SPEEDING THINGS UP

Each time you get the iron and ironing board out, set a timer and race against yourself – it really does speed things up.

Aggie stores relevant cleaning kit in the appropriate room. It makes it so much easier and faster to give the bathroom a quick once over if the spray and cloth is on hand right there. Make up a spray bottle of disinfectant and water to whizz round door handles, light switches, television remote controls and other hard surfaces that need to be cleaned regularly.

Mrs Hinch folds her bedding into matching sets and then stores them in one of the pillow cases so she can grab what she needs out of the cupboard immediately.

The Mess Free Life blog recommends preparing a room before vacuuming – lift everything off the floor and dust first before tackling the carpets. It also recommends keeping all your cleaning kit together in a bucket or caddy so that you don’t waste time looking for a spray or cloth.

Plug the vacuum in at the middle of the house to avoid having to stop, unplug and replug it. If the cord’s too short, use an extension cable. Store them together so it’s not a hassle to find.

Clean in daylight rather than at night. It’s much easier to see dust, marks, spills and other nasties when there is bright natural light.

Care for your kit. Vacuum cleaner heads can easily get clogged with long hair. With a pair of scissors, start at one end and cut through the hair to the other. You can now extract the hair easily to leave the vacuum head hair-free. The belt can also come loose over time. This is easily fixed by a repair shop and will return your vacuum to full suction power.

Pet hair is an ongoing nightmare to remove. A window squeegee is great for raking it out of carpets and sofas.