What is your best cleaning tip?

[platinumplus]

What is one thing that has made your life easier or been a game changer?

You don't need half the products you actually use. For general wiping down I just use a skoosh of washing up liquid in quite hot water and keep wringing the cloth out so just damp. I clean most things like that!

Don’t use fabric softener when washing your towels - clogs up the fabric and has the reverse effect.

Keep it clean , do stuff as you see it so it doesn’t actually get very dirty. Means you clean frequently but little and often rather than trying to get it clean if you see what I mean. Also - good finishes that are easy to wipe over and dirt doesn’t accumulate in cracks etc. in paintwork.

Did some serious decluttering and sorted storage of remaining stuff logically and neatly. Labelled all drawers and cupboards with their contents so everything can be found by anyone - and they know where to put things.

Commissioned a beautiful, solid, floor to ceiling built in wardrobe. Expensive but worth every penny. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Only buy new stuff if really needed and follow the 'one in one out' principle.

Don't buy furniture with nooks and crannies - straight lines only. Don't buy clothes that are fussy or require dry cleaning, and anything that needs ironing has to be special and 'worth it'.

Keep on top of kitchen and bathroom cleaning, so it virtually never gets to a point where an 'in-depth' clean is needed.

Keep on top of it.
Make your children keep on top of it too.
Don't let anyone eat in a bedroom.

Also, you can use oven cleaner on the hob.

Pay someone else to do it?

Yes. I realise not everyone can, but this is the best money I spend every week.

Other than that, agree with combination of several -
Never leave a room empty handed
Train your dc from the start to do the same
Keep on top of it
Keep a cloth and spray in the bathroom, for example, and just clean when you are there

This is insane. It takes me 10 mins to clean whole bathroom once a week. Same for kitchen. Floors twice a week is mad.

Robot vacuum daily (alternate upstairs and downstairs. Cordless vacuum for the stairs.

Clear the clutter weekly.

Minimal knock-knacks so window sills and surfaces can be dusted in one sweep of the cloth.

Vacuum or dust the lampshades (don't buy glass globes haha).

Good dishwasher habits (run when full. Empty when finished. Leave dirty stuff in the sink or on the side on pain of death).

Forgot the Karcher window vac to dry the shower after every use.

when my kids were little (now all in 30s ) there was a tv show on in canada. I think it was called comfy couch or something. There was a young woman dressed as a clown. think her name was lula or luna..cannot remember meno brain. However she would do a one minute tidy and run around cleaning. I made our kids do it at the same time. I still, all these years later do it several times a day...but I make it a five min tidy/clean. five minutes a couple times a day keeps a really tidy house (plus of course the big things at other times) but it really DOES keep it tidy , my kids are grown so no kiddo mess, but dog toys everywhere. I pick them up and put them in their toy box..ten minutes later, an kong on the couch and scattered stuffed animals lol.

I do that. I also put things on the stairs to take up when I next go up. My husband just walks past things.

I have 2!

1. Less stuff
2. As much fitted furniture as poss. I was sick to death of cleaning on/under/behind stuff!

That’s fine! It’s absolutely not insane for me but you do you!

It actually solved a big problem for me doing it this way.

I have a big bathroom and I am no spring chicken. I need to hoover at least twice a week if not mop twice a week because we all work outdoors and the bathroom gets mucky and I have a large family.

@HowDoTheyGetThroughLife are you married to my husband???? JUST NOW ... he has not been well for a few days so spending alot of time resting in bed. He walked out to the kitchen which i JUST finished cleaning , he put a snot rag and an empty gatorade bottle on the counter. RIGHT ABOVE THE FRIGGING GARBAGE CAN in the cupboard below. Wish I could build a patio but I am on the second floor and a huge pool is right below. Maybe I could drown him? lol. seriously he is a fantastic husband in every other way, just not as neat and tidy as I am. Its ok. I have my faults too.

Host endless playdates. I always manage to have the downstairs clean and tidy for playdates, whether i have 3 hours notice or just 5 minutes. Sleepovers mean that the upstairs gets deepcleaned.

I love the organised mum method. It concentrates on a room every day and it really keeps on top of things
https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=the%20organised%20mum%20method%20printables&tbm=&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

Pro tip!

Do little and often.

Employ a cleaner.

Robot vacuum. Game changer for me. I hate vacuuming and DH claims not to mind it but doesn't ever do it so.... I find that running the robot vacuum round on a regular basis not only makes the floors look a million times better, it has the effect of forcing me to do a quick tidy up too.

Toilet cleaner in the toilets every single day so super hardcore scrubbing is never necessary and they always look vaguely clean. Ditto, DC and Dh are all trained to keep the sinks basically clean and me or DH do a quick wipe down of the taps as and when needed.

Also, proper wipe down of all surfaces after dinner every night in the kitchen. No quick swipe with a dishtowel.

By doing this, and general tidying (DH does more of that) our house stays largely fine between cleaner visits which are fortnightly.

Accept that housework exists in cycles. People moan that it’s never done - but that’s just how it is.

But get clear on the difference between things that NEED doing every day vs things that a more perfect housekeeper would do daily.

If you know what to keep on top of in the terrible/crazy periods, it won’t be as hard to come back from. It’s too easy to focus on the wrong thing or let something slide that leads to a cascade of problems. And it is incredibly good for your mental health to know that you’ve hit the important targets, rather than carrying a mental load of guilty shoulds.

So agree with this! Out of interest what are your non-negotiables Nonplusultra and what bits can go wrong and lead to more work?

Don't get worked up about it and delegate to other members of the household to make a fair load. Don't have impossibly high standards.

I'm totally confounded by the millions of women who now claim their Anxiety is heightened by having a less than perfect house. It's all fuelled by stupid cleaning accounts on Instagram etc. Mrs Hinch has a lot to answer for.

I clean my kitchen (wipe sides, stack/unload dishwasher) at least twice a day.
I hoover kitchen, living room and hallway 4/5 days out of 7.
I tidy and wipe down family bathroom most morning and evenings.
I do laundry every day and fold it 2 or 3 evenings a week.

I also have cleaners that come twice a week.

Carry over from waitressing days - dont walk around empty handed. If you are going up or down stairs, look to see if there is anything to take with you.