I grew up in a home where hygiene was above and beyond and therefore, absorbed great cleaning skills I still rely on today.
These helped me immensely when I moved out in my early 20s. However, now as I hurtle towards my 40th birthday, there are four vital things I know now about cleaning that I really wish I had known years ago.
These key cleaning tips would have saved me money, made cleaning easier and meant I wouldn't have become overwhelmed trying to keep my house clean.
1. DIY cleaning sprays are so easy to make
I make my own cleaning sprays, pictured is a geranium multi-surface cleaning solution I made with essential oils
It wasn’t until I got into cleaning with essential oils around my home that I dabbled in making a DIY cleaning spray. Now I swear by them as you can make luxury-smelling non-toxic cleaning sprays with simple and economical recipes.
For my DIY everyday multi surface cleaning spray, I use two cups of water, 10-20 drops of pure essential oil (I love the smell of pure geranium essential oil, available at Walmart), and a dab of dish soap for a great smelling multi-surface cleaner. It's brilliant on tricky stainless steel, or sticky spots.
I wish I had known years ago as commercial cleaners are quite pricey and smell harsh. The smells also linger but not in a good way.
Karina Toner, professional cleaner and operation manager at Spekless says my mix is great for everyday cleaning, especially for freshening up surfaces.
She says, ‘Essential oils definitely add a nice scent and can have mild antimicrobial properties (tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemon are great picks).’
Karina adds that essential oils in DIY cleaners ‘smell amazing and add a fresh, natural fragrance.’ They're also non toxic home essentials and safe on most surfaces.
It’s worth noting though, in order for your DIY cleaning solution to be strong enough to kill bacteria and viruses, you’ll need to add an extra ingredient. Karina explains, ‘For a little extra disinfecting power, adding a bit of isopropyl alcohol (at least 70%) or hydrogen peroxide could be an option.
Isopropyl alcohol is available to buy at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
I now have a bunch of cleaning sprays I’ve made myself for different rooms in the house and have ditched 90% of my store bought ones.
If however you do opt for a commercial disinfectant, Karina recommends plant-based cleaners such Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, available in bulk at Amazon, which uses thymol (from thyme oil) to naturally kill germs.
‘When choosing spray bottles for your mixes, go for glass bottles as essential oils break down plastic over time,’ she adds. I used amber glass spray bottles, available at The Container Store.
If you make any sprays with vinegar, give cleaning your porous surfaces with it a miss to avoid the natural acidity damaging the surface over time.
2. Natural products work brilliantly
Whilst natural cleaning products might need to be left on a little bit longer or need re-application, Mother Nature’s cleaning agents are non-toxic home essentials, effective and much cheaper than commercial products.
They’re also multi-functional so you’ll probably already have them in your pantry. I love using baking soda for deodorizing closets, to fridges, carpets and even shoes. Its gentle abrasive cleaning action is helpful when tackling cooked on grime, whilst the natural acidity of vinegar can remove nasty smells, kill mold and leave a streak-free shine on windows.
‘Yes!’ says Karina. ‘Baking soda and vinegar are both super effective, but they actually work best when used separately rather than mixed together – when they fizz, the reaction neutralizes their cleaning power.’
Some of Karina’s favorite ways to use natural cleaners include:
- Baking soda: Great for deodorizing and scrubbing. Works well as a paste for sinks, stovetops, and grout. Just add a little water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Vinegar: Cuts through grease, soap scum, and limescale. Great for glass, faucets, and hard water stains.
- Karina’s expert tip: If tackling grime, sprinkle baking soda first, then spray vinegar over it—the bubbling helps lift dirt before wiping it away.
You can clean with vinegar all over the home. It's also a smell that ants hate and will help keep them away with regular reapplication.
Baking soda is a natural abrasive that helps break down tough deposits without scratching delicate surfaces. Mixed into a paste with water. It's safe for use in most areas of your home.
Made of natural course fibers, these are great for washing fruit, surfaces, dishes, shoes and more. Don't scrub too hard as it can be abrasive. Once used, hang to dry. When it's time to replace, remove steel ring and compost.
Karina adds, ‘For a store-bought option that’s still eco-friendly but a bit stronger, Bar Keepers Friend Powder Cleanser, [available at Walmart] is a fantastic alternative to baking soda.'
