Do you spring clean your house?

Is the new year a deadline for getting your house spotless? Two readers tell us

YES ‘I see spring cleaning as a kind of factory reset for the house’

Lianne (@lovewhereyouliverpool) lives with her husband and son in a Victorian terraced house in Liverpool

‘I’ve got a deep clean planned for January 3 and I can’t wait. I’m getting a cleaner in as I work about 50 hours a week and the chances of me being able to clean the house for six hours are impossible – but I feel that once it’s done, I’ll be able to keep on top of it.

‘I see it as a kind of factory reset for the house. The jobs you’ve been putting off are done and literally dusted. And it means that you’re starting the year off on a good foot and as you mean to go on. It’s almost like keeping a New Year’s resolution

‘I’ve had a deep clean before and everywhere is literally sparkling; it’s cleaner than it’s ever been. I work from home now and I’ve found that your environment has a massive impact on your mood and your well-being. For me, having the house spotless really does make a massive difference to how I feel.

‘I probably do get it from my mum to an extent. Growing up our house was spotless.

But she wouldn’t wait until spring – it would be clean all the time!

‘I think there’s been a culture of cleanliness that has sprung up on social media. I don’t really buy into that, but if people are enjoying it, let them get on it with it. However, if people do feel under pressure and it’s making them feel bad about themselves, that’s not a good thing. You must do what is right for you.’

NO ‘Houses used to get really dirty over winter. That’s not the case any more’

Louie Murphy (@the_62_cat) lives with her partner and their three daughters in a 1930s semi in Liverpool

‘The idea of spring cleaning used to be to get rid of everything that had accumulated in winter. In the olden days, coal was one of the main fuels and the soot would get everywhere. The dirt would have been at a different level to what we have now. That’s not really the case any more in modern life.

‘Really, cleaning depends on each family and their dynamic and how they like to live. I do a deep clean before my daughters’ birthdays when we have visitors for parties. And I’ll do one in November to get rid of any old toys and get it tidy for Christmas.

‘I think that on social media, the pressure to be really clean feels like the new virtue signalling – “I clean this” or “I clean that” – when in reality most people don’t, they’re just trying to get by. I try not to get too worked up about it. Some days I’ve just kept the kids alive and that’s enough for me!

‘It’s fashionable at the moment to talk about cleaning, but I think the way you present things is important. I love it when I see a perfect home and then they say, “here’s a dose of Instareality for you” and they show you how everything has been moved out of the shot. I know my stuff is! It’s great to put that balance forward.’