Cleaning the house doesn’t call for a cupboard full of bottles, just knowing what to use where and in what order. These house cleaning tips go room by room, with home-made tips based on vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and mild neutral soap.
- What you need
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Bedroom and living room
- Cleaning quickly and thoroughly
- What you shouldn’t mix
- Frequently asked questions
What you need for home-made cleaning tips
Four things cover almost everything.
| Product | What for | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning vinegar | Limescale and soap residue | Using it on marble, granite and natural stone |
| Bicarbonate of soda | Stuck-on grease and smells | Using it on polished surfaces that could scratch |
| Mild neutral soap | Everyday cleaning | Soaking wood |
| Microfibre cloth | Dust and glass | Washing it with fabric softener |
House cleaning tips for the kitchen
- Microwave: heat a bowl of water and lemon for a few minutes and leave the door closed a little longer. The steam softens whatever’s stuck on, which then comes off with a cloth. Take the bowl out carefully: it will be scalding. Here’s how to clean a microwave inside.
- Oven: when it’s cold, spread on a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, keeping clear of the heating elements, and leave it overnight. Then clean the oven with a damp cloth. If it’s pyrolytic or catalytic, check the manual first.
- Ceramic hob: when it’s cold, use a scraper made for the job on anything burnt, except melted sugar or plastic: remove those with the hob switched off and still warm. No metal scourers if you want to clean a ceramic hob without scratching it.
- Cooker hood: soak the metal filters in very hot water with washing-up liquid. The steps are in our guide to cleaning a cooker hood.
- Pans: let them cool and, before you scrape, soak them, except cast-iron ones. If one has already gone black, follow this guide to clean a burnt pan.
Tips for cleaning the bathroom and getting rid of limescale
- Taps: wrap them in a cloth soaked in vinegar for about 20 minutes, rinse and dry. With black or gold finishes, check the manufacturer’s instructions first. More detail in our guide to removing limescale from taps.
- Shower screen: spray on a mix of equal parts water and vinegar, wait a few minutes and wipe it off. Using a squeegee after every shower saves almost all the work. For limescale that’s already stuck on, see how to clean a shower screen.
- Grout: bicarbonate of soda paste and an old toothbrush. More in our guide to cleaning tile grout.
- Toilet: if there’s no bleach in the bowl and no bleach tablets in the cistern, leave vinegar in overnight and go over it with the toilet brush in the morning. For stubborn cases, see how to remove limescale from a toilet.
- Mould: cleaning it isn’t enough unless you air the room after every shower. Follow the steps to remove mould in the bathroom.
Bedroom and living room: fabrics, dust and windows
- Mattress: sprinkle on bicarbonate of soda, leave it for a few hours and vacuum. Stains are dealt with separately in our guide to cleaning a mattress.
- Sofa: vacuum first, check the label and test on a hidden area before you clean a fabric sofa.
- Dust: use a slightly damp microfibre cloth rather than a feather duster, which only moves it around. More ideas to get rid of dust at home.
- Windows: pick a cloudy day so they don’t dry too soon. That way you can clean window glass without leaving marks.
- Laminate flooring: a well-wrung mop, never lots of water. All about how to clean laminate flooring.
- Pet hair: on the sofa, bed and clothes, a reusable pet hair roller saves you getting through sticky rolls. It works with static electricity, with no batteries or refills.
Tips for cleaning the house quickly and thoroughly
To clean the house quickly, the order matters more than the product:
- Open the windows for a few minutes and tidy up.
- Apply the product in the bathroom and kitchen and leave it to work while you do everything else.
- Dust from top to bottom.
- Go back to the bathroom and kitchen to rinse.
- Leave the floor until last, working from the far end towards the door.
To clean the house thoroughly, spread out the big jobs, one a week: one day the dishwasher, another the washing machine and another the roller shutters.
Which cleaning products you shouldn’t mix
Bleach must not be mixed with ammonia or with acids such as vinegar, lemon, hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts) or limescale removers, because the mixture gives off toxic gases. If you switch products on the same surface, rinse with water first and keep the window open.
If your eyes or throat sting after mixing products, open the window and leave the room. For advice in Spain, the Toxicological Information Service takes calls 24 hours a day on 91 562 04 20; in another country, ask for the national poisons centre. If there is difficulty breathing, call 112.
Start with the room you find hardest and these house cleaning tips will become a habit. Take a look at the home section at Velia Select.
Frequently asked questions
What cleaning jobs can you do with vinegar?
It’s good for removing limescale from taps and shower screens and for leaving windows free of marks. On shower screens and windows, dilute it with water. Avoid it on marble, granite and other natural stone, because the acid can damage them.
What cleaning jobs can you do with bicarbonate of soda?
As a paste it helps with grease in the oven and with grout. Dry, it absorbs smells, for example to remove fridge smell.
Can you mix vinegar and bicarbonate of soda?
Yes, but they neutralise each other. The foam helps loosen dirt there and then, although it doesn’t clean any better than either one on its own. Use them straight away and don’t store the mix in a closed bottle, because it releases gas.