We’ve all been there, it’s halfway through Summer and you’ve not quite got started on your Spring clean. People are out and about, and always hoping to pop in for a cold glass of iced tea on these hot evenings. Or, maybe now is the time that your parents decided they would come up and see how you’re getting along, but all they’ll be able to see is a sea of empty ramen cups and dust bunnies.

Never fear! By following the below steps you’ll be able to get on top of the grime and get your house in tip-top shape, with guests begging to come and see it.

Take Out The Trash and Declutter

Start by going from top to bottom of your house with a garbage sack and throwing away any kind of trash. You might also want to take a second garbage sack and get rid of anything you can donate to a thrift store. Donate old books, games, gym equipment, and clothes; anything you’re not using any more is better serving someone else!

Once you’ve thrown away any and all trash and removed anything that can be donated, you’ll likely already have a bigger and easier space to work with. Now, you can see what things are out of place and start to put them back into their homes. If you’re naturally an unorganized person, you may realise you don’t have homes for everything. Equip yourself with a few storage boxes and some label makers and designate a home for everything. Once everything has somewhere to reside, you’ll be able to clear everything away much more quickly and easily in the future.

Put On Your Laundry and Load Up The Dishwasher

If you have machines that can clean for you, get them going as you move on to your next chores. This will make your time more effective as you can get clean dishes and clothes as you’re spending your time doing other things.

If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can leave dishes to soak in the sink or get started on them first. Having them washed, dried and put away will give you more space in your kitchen for cleaning - without risking getting any additional dirt on them as you go around.

If your machines are running and you might need multiple loads, set a timer on your phone for when they finish and challenge yourself to clean flat out for the entire cycle. You can give yourself a break after you’ve unloaded the machine and put the next load in, and we bet you’ll be surprised at how much you managed to achieve.

Boom Boom Boom Boom, I Want a Tidy Room

Blast some Vengaboys and get your grooves on as you tackle the bedrooms. A bit of music is a great way to lift morale and make cleaning a bit more fun! Eurodisco optional.

Get those beds made before you start anything else. This makes a room look so much tidier and is our absolute top tip if you only have five minutes to clean up.

After the beds are made (extra points for changing the sheets), open up the windows, get some air in and have a good dust and wipe down of surfaces. Make sure to get any cobwebs that are lurking in corners.

You can finish your room with some fresh flowers, a spritz of air freshener or some incense if you want to add some sensual smells and those cute final touches.

Kitchen Cleanliness

We love a good, clean kitchen so we can be sure that we’re preparing our food in the most hygienic space. It doesn’t always keep itself sparkling though, so if it needs a bit of TLC your next step is here.

Wipe down all the work surfaces with a good quality disinfectant and take out the trash. Put away any clean and dry dishes and wash any remaining dirty ones. You can also use this opportunity to put some bleach down the sink to keep the drains in good condition.

Make sure to open the window and ventilate the room after using any harsh chemicals.

Beautiful Bathroom

Ahh the bathroom, what a forgotten luxury. Lest we forget that many in this world don’t have running water in their homes. So, respect that room where you get clean by helping it get clean too. Good quality disinfectants are also important in the bathroom to keep everything hygienic.

If you’re anything like us, you might want to add a cleaning block to your cistern to keep the water blue. When it runs out, it’ll serve as a handy reminder that your bathroom is due for a cleaning!

Mop and Vacuum Floors

Your final step is always going to be to clean your floors. We don’t know the psychology behind this, but when the floors are cleaned it makes an entire room look different, even bigger somehow.

Run around first with your vacuum, or if you don’t have one, have a good sweep with a brush. Afterwards, use a damp mop to go around and get rid of any lingering dirt.

Put Your Feet up and Enjoy

Now you can truly relax in your beautifully clean home. Just don’t throw a party and ruin it all again...