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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

I don't know how to clean my house

82 replies

1940s · 04/08/2020 20:09

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)

OP posts:
Franticbutterfly · 05/08/2020 00:41

@JennyWr3n

I am a clean and tidy freak and I just love to do it! I know, I'm a saddo.

However because I'm on top of it all (not some weird boast!), I've had to invent my own little systems and ways to really tidy and clean. I'll list some below - maybe there'll be something of use to you

So, when I literally can't clean any further in a room, I play a game called ' 10 things.' And yeah I made it up. I think. But the rules of 10 Things will apply if a room is pristine or in need of a clean.

I walk into a room and don't leave until I've done 10 things in that room. So, in my bedroom today, I ...

Hung up jeans
Dusted my headboard
Pulled hair out my hair brush
Closed the wardrobe doors
Wiped down my windowsill
Put my make up brushes back in their pot
Put a necklace away in jewellery box
Made the bed
Ran microfibre cloth round skirting board
Took a glass downstairs

The above took me 5 or 6 mins but left the room how I like it

I then moved onto my youngest's gaming room - and just whizzed round doing '10 things.' And so on ...

Eventually, by playing 10 Things, you become on top of stuff. And it works if you're short on time too - if you only have 5 mins, you can easily find 10 things to do in say, your kitchen, which will make it look cleaner and/or tidier - from putting butter back in fridge, wiping surfaces, watering a plant .... anything at all.

Try it - it works!

I do this @JennyWr3n

It's the difference between finished and perfection for me.

DorthyTyler · 05/08/2020 02:46

Have 3 children like I did. Thatll do the trick

theneverendinglaundry · 05/08/2020 09:56

I can also recommend The Organised Mum Method, it is great for creating a routine so that everything gets cleaned regularly. She does her bathrooms every day though, and there is no way I would want to do that! Mine get done weekly, and toilets every day or two.

Decluttering and keeping things tidy really is key, I think, to getting the cleaning done quickly and with minimal effort.

dudsville · 05/08/2020 10:04

Instead of sponges and paper towels you can buy washable reusable sponges (they are cloth but the material is more scrubby), washable towels. E-cloth is the range i use. Just buy several and bung them in the wash after. I bought 6 sponges (i use one at the sink) and 4 towels (they ate like wash cloth size) about 6 years ago and haven't needed to discard one yet.

Re glass shower, certainly give it a go, personally i live in a hard water area and have just decided my best it's good enough without spending ages on it to get it really nice.

DDIJ · 05/08/2020 10:11

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

THATbasicrebelBITCH · 05/08/2020 10:18

Come over to the fly lady thread on here op!

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 05/08/2020 10:19

Scrunched up toilet roll is fantastic for picking up hair off the bathroom floor.
Star drops is my favourite cleaning product, especially on granite work surfaces and glass. I always use it for washing glasses - gets them really shiny

AlphaDalpha · 05/08/2020 10:23

The Organised Mum Method, she breaks it down into room by room steps and there's even an app. It makes it into small logical steps rather than "a big deal".

Cleaning a home is a skill, what worked for me as a single lady in a one bed flat, won't work for me as a family. Don't panic, you can do it!

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 05/08/2020 10:39

Couple more tips:
It's amazing how much you can do in a little time - e.g. cleaning the sink or a work surface while waiting for the kettle to boil or for something to microwave.

I use a cleaning spray and toilet roll for cleaning all parts of the toilet and the floor around the toilet then put it in the bin - more hygienic than a cloth.

Our shower is over the bath. I clean the tiles, the bath and the screen on a day I am washing my hair: I spray everywhere with cleaner, then get in the bath where I can reach it all and give it a good scrub (careful as it can be slippy - stand on a couple of facecloths). Then wash myself and my by then damp hair!

1940s · 05/08/2020 13:26

Absolutely chuffed with the friendly support and super useful tips I've received so far! I'm feeling much more confident :)

OP posts:
Ablemaybel · 05/08/2020 14:29

Definite yes to mico fibre cloths. I have different colours for different rooms, blue for bathroom, pink for kitchen and yellow for dusting/polishing.
They're great damp with product for cleaning, and dry for buffing.
I use lime scale remover once a week in my toilets, and every other week for the glass shower cubicle screens/doors. Wear rubber gloves and work it onto the glass and leave while you clean elsewhere. Shower off and buff with a dry micro fibre cloth. No hard rubbing and your glass will sparkle. I also use this for taps, around plug holes and stainless steel sink, again just work onto area, leave for an hour or so then rinse off and buff.

In each room I always start high and work down.
High dusting with a long feather duster first, then I'll clean mirrors. Dust and polish furniture, and clean any leather. Clean work tops and cupboard doors in kitchen, Then vacuum floors and last wash any hard floors.
Real wood floors shouldn't be washed, and lime stone fire surrounds should only be dusted/damp dusted occasionally.

