Freshen up your home with our handy tips and tricks
HOW TO... Clean in fifteen!
When time is short, get your house looking spick and span by focusing on key tasks and using your time efficiently. Here are our top tips for blitzing a room in just 15 minutes!
• Tidying is the first step, so do a quick sweep of the room, putting any obvious rubbish into the bin or recycling, and storing away any items that need to go in cupboards. Now fill a box or basket with items that need to be relocated to their rightful rooms, ready to sort out later. If you’re blitzing the kitchen, do the washing up, or empty and load the dishwasher to clear the decks.
• Start cleaning from the top of the room and work downwards. Grab a fluffy feather duster (see our fave dusting products on page 15) and give everything up high a light sweep, from cobwebby corners, shelves and blinds, to picture rails, photo frames and plant leaves. Shake out soft furnishings such as blankets, tea towels and cushions, then refold and put back neatly.
• For a quick bathroom blitz, spray the entire bathroom suite, including the taps and shower screen, with a multi-purpose bathroom cleaner. Now go back round and wipe everything down with a damp cloth, or using the hose attachment on the shower or bath, to get a sparkling finish.
• To clean grubby windows or mirrors, spray liberally with window cleaner and leave to drip down. Meanwhile, wipe any surfaces such as the kitchen counter, hob or coffee table, using a damp microfibre cloth and a quick spray of multi-purpose cleaner. Return to the windows and wipe clean with a fresh cloth.
• Shake out rugs and mats, then use a handheld vacuum cleaner to whip round your room in a couple of minutes, picking up crumbs and pet hair from your sofa, and any debris that’s fallen onto the floor. For hard floors, finish
