Realised today I don't actually know how to clean.

[ohfook]

Basically my method of cleaning is to spray with antibac and wipe with a cloth and if that doesn't work I don't know what to do.

I lived in a new build for years and that seemed to be enough but now I live in quite an old house that seems to get dusty very easily and my old methods are no longer working.

I fell down a total you tube hole last night watching people clean various areas of their home and I really enjoyed it. So I'm planning on 'teaching' myself how to properly clean one room a week until I know what I'm doing.

This thread is just basically me asking for all your you tube/instagram recommendations or just any tips that you might have - please throw them all this way!

I dont know how people clean something and dont leave a load of wipe marks around or just chase the damp dust around, so it sort of leaves a tide mark of dust on things

Or when cleaning things that has grooves, all the dirt seems to move into the grooves and look worse than when I started.

I have a cleaner!

My tip is to use a dusting attachment on the hoover first before wiping. (I have a Dyson and the soft dusting brush nozzle is fab)

I don't know how people dust so would welcome any tips!

Following, as I'm exactly the same. And in answer to the question of what my house was like growing up, chaotic, full of pets, an entire armchair in the lounge christened the ironing pile that never went down. I never saw the bathroom or kitchen actually cleaned beyond a wipe over of the surfaces. And it's not helped now by living in an area with really hard water next to a main road, so limescale and dust are never ending. I need to know how to clean and maintain a shower screen, how to clean my brand new windows, how often I should be doing everything to maintain a clean and tidy house. Basically assume I'm an alien who has just landed as that is how it feels when you have never actually been shown or taught any of this and your childhood was a little more chaos than most

I’m quite similar. Grew up in a really messy/dirty house, I do my best and the house is clean but I also have a cleaner once a fortnight to do a ‘deeper’ clean!

Also lots of animals growing up! I have no pets (well some fish 🤣)

I was the same OP until i started filling in for the cleaners at an airbnb i worked at, I also watched some Tiktok accounts for cleaning which taught me a lot.
glass cleaner works well for finishing everything off if polished up with a glass cleaning cloth.

Please don't let it worry you OP - cleaning is such a pointless activity!

Get microfibre cloths

buff taps and glass after cleaning with spray etc and it makes things shine
theyre also good for dry dusting

Good tip

Hot water is a great thing for your dishcloth then wipe over all surfaces

A pp said microfibre cloths are brilliant, also buy a little set of cleaning brushes, really cheap, bought mine on Amazon to get in small spaces, radiator grills etc. I also have a lovely stiff brush from Lakeland which is great on grout.

Big bucket of hot soapy water and some good wet cloths/ scourers, then dry cloth. That's it really. Old school but cleaner than spraying anti bac and wiping off. You can clean anything in your house with hot water and a few squirts of fairy liquid imo. Maybe some Dettol in the water for the bathroom.

I realised the same thing myself about 10 years ago. Like you I also discovered youtube videos and really enjoy them and clean while playing them on my computer.

I was brought up in a fairly chaotic home where although my parents did their best (and did it mostly well) they were struggling to keep their heads above water on mental health terms. So the surfaces were done but the real stuff was not.

I like Scandish home

Ooh, I second the cleaning brushes too. ^^

Agree with @ChevyCamaro. The only thing I would add is cheap thin bleach for the toilet and cream cleaner for tougher things.

I've tried them all over the years

Hi op, I love cleaning! I always have since I was a small child and was diagnosed with OCD about 5 years ago which makes sense to me that everything has to have its place and certain things bother me hugely like mirrors/windows and dust. I am not a germophobe at all and only use bleach for the toilet but I have probably tried every cleaning product on the market and a million different methods ie clutterbug/flylady/TOMM but what works for me is to decide what’s the most important things and go from there.

for me; I have to have dishes, beds and laundry in order before I do anything else. That’s non negotiable. Always “reset” the bathroom and kitchen after using them as it takes minutes but looks so much better.

keep your toilet clean at all times, you never know when that unexpected guest is going to turn up! ( I actually hate having visitors and the thought of someone seeing my house dirty is enough to spur me into action haha ) and believe me I’m far from perfect. I’m medicated for my OCD which at one point crippled me to the point of not being able to leave the house until I had hoovered and mopped myself out of the door. I’ve also got a chronic pain condition and MH issues so have had to lower my standards hugely over the last few years. Decide what is important to you and go from there.

clutterbug on YouTube is excellent. She’s Canadian and is down to earth. You cannot clean a messy house basically so a good old sort out is always the best way to start.

good luck!

Also- I outsource alot so if you can do that in any way I do recommend.

Cleaner once a week (great motivator to tidy shit up before she comes!). I also had my oven professionally cleaned for the first time about 6 months ago and it made the most unbelievable difference and i have another clean booked in for January. If you have any spare cash then get professionals in for the nasty stuff.

My other top tip- I detest cleaning the fridge and detest mouldy food. So I clean one shelf inside the fridge a day. It is just added into my routine- it takes less than a minute and means the entire fridge is cleaned on a 6 day rotating basis. It has also had the affect of minimising food waste because I am constantly reviewing the contents of what needs to be used up because I am purposefully cleaning a bit of it daily.

Great tips and links - thanks 🙏

If you have tik tok I follow a woman called Kaye Marie who makes cleaning videos and they’re so addictive.
Also traveller girls have started to make cleaning videos too - now they clean to the extreme but it’s informative and sometimes gives you the motivation to start or what to do.
Best of luck!!

Op- (and anyone else!) Do come join us on this thread. It started with posters wanting to get a handle on things in their household that needed doing- including cleaning- and we celebrate all big and small achievements in our households. We love newbies to join!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4900281-daily-project-round-4?page=5&reply=131234741

My parents thought that and I was indeed embarrassed to have friends around. And like the OP i now have no cleaning skills. I have a cleaner so my house never gets as bad as my parents did, nowhere close, but it's pretty messy on the days she's not here. I am sort of glad my mother modelled not being a martyr to the domestic load though. She prioritised lolling around with a book.

What should I use to clean TV screen?

You can clean anything in your house with hot water and a few squirts of fairy liquid imo. Maybe some Dettol in the water for the bathroom.
That's what I do but I'm not a cleaning goddess.
I used to use stardrops cleaning fluid and then swapped to an eco friendly solution.

I've never liked the antibac spray, kitchen spray, bathroom spray, toilet wipes style approach to cleaning.