My house is three bed two bathroom, and it usually takes me a couple of hours to clean, but it is only myself and dh here so that makes it easier.

daisychain1620 · 05/08/2020 14:46

I don't do room by room, I do it by jobs.
I'll hoover or brush all the floors in one go and then mop straight after with either Flash floor cleaner stuff or bleach.(once a week)
I wash and dry dishes as I go or after every meal, I don't have a dish washer. I make sure to clean sink and surfaces after with anti bac spray or Cif.
Bathrooms - I do a big clean once a week or when it needs with CIF for sinks, bath and shower. I clean my toilet by spraying anti bac over everything, lid and cistern in between all the hinges etc and use some roll (the blue stuff especially for the nasty bits!) or a cloth to rinse it all off. Toilet duck inside to scrub the bowl and I also put some cleaner inside the brush pot.
I keep cleaner and cloth in my shower and clean whenever the mood hits lol
Laundry every day
Windows probably once a month
Bedding and towels washed every week.
It definitely can seem all too much if your not sure but just break it down into what you can manage and soon you'll be doing it without thinking about it.

Arealnumber · 05/08/2020 15:11

@isabellerossignol

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.
I love the old fashioned cloths . I have two thick old style cotton floor cloths that I bought from John Lewis years ago. It's so annoying that you can't buy straightforward old fashioned cotton cloths any longer. I've done worldwide searches on Amazon etc! 😂 I think the last ones I bought were from Tesco's or Sainsbury's, again a few years ago; and then I brought them back home to Australia; across the world in my suitcase! 😂 Where have you bought old fashioned cloths?
melmos · 05/08/2020 19:19

Bump!

hellolittlebaby · 05/08/2020 19:35

I haven't read the other comments so I'm sorry if this has been suggested already.

Follow the TOMM (The Organised Mum Method) plan. It's free.

The Facebook group is brilliant - a lady in there is currently posting pictures of her house as she works on it. She's doing 30 minutes a day and the transformation is unbelievable. She herself called her series of posts "From Horror to Home", which gives you a bit of context.

I like the app that accompanies the plan.

I've found it's really helped me. Good luck

tankflybos · 05/08/2020 19:57

TOMM method is great but do the boot camp first. Hard work!!

I don't know if anyone has asked but once you've got it tidy could you stretch to a cleaner? I'd cancel my mobile phone before I'd cancel her Grin

isabellerossignol · 05/08/2020 20:15

Arealnumber I get my old fashioned clothes in Poundstretcher but maybe that's not much use to you in Australia!

Vodkacranberryplease · 12/08/2020 21:12

Buy some Bluetooth headphones (I'm devoted to my soundcore ones which are only about £60 on Amazon and sound fantastic). Blast the music and you will be amazed at how much you can do.

Stefoscope · 13/08/2020 11:08

I'm a reluctant cleaner too and the best advice I can give is invest in tools and products to make life easier if you have the means to. I spent years making my own cleaning spray from vinegar and essential oils etc and using that on everything. I live in a hard water area and that just didn't get everything clean. My nice new bathroom was encrusted in limescale within the first year and looked awful. Now I spray it down with viakal once a week and it looks like new again.

In my cleaning cupboard I keep:

-Cheapo yellow sponges with the green scourer pad (these get thrown in a 60 deg wash and resused until they start to fall apart)
-Pack of dusting cloths (last ages as they get washed and reused)
-Carpet/fabric cleaner to deal with spills on carpets/rugs as they happen

Bathroom items
-Viakal, great for cleaning the bathroom once a week. Spray and leave for 15mins or so whilst you do something else.
-Daily shower spray like Method or Mr Muscle. Spray around bath or shower after using. This combined with a weekly spray and rinse with viakal means you'll rarely have to spend time scrubbing stains.
-Mould spray (Astonish brand is the best I've found). I spray this once a week around the silicone in the bathroom to stop it going mouldy.
-Limescale toilet cleaner like the black Harpic and I use a rim block to keep on top of the limescale
-Cif Bathroom mousse - handy for spraying in the toilet hinges if you live with males who can't aim. Leave it to dissolve the gunk for 15 mins and rinse away. Also use on any stubborn bathroom or kitchen stains, for instance that coffee stain you didn't notice at the time!

Kitchen items

-I use the silicone protective mats in the oven and on the stove top. These get soaked in hot soapy water once a week, so I never have to spend ages cleaning the cooker/hob.
--Elbow grease - I spray this on the hob and knobs whilst the silcone mats are soaking and then just wipe off after 15 mins or so.
-Antibac spray to give the counters a quick once over as and when.
-Floor cleaner for mopping floors

If you can stretch to buying a cordless vac that doubles as a dust buster I highly recommend it. I just bought a Shark and as well as being a normal vacuum, it can be used to dust bust crumbs from worktops and extends to reach cobwebs. It's a big time saver imo.

