Your tips on how to keep your home glamorous

[Medusah80]

My house is currently a shit tip. So much clutter and mess that my brain is struggling. Due to a combination of spending a summer enjoying my life outdoors and on holiday, my job being extremely stressful for past few weeks and probably just putting off any housework I now have no idea where to start

You can do this, start small.
set a timer for 30mins, put some music/podcast on and tackle the room that is least cluttered/messy

 

[bealtaine]

This is a super idea for a thread! In trying to keep my household running smoothly I watch out for “hotspots” where clutter accumulates. E.g., the kitchen table, the bottom few steps of the stairs where people drop things, the hall table etc. If these “hotspots” are kept clear, my kids and OH are less inclined to drop more stuff on top. I also always have a bag/box upstairs which I fill and bring to the local charity shop regularly. Even if there’s only a few items in the charity shop bag, I still call there every fortnight or so to make a donation. Charity shop staff tend to baulk at the sight of mountainous donations, but are happier to accept a modest amount of stuff at a time!

 

[DCICassieStuart]

My steam cleaner died yesterday

10 days of mourning?

 

[Dont swipe up!]

I prefer the Method cleaning stuff to Zoflora - in particular the rhubarb Method floor washing/cleaning spray is just soooo lush.

Smol cleaning tablets are good too although I found them to be a little too subtle in scent. I like things to smell clean, if that makes sense.

Agree!!
The rhubarb method is amazing and cleans well and the scent is lovely
I hate zoflora and all the gimmicky stuff like poster above said why would you want Parma violets or love hearts scents and so on?!
It’s just pathetic really
I want a nice light clean smell not a sugary over powering sickly sweet smell
Like when I saw drumstick scented candles and the like and I just think why???

 

[pommynoir]

Agree!!
The rhubarb method is amazing and cleans well and the scent is lovely
I hate zoflora and all the gimmicky stuff like poster above said why would you want Parma violets or love hearts scents and so on?!
It’s just pathetic really
I want a nice light clean smell not a sugary over powering sickly sweet smell
Like when I saw drumstick scented candles and the like and I just think why???

Yes those scents are horrific. But I’m a big fan of “clean linen” and scents like that

 

[CherryBakewell]

No shoes in the house is a big one for me! We have mostly carpets and the thought of shoes on them just I also Hoover at least once a day and try and steam clean the carpets once a week and I always thinks that helps! I hate my house being untidy and messy so I’m always doing something to it

 

[candyland_]

I like a lot of artificial plants too.. I know they aren’t the best but having some greenery really changes a room.

 

[Brian Butterfield]

My favourite thing to do at home is open all the windows, even in the dead of winter. No plug in or diffuser or candle can top fresh air IMO. I always side eye my neighbours when they don’t have their windows open, especially when it’s warm.

Same. I'm obsessed with having all the windows and doors open and getting air flowing through.

 

[Burrito88]

We have a dog which sheds - a cordless dyson is one of the best things we’ve ever bought. It’s so easy to whiz around and holds a charge for a good while.
I have a white company diffuser you can put the special blend of oil in to freshen the room, I like the Calm one.
The white company sell a mint candle which I use in the kitchen after cooking, it smells really fresh.
I have a spray bottle of diluted zoflora that I spritz on soft furnishings once a week.
I have no idea how people with kids keep on top of everything, it’s hard enough with just two of us and the dog!!

 

[Mamacita]

So who else spent all weekend looking up spot cleaners?

Not me. I spent it using my new window vac

 

[StillLucilleBluth]

I wish I could have a tidier instead of a cleaner. I like cleaning but hate tidying

 

[AlwightDallin]

I always put a tiny drop of bleach in my fresh flowers, always cut the stems on an angle and use hot hot water when filling the vase. No bugs, they last ages.

 

[Codiaeum]

Regarding Dettol wipes:
I made my own re-usable wipes: cut up some old towels and put them in a jar with a lid and added rubbing alcohol (78%), a small squirt of dish soap and that's it. you could probably add essential oil as well. I find them very handy to just wipe something down quickly and then throw them in the wash.
Obviously can't be sure they are disinfecting like actual Dettol wipes, but if nobody is sick here and it's just two adults I'm okay with just "normal" cleaning.

 

[Curly]

I made huge progress yesterday with the downstairs of my house, so much so when my Aunty came in she commented on how nice it smelt
I think by end of this week my house might be in order again so thank you all for the great tips

 

[Ruby’s mum]

To be fair, a lot of cleaning and laundry stuff is environmentally damaging. Have you ever read the warnings on the back of a can or air freshener or on a pack of Lenor Unstoppables? I like cleaning, I have certain products I use a lot (the Method minty glass cleaner is a fave) but using any cleaning product inappropriately is dangerous. I’ve been on a few of the ‘Hinching‘ type Facebook pages and they are insane - the amount of stuff they use and they way they use things is utterly terrifying. And then they post wondering why their kids all have ‘assmar’ - umm, probably because you’re using a whole bottle of neat Zoflora a day, you’re mixing ten kinds of loo cleaner so it looks pretty and you’re burning bleach in a wax burner …

Agreed. I use very few cleaning products and I hate overly perfumed products. Vinegar, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda, washing soda, citric acid, all excellent cleaning products when used correctly and environmentally sound and to make the house smell good you can’t beat fresh air.

 

[The Devils Arse]

What houseplants do people have? Any recommendations for ones that like the shade and are not easy to murder? I'm a serial plant killer.

Loving all the tips!

 

[EddyDarling]

Things that have arrived from Amazon today:

1. Scrub daddies multi pack
2. Kleeneze tile cleaner (actually mortified now at how shoddily I’d wiped the high-up bathroom tiles before)
3. Massive thing of vinegar
4. Top up of drain unblocker
5. Cider vinegar hair shampoo - OK that one is unrelated but the hard water here in London is

Are we all becoming cleaning influencers?


I did mine over Christmas while trying to keep busy while being slowly ghosted by my ex. It was nice and therapeutic and not too hard BUT I messed it up somehow by getting a drizzle of the liquid stuck between the two glass panes of the oven door. Now I’m not sure what to do. Should have outsourced I reckon.

Even better

We're Hinchers.




I'll get my coat.

 

[harveydean]

We live in a pretty small place but it's open plan so it's crucial to put everything away immediately. We don't have a hall, our entrance is straight into the living room and we can't leave out any shoes or jackets etc. because it immediately looks messy.

Regarding the rest I'd say:
- keep things uncluttered (don't overdo styling of the shelves, coffee tables etc.)
- don't buy very recognisable Ikea furniture (like the £10 side table or Kallax units)
- buy real art (doesn't have to be expensive, it could be from unknown local artists, as long as it's not some cheap Desenio print)
- if you can, invest in good chairs and nice lights, those make the biggest difference (I love designer furniture from Finnish design shop <3 )
- have fresh flowers at home
- always white (or at least very neutral!) bedsheets
- good diffuser in the bathroom
- don't follow trends too much so it can still look timeless in 5 or 10 years
- don't buy generic cheap accessories - I like to buy it when traveling or second hand or ask for something special on a specific occasion so every piece has a nice story behind it

I agree with the art! I buy from charity shops. I absolutely detest Etsy/Oliver Bonas/Desenio!

 

[Omghon]

Loving all the tips I’m going to try the whites one tomorrow!

Also, thank you to whoever recommended black harpic toilet bleach and an old knife to scrape limescale! My toilet is sparkling again

 

[Some People!]

These are all great mottos for life, nevermind cleaning!

I especially love the idea of contributing to the happiness of future you.

Gemma from The Organised Mum Method says "be your future friend"