver then run that round the seam where the toilet meets the floor. Utter horror awaits you when you see the dirt that comes out but it will be swiftly followed by relief that it has now gone.

Micro fibre cloths are the best for cleaning. You need a schedule of when to clean.

After every meal I put all the pots in the dishwasher and thoroughly wipe down the sides with a micro fibre cloth and method anti bac. If I’ve used the cooker I will wipe down with mr muscle cooker spray, it removes grease.

Every evening I put on the dishwasher and every morning I empty it while making breakfast.

Every morning I hoover the living room and kitchen.

I make sure that a few times a day I clear all our toddlers toys off the living room floor and put them back where they go.

Every evening after dinner I hoover again.

Hoovering takes 2-3 minutes, we have a Dyson v11.

About every 5 days or so:

I will make sure I clear any rubbish that has accumulated upstairs and empty upstairs bins.

Wipe down all upstairs surfaces with method antibac.

Spray bathroom taps, shower, shower screen with vikal, flash bathroom for the tiles, and sink. Bleach down the loo. I use a bathroom sponge for all the bathroom and a seprate cloth for the toilet. Scrub the bowl with a toilet brush.

Dust the surfaces downstairs with a micro fibre cloth and mr sheen.

Mop the hard floors and hoover upstairs.

When I notice dirt I will use mr muscle glass cleaner on the windows and on the extractor hood.

If we have tough grime on the hob I will use cif.

It definitely helps getting branded cleaning products and micro fibre cloths are brill. I wash them and they last at least a year.

If I was to clean and tidy everywhere it would take about 1 hr. But by keeping up with little bits everyday it really helps.

Hoovering the living room really makes a big difference to how clean and tidy it feels and it’s such a quick task.

Mrs Hinch is good to follow on Instagram too :)

My tip is to clean what you can as you go along each day or chose just one room to clean one day and another a few days later. It's less overwhelming that way xx

My sister is exactly like this. moved out of the family home and didn't have a clue.

I lamenated her a tick list of every thing in each room, how to clean and how often. She ticks it off with a Whiteboard pen.

Eg.

Kitchen.

Wash up and dry. Daily.
Sink. Daily. Flash spray and sponge.
Sides. Flash. Diluted zoflora and water.
Sweep and mop floors.
Clean fridge. Every 2 weeks. Take everything out and clean.
Wipe cupboards. Every 2 weeks. Take out and clean.
Clean washing machine. Monthly.

I can email you the pdf document if you would like.