It might sound like I have a huge list of products but the toilet cleaner is the only thing I buy on a monthly basis. The others need replacing less frequently, I've had the elbow grease and cif mousse for over a year!

TalkingOutOfMyBottom · 15/08/2020 00:11

I can give you a tip on what not to do - don't put brand new yellow dusters in the wash and dye your clothes yellow!

I like Flash bathroom and flash with bleach. £1 each bottle and they smell nice. If I want an even nicer smell, I use Method products.

frugalkitty · 16/08/2020 07:59

Little and often is the key, saves having to spend hours deep cleaning things. You can't clean clutter (flylady) so you do need to declutter if you need to, again, little and often is fine. I found someone on IG who gets rid (either rubbish, charity shop, sell or give away) of two things every day and even over a couple of months it's made a huge difference to her house.

With cleaning, don't think you need lots of products, and if you have asthma (even very mild) be careful what you use. I can't use viakal or the popular wild rhubarb method spray as an example.

With bathrooms, I 'swish and swipe' every day which means after I clean my face I give the sink a wipe over (sometimes with a spray, sometimes not) and the loo gets a wipe over with a toilet wipe and squirt of cleaner every day. We have a method shower spray but I think I'm the only one who actually uses it. Once a week, proper clean of the bathroom and I use Ecover limescale spray and the scrubby side of a sponge to do the shower doors.

Kitchen gets cleaned as I go. When you start cooking, fill up the washing up bowl and wash up bits as you use them, this can help avoid the big clear up afterwards when you just want to go sit on the sofa!

Handheld hoover is fab, although I clean better with the big hoover as I use the hose to go round the ceiling edges and under furniture.

Once a month use a dishwasher cleaner and one for the washing machine (leave drawer and door ajar when not in use, helps stop it going musty). Also wash the (washable) front and back door mats.

Window cleaner comes every eight weeks roughly, which is my cue to do the inside windows and the wooden blinds in the living room (my least favourite job!)

However, we're a family of five, so with less in your household you may find you don't need to clean as deeply as often. Flylady says 'good enough is good enough' so remember you're not aiming for perfection. My motto is 'basically clean and relatively tidy' Grin good luck OP, slow and steady wins the race, and anything is better than nothing.

LIZS · 16/08/2020 09:14

Agree with cleaning surfaces as you go. However I find it also helps to have a timetable for larger jobs in your head ie dust and hoover just before bin collection day, do bathrooms when changing towels etc, so they are done regularly. Coloured microfibre cloths can be designated for a particular purpose, washed and reused although I too use kitchen towel on grease. White vinegar (spray bottle from wilko) is great on glass, mirrors, shower screens, calc build ups) During cv19 I've added a weekly wet dust with diluted zoflora on switches, remotes, surfaces etc which produces a fresh fragrance too.

MovingTowardsANewPositivity · 16/08/2020 09:32

I also am autistic with ADHD and have spent years trying to clean my house effectively!

Tips that help me:

1 Wash, dry, fold and put away washing all in one day (I do at least one load a day but there's five of us!)

2 Microfibre cloths (I bought a pack of 10 from Amazon).

3 Cleaning products I use: Harpic (black one) for toilets, Mr Muscle window cleaner, Viakal for taps/shower screen/Flash multipurpose or Method for mopping hard floors, Flash with bleach for ceramic kitchen sink, Flash kitchen cleaner for worktops and oven doors/ceramic hob.

4 I now clean everything with microfibre cloths and then put them on a hot wash with towels.

5 Do one room at a time. Remove everything that doesn't belong in that room to its correct room, empty bin, dust ceiling, corners and light fitting with a long handled duster (or sometimes I vacuum them with the long pipe and the little brush on the end!), then dust surfaces with a damp microfibre cloth, including skirting boards if they have visible dust. Then vacuum the floor. Finally, if a hard floor I mop with a Vileda spray mop - takes 5 minutes and makes such a difference - and the microfibre pads from the mop go in the washing machine with the cleaning cloths and towels Smile.

5 I tidy and wipe down kitchen surfaces every day, and flash bleach the sink if it needs it. Also, try and make sure everywhere is tidied before bed so it's easier to clean anything that needs it.

6 Finally, I had a massive declutter recently and the less clutter there is the easier it is to keep on top of cleaning Smile.

BrutusMcDogface · 17/08/2020 13:11

I love this thread!

Eliphanbee · 17/08/2020 13:34

I have downloaded the team tomm app, you can do a boot camp, or chores are broken down day by day, and you tick off each task as you have done it..ot helps you keep on top if things. I think it is £5 to buy the spo

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