3 Easy Cleaning Trends Our Home Editors Are Trying In 2026

A floral living room with floral wallpaper, floral couch, white coffee table, rattan rug, wooden flooring, large glass vase with white flowers, and large windows out onto a leafy garden.

(Image credit: Future / Future Publishing Ltd)

Jump to category:

1. Steam Cleaning
2. Proactive Cleaning
3. Smart Tech
What to Shop
Meet the Experts

With the New Year upon us, here at Homes & Gardens, our attention is turning swiftly from festivities and celebrating to cleaning, tidying, and resetting our homes.

And, while we see so many weird and wonderful cleaning trends come and go, trying and testing them in our own homes is the best way to gauge what really works, and what really doesn't.

3 Low-Effort Cleaning Trends Our Home Editors Are Trying In 2026

1. Steam Cleaning to Skip Harsh Chemicals

White kitchen with marble countertops and white cabinets, and a large black oven. Above the oven is a white shelf with matching metal pans on top, and to the left of the oven is an open recipe book. The floor is wood. — Steam cleaning is an easy and effective way to tackle hard-to-reach cleaning.

First things first, Punteha van Terheyden, Head of Solved, is planning on cleaning with a steamer in 2026.

'It's all over my TikTok feed all the time and looks so effective,' she explains. 'It's something many of our professional cleaners recommend for its lack of harsh chemicals (all you need is a steam cleaner and water), and as someone who has to use adaptive pacing when cleaning, this low-energy, no-scrub method is the perfect habit to pick up in the new year.

'I'm going to give two key areas a go first: Cleaning my oven, which will be filthy after all the Christmas cooking, and the small gaps between my shower glass and basin. No matter how small a scrubbing brush I've tried, it won't clear the debris built up in the tiny but visible gaps.'

If, along with Punteha, you'd also like to try deep-cleaning your kitchen with a steam cleaner, for example, we recommend using the bestselling BISSELL Steam Shot Omni Pressurized Handheld Multi-Surface Steam Cleaner, available at Amazon, which comes with seven different tools for tiles, grout, windows, bathrooms, kitchens, and more.

Importantly, there are a few things to never steam clean to keep in mind, such as unsealed or unwaxed wooden flooring, porous stone surfaces, silk and delicate fabrics, as well as memory foam. The heat could warp and damage these items so steer clear.

2. Proactive, Rather Than Reactive Cleaning

Blue bathroom with white clawfoot bath, white cabinets to the left under a large mirror, and a large window in the background with a white and red patterned blind. — Proactive cleaning involves tackling your to-do list *before* mess happens, rather than afterward.

Next, Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved, says for 2026, she's finally committing to proactive cleaning, rather than reactive cleaning.

'Over the last very busy year, I have certainly fallen into some bad cleaning habits that leave mess piling up, and make cleaning up stressful at best,' she admits.

'So, I am going to be making better use of cleaning as I go, and taking advantage of automatic cleaning tools such as the best robot vacuums to stop mess before I end up cleaning when I feel overwhelmed.'

Aside from cleaning, this proactive mindset shift also works just as effectively to avoid tidying when overwhelmed, and decluttering when overwhelmed, too.

You can also try expert tips from psychologists to stop your nervous system's panic or stress response when decluttering or doing housework you don't like. It's amazing how simple tweaks can stop a full slide into despair when you're battling fatigue.

3. Smart Home Cleaning

A blue bedroom with blue walls, a large blue bed with an upholstered, scalloped headboard, and a blue closet with rattan panels. Above the bed are four botanical prints in a row in black frames. — Use a robot vacuum to automate daily cleaning. It'll make your deeper cleans easier and faster, too.

Speaking of robot vacuums, Dan Fauzi, our home tech editor, is also fully embracing using smart home cleaning tools in 2026.

'I'm all for making cleaning as low-effort and easy as possible,' they explain, 'and using robot vacuums, smart mops, appliances with timers, and smart plugs to turn cleaning appliances on and off, are among the simplest ways to do so.

'I'm going to begin setting up my smart home by using an Amazon Smart Plug, available at Amazon, with my best air purifier, to save me from having to turn it on and off whenever I need to use it.'

How often you choose to use your air purifier will depend on a number of different factors, like whether you live with pets or need to combat common allergens. But, in general, every day is best advised, and using a smart plug will mean you don't have to keep remembering to switch it on.

What to Shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

With 23 accessories

McCulloch Deluxe Canister Steam Cleaner

This deluxe steam cleaner features a two-hour run-time for convenient chemical-free cleaning all around the home. The large capacity tank quickly and efficiently heats up in under 12 minutes.

Includes deep clean guides

Home Cleaning Book

If you're looking to try proactive rather than reactive cleaning next year, this book is filled with handy checklists and trackers to tick off and keep track of, with bright, colorful pages designed to bring energy and motivation.

Works with Alexa and Google Home

iHome Smart Plug

This Wi-Fi indoor smart plug allows you to power your outlets from your phone or with a voice assistant, and is easy to set up and set weekly schedules to turn outlets on and off automatically.

Homes & Gardens approved

Shark Air Purifier

After 150 hours of testing, this air purifier is rated our best of the best. It captures and removes over 99.98% of particles and dust, and automatically tracks and improves air quality.

Self-washing

Yeedi S20 Infinity Robot Vacuum&Mop

Though an expensive investment, this robot vacuum is home tech editor Dan's favorite for both vacuuming and mopping your floors. In fact, it left floors so spotless, our tester was able to walk around barefoot comfortably.

Rapid heating

Yuyongr Steam Cleaner

This affordable steam cleaner is equipped with a 350 milliliter water tank, allowing for 10 minutes of continuous steam after a speedy three-minute heating time. It also comes with nine accessories, including an extended hose and two types of nozzles.

Meet the Experts

Punteha van Terheyden

Before joining Homes & Gardens as the Head of Solved in 2024, Punteha was the editor of Real Homes, and has written and edited lifestyle and consumer pieces since 2008. As she is disabled and suffers from chronic pain, smart, low-effort cleaning trends, like steam cleaning, are ideal for her and her home. She has tested dozens of cleaning, organizing, and decluttering tips from experts.

Chiana Dickson

As the content editor on Solved, Chiana spends her days covering clever decluttering, cleaning, and tidying tips, and is our resident 'queen' of non-toxic living. She was named one of Fixr's top home improvement journalists in 2024.

Dan Fauzi

As our resident home tech editor, Dan has spent over one hundred hours robustly testing vacuums, soundbars, air purifiers, and fans, and has worked for Future PLC since July 2023. Previously, they were the features editor for Top Ten Reviews.

Interested in more handy housekeeping tips? Check out our cleaning library and our best decluttering methods for inspiration.

TOPICS

Ottilie joined Homes & Gardens in 2024 as the News Writer on Solved, after finishing a Master's in Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. Now, as the Sleep Editor, she spends her days hunting deals and producing content on all things sleep – from mattresses and sheets to protectors and pillows, all of which she tests in her own home. She also has particular expertise in home fragrance, covering everything from candles to reed diffusers.

Previously, she has written for Livingetc and Motorsport Magazine, and also has a Master's degree in English Literature and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh, where she developed a love for inspiring interiors and architecture.