Let’s face it, no one likes doing chores but we all want tidy, relaxing homes - especially if we’re expecting guests.
To cut down the time we all spend scrubbing stubborn stains, people on Mumsnet have been sharing their top cleaning tips.
Try out these life hacks and prepare for domestic bliss.
Add A Scent To Your Vacuum Cleaner
“Put a few drops of mint, lavender or rose oil in the hoover bag to make the house smell fresh and lovely as you vacuum.”
Clean The Shower While You’re In It
“Clean the shower while you’re in it. Game-changer. Saves masses of time.”
Remove Burnt Bits On Pans With Soap
”[For] really sticky burn-on bits on a pan that won’t come off: put it on a low heat full of soap and water. As it simmers the sticky bits will come off, and it’s quicker than soaking for days.”
Clean Your Kettle With Vinegar
“White vinegar in the kettle, boil, leave over night or as long as you can, top out and rinse in the morning. You can even save the vinegar to use again. Gets rid of all limescale.”
Make Sure Every Item Has A Home
”Make sure there is a place for everything in the house and regularly make sure it’s put back. We have a cleaner but the night before she comes we all have a group manic 30 mins where everything goes back where it should, not just in the cupboard but in the right tub or basket.”
Declutter Your Wardrobe
“At the beginning of the year turn all the hangers in your wardrobe the opposite way round, in a year’s time and you’ve been through all the seasons, anything hanging on an opposite and therefore not used, get rid of it.”
Don’t Forget The Dusting
”I wipe skirting boards with my feet (wearing socks) when on the phone. Whenever I plug something in or unplug it I wipe dust off the top of the plug socket.”
Put Silica Packets In Shoes
”Save those little pouches of silica you get in everything and put in old socks to dry out wet shoes.”
Clean Mugs With Bicarbonate Of Soda
“A teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and hot water in stained mugs and teapots removes stains safely.”
14 Cleaning Hacks
Use a lemon to clean stainless steel(01 of14)
Open Image ModalAnnoying water stains on your tap and sink? Halve a lemon and use it to scrub stainless steel. It will also make your kitchen smell fresh and citrusy. (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)
Steam clean microwave(02 of14)
Open Image ModalHad a baked beans explosion? Clean your microwave the easy way by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil with water and blast it for 5 minutes. You’ll be left with a shiny clean microwave that smells amazing with zero scrubbing required. (credit:Whit Preston via Getty Images)
Use a cotton bud for cleaning keyboards(03 of14)
Open Image ModalInstead of a wipe, take a damp cotton bud and use it to clean the difficult bits in between your keyboard. (credit:Partha Pal via Getty Images)
Fold and stack clothes vertically not horizontally(04 of14)
Open Image ModalOrganise your t-shirt drawer by folding them and stacking vertically not horizontally. This way you can flip through to find the one you want easily and minimise creasing which means less ironing, always good. (credit:Chad Mcdermott via Getty Images)
Cover fridge shelves in cling film(05 of14)
Open Image ModalFridge spillages can be disastrous but easily cleaned up by simply covering the shelves with cling film or plastic wrap. That way when something leaks or gets sticky, you can peel it off and start fresh, no cleaning necessary. (credit:Fabrice LEROUGE via Getty Images)
Store sheet sets in pillow cases(06 of14)
Open Image ModalFinding matching bed sets can be a huge time waster but solved easily by organising your linen. Fold matching bed sets into the corresponding pillowcase so they are all kept together. (credit:Prasit Rodphan via Getty Images)
Stop your bin smelling of rubbish(07 of14)
Open Image ModalEven after a bin is emptied, often a nasty lingering smell can remain.To avoid this, sprinkle some baking soda or vinegar into the bottom of the bin to reduce the odour and lay down some clean newspaper to absorb any leftover moisture. (credit:Image Source via Getty Images)
Clean toys in dishwasher(08 of14)
Open Image ModalIf your mucky pups’ toys are looking a bit worse for wear stick them in the dishwasher for a short cycle. (credit:Emma Bailey via Getty Images)
Make your bathroom smell constantly fresh(09 of14)
Open Image ModalAdd a few drops of essential oil to the inside of your toilet paper roll to keep your bathroom smelling lovely. (credit:ep_stock via Getty Images)
Refresh plastic containers(10 of14)
Open Image ModalGet the leftover curry stains out of plastic containers by putting a solution of washing up liquid, bleach and water in them and microwaving until boiling point. Once cooled, pour away and rinse. (credit:Cultura/BRETT STEVENS via Getty Images)
Deep clean shower head(11 of14)
Open Image ModalAfter having a shower, fill a sandwich bag with baking soda and vinegar and tie it around the showerhead using an elastic band. Leave this to soak overnight then any debris will come off easily with an old toothbrush. (credit:sophie adams, cardiff, uk. via Getty Images)
Microwave sponges(12 of14)
Open Image ModalIf you’ve only got one sponge to do all of the spring-cleaning with, disinfect it quickly and easily by putting it in your now spotless microwave for two minutes. Just make sure your sponge doesn’t have any metal on it obviously. (credit:Alexandra Grablewski via Getty Images)
Use a pastry brush to get crumbs out of toaster(13 of14)
Open Image ModalToast crumbs are notoriously difficult to get to but using a pastry brush can help sweep away the annoying trapped bits. (credit:ozgurcoskun via Getty Images)
Put a cup of vanilla extract in the oven(14 of14)
Open Image ModalSounds a bit crazy but by putting a few teaspoons of vanilla extract into a mug and baking for an hour, your whole home will smell gorgeous and inviting. This is a trick estate agents swear by. (credit:Monika Adamczyk via Getty Images)