Reader's home of the month
This month's £150 Habitat giftcard goes to lindsaydglasgow's 'terrace on a teeny budget'...
Home cleaning tips for domestic gods and goddesses
An Englishman's home is his castle. We love our homes and we like to keep them in tip top condition. Sadly, with some of the longest working hours in Europe, not to mention some of the longest commutes, many of us have better things to do with our precious spare time than scrub the skirting.
So if there's any way to cut the amount of time spent cleaning, then it's worth giving it a try. In this article we look at how you can keep your house sparkling in minutes a day – i.e., by cheating!
Cut out the clutter: The more you have, the more you'll need to clean. If your tables and shelves are filled with objets d'art, at the very least you're going to need to move them when you're wiping down surfaces. If you don't need them, chuck them - it could end up saving more than just time on your cleaning - if there a fewer items to break, there should be fewer home insurance claims.
Get your socks on: While you're de-cluttering, why not wear a sock on your hand, to wipe down those dusty surfaces.
Multitask: If you're on the phone, or waiting for the kettle to boil, you have the chance to wipe down a couple of surfaces.
Prevention is better than the cure: If you don't get it dirty, you won't have to clean it - take your shoes off as soon as you get home, keep pets off the furniture and make sure your kids only play with one toy at a time.
Quit smoking: It's literally a filthy habit; everything in your house will get dirty much more quickly if you smoke in it.
Do it straight away: If you spill something, clean it up immediately. A quick wipe of a recent spillage will probably be just as effective as more time spent trying to remove stains.
Top to bottom: Never forget the laws of gravity - dust will fall, so start at the top and work your way down. This means by the time you get to the vacuuming, all the dirt is on the floor.
Go easy: Using lots of detergents and cleaning materials will mean they will build up on the surfaces - if you use too much, you'll end up cleaning them off before you can get to the actual surface.
Tool time: Don't let your cleaning equipment cause you more strife - if you need to clean a mop or a broom, keep the heads inside a plastic bag, which will mean the dirt and dust doesn't escape from whence it came.
Hire a cleaner: Because life's just too short.
Sainsbury's offer a range of financial services including home, life and pet insurance. Visit Sainsbury's Finance for quotes and more information.
So if there's any way to cut the amount of time spent cleaning, then it's worth giving it a try. In this article we look at how you can keep your house sparkling in minutes a day – i.e., by cheating!
Cut out the clutter: The more you have, the more you'll need to clean. If your tables and shelves are filled with objets d'art, at the very least you're going to need to move them when you're wiping down surfaces. If you don't need them, chuck them - it could end up saving more than just time on your cleaning - if there a fewer items to break, there should be fewer home insurance claims.
Get your socks on: While you're de-cluttering, why not wear a sock on your hand, to wipe down those dusty surfaces.
Multitask: If you're on the phone, or waiting for the kettle to boil, you have the chance to wipe down a couple of surfaces.
Prevention is better than the cure: If you don't get it dirty, you won't have to clean it - take your shoes off as soon as you get home, keep pets off the furniture and make sure your kids only play with one toy at a time.
Quit smoking: It's literally a filthy habit; everything in your house will get dirty much more quickly if you smoke in it.
Do it straight away: If you spill something, clean it up immediately. A quick wipe of a recent spillage will probably be just as effective as more time spent trying to remove stains.
Top to bottom: Never forget the laws of gravity - dust will fall, so start at the top and work your way down. This means by the time you get to the vacuuming, all the dirt is on the floor.
Go easy: Using lots of detergents and cleaning materials will mean they will build up on the surfaces - if you use too much, you'll end up cleaning them off before you can get to the actual surface.
Tool time: Don't let your cleaning equipment cause you more strife - if you need to clean a mop or a broom, keep the heads inside a plastic bag, which will mean the dirt and dust doesn't escape from whence it came.
Hire a cleaner: Because life's just too short.
Sainsbury's offer a range of financial services including home, life and pet insurance. Visit Sainsbury's Finance for quotes and more information.