Handy Cleaning Tips by Domestic-Clean.com

With more than 10 years’ experience in domestic cleaning, Domestic-clean.com staff have mastered many tricks of the trade.

From using white vinegar as a cleaning product to rubbing a rubber glove over upholstery to remove pet hair, we’ve put together a collection of our favourite cleaning tips.

We’ve put our expert tips into categories, simply click on a category to read the relevant tips and learn something new or get inspiration for tackling those tricky jobs around your home

Organisation your home for Cleaning

Recruit your children to help with a basic house clean. This will help develop good organisational habits and reduce the stress caused by reminding children to tidy their room. Try to make it fun.
A toy chest at the end of your child’s bed is an ideal place to store toys and games. Plastic bins or baskets can be placed in a closet or underneath the bed.
Always tidy a room, before cleaning it. Take any dirty dishes to the kitchen, pick up toys from the floor, collect newspapers and place in the recycling bin.
Make sure your house cleaning kit includes all the essential supplies and materials needed to clean each room. Store in a bucket or basket that can be carried from room to room.
Make up a separate bathroom cleaning kit, to keep all the supplies together. Again store in a bucket or basket, but be sure to store it out of reach of small children.
Place perfume and other personal care items in a decorative basket or on a tray, rather than sitting individually on your dressing table.
Establish a house rule that if you take something out of a cupboard or toy box, you must put it away once you have finished with it. This will reduce the amount of time spent picking items up and putting them away before a clean.
Take items that have not been used for a long time to a charity shop or car boot sale.
Our Domestic-Clean.com recommendations of house cleaning from top to bottom and left to right, in whatever room you are cleaning. This is the quickest and most efficient way to clean.
Re-evaluate magazine/newspaper subscriptions and cancel those you no longer read. This is an easy way to save money and time by de-cluttering your home.

Removing your Pets hairs

A damp cloth or rubber glove will remove pet hair from upholstery.

Floor Cleaning in your home

Sweep or vacuum floors first to collect crumbs and dirt before damp mopping. Start washing the floor in the farthest corner of the room and work your way towards the door.
Use a cloth on the end of a mop handle to reach the narrow space between appliances.
A plastic hairbrush will straighten the fringe on carpets. Comb the carpet fringe away from the centre of the carpet.
Vacuum or sweep the bathroom floor to collect any loose hair, dust and dirt prior to washing it. Remove mats, bins and any other items on the floor that may get in the way.
Ensure the correct vacuum attachment is used for the floor surface you are cleaning.
To reduce the risk of accidents, place anti-slip backing under rugs.
Place a mat inside and outside each entrance to your home to reduce the dirt brought in on shoes and boots.
Protect your floors and furniture by preventing surface damage. Never set wet cloths, bottles, buckets, or damp mops on furniture, hardwood floors, carpet or marble.
Look underneath the furniture before vacuuming to avoid picking up small items such as jewellery or coins.

Cleaning your Kitchen

To soften splatters inside the microwave, fill a cup with water and microwave on high for a few minutes. The steam will loosen any baked on food so you can easily wipe it clean.
Allow burner rings from the hob to soak in a sink full of hot, soapy water. This will loosen the dirt and make them easier to clean.
Spray oven racks in a plastic rubbish bag for easier cleaning.
Dishcloths and sponges can be incubators for germs. Regularly put dishcloths in the washing machine, and microwave damp sponges on high for several minutes to kill bacteria.

Spills around the house

Make it a habit to wipe up all spills immediately when they are much easier to clean. Once the spill has dried and hardened, it will be more difficult to remove.

Cleaning your picture frames

To clean a picture, wipe the top of the frame first, down the sides and across the bottom. Always spray glass cleaner on your cloth, never directly on the glass, to prevent seepage that could damage the picture.

Chrome Cleaning in your home

A dry, clean microfibre cloth will polish chrome to an eye-catching gleam.
To remove fingerprints from stainless steel appliances, add a small amount of baby oil to a clean, soft microfibre cloth and wipe.

Cleaning your Bathroom

Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach areas around soap holders, taps and drains.
Add a fabric softener sheet to bins to avoid odours.
Foggy mirrors can be restored, by rubbing a small amount of glycerin onto the surface.
A small window squeegee used on tiled walls after each shower will slow the formation of water spots.
To unclog lime scale from showerheads, remove and soak the head in boiling water and vinegar.
It will be much easier and less time consuming to clean the bathroom if it is done on a regular basis as this will prevent the build-up of mildew and soap scum.

Cleaning your electronic items

Remove dust from the front of stereo speakers with the vacuum hose and flat attachment.
Always check the owner’s manual for instructions regarding the care and cleaning of your electronic equipment.

Dusting your cobwebs

A clean lightly dampened cloth, tied around the working end of your dust mop or broom, will take care of cobwebs.

Cleaning your windows

A clean lightly dampened cloth, tied around the working end of your dust mop or broom, will take care of cobwebs.

Clean by a schedule

Create a long-term cleaning schedule that lists tasks often left out of regular cleans, such as ovens, light fixtures and fridge interiors. By knowing what you plan on cleaning, and how often, you can develop a strategy that ensures nothing is overlooked.

While spring-cleaning is important, also remember to perform a thorough clean in the autumn. This way, the dust, pollen and dirt brought in during the summer months can be removed from the home.