Everyone would love it if there was a magic solution to keep their home clean with minimal effort – despite destruction by pets or children. Sadly, we can’t provide that. Any mess will need clearing. Any spills will need mopping. But what we can do is to provide a few useful, handy hints on how to keep your house in guest-ready order easily. Storage, storage, storage. This is the secret to tidy rooms. Invest in as much storage space as you can possibly manage (and which fits in your house!) and keep on top of it. All too often these cupboards and drawers can become a minefield of forgotten crayons, broken earrings and half-chewed rolls of sticky tape. All of which prevents things which actually benefit from being stored fitting in. Have a weekly clearout of whatever space seems to get used the most. Kids are typical offenders – by clearing their room they often mean just shoving it all in the wardrobe and shutting the door. And every time you go to put something in a drawer for convenience quickly evaluate whether or not you actually need to keep it. Clean as you go. Get into the habit of tucking a duster into your belt and keeping a spray bottle of cleaning fluid handy nearby. It doesn’t need to shop-bought stuff, it can be homemade white wine and vinegar solution. Or very diluted bleach for tough stains. That way, you can clean as you pass by tables and shelves without a great deal of thought. Sometimes it’s the mere thought of cleaning that is more daunting than the actual job itself. Keep on top of your tasks by creating a useful list to remind yourself of what needs to be done, day by day. That way, you won’t need to waste precious cleaning time trying to remember what you’ve already attended to and what you haven’t. A top tip is to divide your list into rooms, that way you can collate your cleaning equipment according to which rooms you are going to clean. For example, sitting rooms and bedrooms require roughly the same cleaning apparatus so why not try to organise yourself into attacking them both in one day? Be strict with yourself about what you keep. When clothes or ornaments or books lose their appeal – do yourself a huge favour and either throw them away – or donate them to charity. Too many people prefer to cling onto outgrown possessions and this simply adds to the clutter of a busy home. And don’t forget – if you’re throwing stuff out then that’s even more reason to indulge yourself by purchasing that new tablecloth that you’ve had your eye on. Plus, by donating to charity you are doing your bit for those who need a bit of help. And last but not least – delegate! Divide the number of jobs required to be done between the number of adults in the household. It doesn’t need to be an absolutely equal division, some people may work longer hours than others, but as a general rule many hands make light work. And don’t forget children. Even the youngest child can have a small job such as putting the duster away, having rules like this will encourage them to think towards a tidy house in the future when they have their own. So there you have it. Keeping on top of a house by doing little and often and creating helpful routines and habits is far easier than dealing with a cleaning Armageddon. If you can just persuade yourself to get organised once, then the daily grind of cleaning will become a breeze!