Cleaning method library – there's something for everyone with our 27 tried and tested methods

Whether you're grabbing 30 seconds to wipe down a countertop, five minutes to sweep the floor, or an hour to deep-clean your bathroom, the way you do it and the methods you use to clean your home can shift and change from one day to the next.

While time constraints play a significant role in what you're able to get done at any given moment, they're not the only consideration. What about when you're overwhelmed? Or simply struggling to get motivated to clean?

On the Solved team at Homes & Gardens, we've tried and tested almost every cleaning tip, method and technique there is to know, and truly believe there's a cleaning style, method or tip to suit every need. We've compiled this cleaning library to collate our expertise and make it easy to find which cleaning method is right for you, exactly when you need it.

For when you're short on time

If you find that life is too busy to dedicate extended periods or days to deep cleaning, these quick-fire cleaning methods to clean a house fast are brilliant for getting vital cleaning jobs done in more tangible ways.

If something doesn't quite work out for you, don't be disheartened – try something new!

• The One-Tool Cleaning Method: This highly efficient method focuses on using one specific tool at a time in each room before picking up the next tool and repeating. For example, you might begin by dusting in every room, before vacuuming all carpeted floors, and so on.
• The 5x5 Cleaning Method: Clean and tidy up quickly with this nifty technique, which involves focusing on five different areas of the home for just five minutes each.
• The One-Hour Cleaning Method: Set aside an hour and see how much you can get done, either around the whole house or in one specific area.
• The Friday 30 Cleaning Method: Start the weekend right by blitzing your home in 30 minutes, or simply use it whenever you need to reset your space.
• The Task Stacking Technique: Group like with like, either by completing two tasks at once, combining tasks, or scheduling tasks together.
• Our Solved content editor, Chiana Dickson, has spent over 5,000 hours writing about cleaning, and these are the cleaning habits she cannot live without after testing hundreds.

For when you've got time to dedicate to a deep clean

Sometimes, the mood might strike (or it might be necessary, for example when cleaning a new home before moving in) to undertake a deep-clean, whether it's your whole home, one room, or a single area that needs TLC. These are our favorite techniques for deep cleaning success.

• The Inside-Out Bathroom Cleaning Method: While our guide focuses on the bathroom, really this method can be used in any room around the home. With a systematic approach to avoid cross-contamination, start with the dirtiest spots before moving to lesser-used areas.
• The 'Five Senses' Cleaning Method: Use all your senses to clean your home, ensuring it looks good, smells great, feels clean and sanitized, sounds relaxing, and is safe for food preparation.
• The Wheel of Chores Method: Got time for a deep clean but not sure where to start? Input all of your tasks onto a 'Wheel of Chores' and let fate decide for you, perfect for banishing indecision.
• When you need to clean a neglected house, breaking it into manageable tasks that center around overlooked spots will make it feel far more achievable.

For when you're overwhelmed

Sometimes, the thought of cleaning can feel all too much, leaving you desperately needing to make your to-do list less overwhelming. These are our best tips and tricks to swerve stress and clean when you're feeling overwhelmed.

• The One Spot Cleaning Trick: Instead of looking over your ever growing to-do list in horror, give yourself tunnel vision by working on one single spot at a time.
• The 20/10 Cleaning Method: Incorporate breaks into your chores by cleaning for 20 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break. Repeat as much (or as little) as you want or need.
• The Avoidance Method: Compile a list of all the cleaning tasks you've been putting off, and challenge yourself to complete just one a day, while allowing yourself to ignore the rest until tomorrow.
• The Eisenhower Matrix: Separate tasks into urgent, non-urgent, important and non-important to simplify what you need to get done, when.
• If housekeeping perfection is holding you back, shift your mindset to embrace the imperfections and accept that whatever you can achieve is far better than nothing.

If you procrastinate

We're all guilty of finding it difficult to get motivated to clean. These simple methods make it easier to overcome procrastination.

• 'Today's Top Three' Chore Challenge: Pick the three cleaning tasks, no matter how big or small, you want to accomplish, and ensure you get them done that day.
• The Scary Hour Technique: Like the one hour cleaning method, only focusing on those tasks you've really been avoiding. Make a list of the tricky tasks you've got piling up around the home and tick off as many as you can in an hour.
• Content editor Chiana found ironically that writing about cleaning every day turned her into a 'serial procrastinator.' She shares her top five ways to get motivated, from splitting chores with her partner to employing herself to clean.

To build better habits

Looking to create an achievable cleaning routine? These are our favorite ways to change up your cleaning routine for the better.

• The 6/10 Cleaning Method: Maintain a consistent schedule of six daily and ten weekly cleaning tasks by building them into your daily routine.
• Try a 'catch-all' day: Set a day aside to complete all the cleaning tasks that may have been forgotten or neglected throughout the week, to take the pressure of getting them done when you just don't have enough time
• Motivate your family to clean: You don't have to go it alone when it comes to cleaning. Calling in help from a family member, or a friend, ensures everyone pulls their weight for a constantly clean space.
• Implement daily cleaning habits for a tidier home: Stop chores feeling like chores by building quick tasks into your daily routine, like cleaning your counters every night, or making your bed every morning.

For when you're feeling stressed or down

When you're not feeling good mentally, heading to your cleaning supplies cabinet might not be the first thing you do. But, experts assure you that a clean house really can make you happier and that cleaning your home can tidy your mind, too.

• The 'Rage Cleaning' Method: Channel your bad moods into productivity, by scrubbing, dusting and wiping your way to a clear head and clean home.
• Beat the post-Christmas blues: After a period of festivities, be it over the holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving or even a birthday, it can feel difficult to pick yourself up and get back on the cleaning wagon. Experts recommend starting small to prioritize your wellness, making your home feel comfortable and inviting and allowing yourself time to hunker down when you most need it.
• Try 'sound cleansing': This might not be a cleaning trick as such, but it is an effective way to banish bad energy and breathe new life into your space. Use the power of good vibrations and sound with a space-clearing ritual.

To tackle tricky areas

It goes without saying that some areas are easier to clean than others, and tricky spots require extra care and attention.

Kitchens

• Our quick kitchen cleaning tips cut cleaning times in half, and make it easy to clean each and every spot, from the inside of your microwave to the inner workings of your dishwasher.

Outside

• It's not often you need to clean an outdoor kitchen, which can make it all the more difficult to do when the time comes. Our guide ensures you won't miss a single nook or cranny.

We've also put together the Ultimate Decluttering Method library. With 51 brilliant approaches, there's something to suit every space.