6 CLEANING MUST-HAVES

Want to get your home guest-ready with minimal effort? Follow our top tips

JUST ADD WATER

For last-minute cleaning jobs before guests arrive, reach for a microfibre cloth. They work brilliantly on a range of hard surfaces with just a little water to dampen them. GHI TIP: assign a different coloured cloth to each room to avoid spreading germs.

ATTACHMENT ISSUES

Spruce up sofas, armchairs, cushions and other soft furnishings using your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment – your living room will have never looked so inviting.

BANISH BURNT FOOD SMELLS

Your oven will get a lot of use over the festive season. Use Oven Pride (£3, robertdyas. co.uk) to keep on top of spills and splatters so the smell of burnt-on food doesn’t waft through your home every time you cook.

VA VA VACUUM

A handheld vacuum cleaner is brilliant for spot-cleaning rugs and carpets – think mince pie crumbs and pine needles! The Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute is a powerful stick vacuum that also transforms into a handheld (£449.99, dyson.co.uk).

MOP TO IT

Washing floors can be tricky at the best of times, let alone when you have a house full of friends and family. The Addis Superdry Plus Mop (£13.49; addis.co.uk) absorbs excess water from floors as you clean so you won’t have to wait ages for them to dry!

BE STAIN READY

Trodden-in canapés and spilt drinks can leave carpets looking worse for wear. Stock up on a good stain remover, such as Bissell Oxy Stain Destroyer (£9.99, bisselldirect. co.uk) to avert carpet catastrophe.