3. Little and often reduces the need for frequent deep cleans
Using a squeegee to get rid of water from the tiles and glass screen in my en suite shower, pictured, after every use means I have to deep clean less
I used to leave the majority of my bathroom cleaning routine till the weekend when I first moved out, and that meant I spent a lot of weekend hours cleaning instead of living my life and having fun.
Now, I have built in 30-second cleaning tasks into normal day to day activities that really are no bother, and this has in turn reduced the frequency and intensity of my deep cleans. It's also important for me as I have to use adaptive pacing when cleaning to avoid injury as I have chronic pain and multiple illnesses.
For example, I live in a hard water area and removing limescale from my shower is a constant need and can build up on faucets, sinks, shower tiles and glass screens.
Now, instead of having to do a deep descaling with harsh and pungent commercial cleaners that reduce the air quality in my home and release toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air every couple of weeks, I clean little and often with my own 50/50 vinegar-water spray.
I also have a squeegee in the shower and after I turn the water off, quickly wipe down the tiled walls and glass doors of my shower. It means the limescale doesn’t accumulate so easily or quickly on these surfaces when the water from my shower evaporates.
I rarely, if ever, need to use commercial cleaners now.
Karina says, ‘I totally agree. Keeping up with small daily habits makes a huge difference! The shower squeegee tip is a game-changer.’
Karina suggests a few other quick cleaning habits that will help:
- Wiping down kitchen counters and stovetops nightly helps avoid tough, stuck-on messes. Having a closing shift routine will help.
- Running hot water with a little dish soap down the sink weekly can help prevent grease buildup and avoid the need to unblock a clogged sink.
- A daily shower spray (like Method Daily Shower Spray, available at Amazon) keeps mildew and soap scum from building up.
4. Sharing cleaning tasks is vital
More than 60% of US women polled by YouGov in December 2024 said they did most or all of the household chores. I used to do everything myself in the house when it came to cleaning, because I wanted to, but once I unpacked why I was doing it all, I split tasks with my husband, which is much more fair.
However, it's a very easy pattern to fall into, and at the outset of my relationship, happened for me too. But, we both work full time so the physical load for cooking, cleaning and tidying is now split between us, as well as the mental load of things such as grocery shopping, meal planning and more.
Karina says, ‘This is such an important point. It’s still so common for cleaning to fall mostly on women, even in households where both partners work full-time. Finding a better balance really does make a difference.’
Our cleaning pros have shared tips for fairly splitting chores with partners in our dedicated guide.
As I am in chronic pain and limited in many physical aspects including how long I can stand up, how hard I can scrub, or how much I can lift or bend, our household cleaning tasks have naturally split in later years between my husband and I so I am not injured for the sake of a chore.
Karina adds, ‘Something that can help is setting clear roles. Even just having a casual system, like one person handling dishes and the other taking care of floors, can make things feel more even without constant reminders.’
That’s certainly the way in my home. Whilst my husband takes the bins out, does the dishes daily and takes the laundry out of the washer, I usually hang laundry out or fold it away, clean the sinks and counters, and dust surfaces.
We have tried and hugely rate Damp Dusters. They stop dust particles fly up into the air to settle elsewhere, and reduce one-use paper towel needs so they're great for being more sustainable at home.
Cleaning essentials
I swear by microfiber cloths for cleaning. They're reusable, wash easily and last for years. Just skip fabric softener so they retain their absorbent qualities.
I love using a scrubbing brush on hidden grime, especially one that fits into crevices, as it helps to deep clean dirt you cannot always see, and it reduces the need for tons of elbow grease or cleaning product, for that matter.
I use a long-armed broom and pan set like this in my kitchen daily. It saves me having to get the vacuum out for every little spill, and the pan folds up to store away easily in narrow spaces.
Using laundry pods like these, which are certified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) are better for your skin, the planet and help slash toxic laundry room items.
If your skin is sensitive, this dye and fragrance-free, gentle but effective laundry detergent is for you.
Solved content editor Chiana Dickson swears by this cleaning gadget. Just load with tap water and go! The steam lifts years of stubborn stains and can be used on baked on grime, tiles, floors, upholstery and more. Just skip foam mattresses as the heat can damage the structure.
Next, learn how to clean when feeling overwhelmed, and the dirtiest spots in people's homes that professional cleaners always notice.
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