Embarrassed about your messy space? (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Still got your your decorations up? Stepping over festive detritus that you’ve not yet put away? Struggling to grapple with the grime that’s accumulated in your home over the last year?

You’re not alone.

Although it’s considered bad luck to clean on New Year’s Day, many people take time at the start of January to declutter their spaces and mentally refresh after the chaos of Christmas.

There’s also an element of pride at play. The last thing you want is guests coming over and seeing that you’re living in filth – especially if you’ve committed to a health or wellbeing resolution.

A messy home can denote a messy mind, so although your nearest and dearest won’t judge you for letting things slide, it somewhat dulls the shine of your ‘New Year, new me’ persona.

Thankfully, you don’t need to spend January toiling away to avoid the mask of perfection slipping. The key to an organised, sparkling home is cleaning smarter, not harder.

These jobs take less than 10 minutes each to complete, giving you a feeling of satisfaction without too much effort.

Do them whenever you’ve got a spare moment, and free yourself from house-shame next time the doorbell rings.

Get your microwave gleaming

The microwave is one part of the kitchen that’s often missed – mainly because it’s a faff to clean.

Dean Davies, Cleaning Expert at Fantastic Services, has partnered with Russel Hobbs to offer his tips, with a microwave hack that’s elbow grease-free.

He says: ‘A great way to clean your microwave is to take a microwave safe bowl and fill it with warm water. Add some dishwashing soap (2 tbsp) and put the bowl in the microwave for one minute on high.

‘The steam will soften the dried-on food, so you can clean the microwave using a damp sponge to wipe off any debris, leaving your microwave squeaky clean and ready to heat up all those delicious leftovers.’

You don’t need loads of fancy equipment – kitchen staples can be just as effective (Picture: Getty Images)

Try rubber gloves for pet hair

Anyone with a pet will know that their fur gets absolutely everywhere, making your soft furnishings look unkempt.

Sometimes a vacuum just won’t cut it, but that pair of rubber gloves in your kitchen cupboard is a more effective alternative.

Ray Jones, sofa expert at interior’s retailer ScS, says: ‘Pop on a rubber glove, slightly dampen it with water and then rub it over the surface of your sofa [it also works on carpets and other fabrics].

‘You’ll be amazed at how much fur you pick up.’

You can also use a rubber window squeegee or damp sponge, but be careful not to use too much water to avoid water marks.

Keep carpet odours at bay

There’s no need to buy expensive products to get rid of smells around the home.

‘Sprinkle a light dusting of baking soda over your carpet and leave it to settle for a few minutes before vacuuming,’ advises Dean.

The absorbent powder will soak up nasties – just make sure to clean the filters on your vacuum regularly to keep it functioning at peak performance.

Banish hard water stains on your glassware

January’s a great time to do all those jobs that often fall by the wayside, like those pesky water stains that can accumulate on your glasses.

To tackle them, Joe Authbert, Buying Manager at ProCook says: ‘When you come to the glassware cupboard, tackle any hard-water build up on glasses by soaking them in vinegar for five minutes, then rinsing and drying with a microfibre cloth.’

The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful it can dissolve mineral deposits, killing bacteria too.

The smile of a man who remembered to sprinkle the rug with baking soda (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Freshen up your fridge – inside and out

When was the last time your fridge got a good scrub? After housing Christmas goodies and languishing leftovers, it’s likely in need of one.

Dean recommends firstly emptying the fridge and throwing away food with expired use-by dates.

Next, he says: ‘Wash the shelves and drawers with a sponge and warm dish soap and wipe the inside with a mixture of two tablespoons of baking soda and one part white vinegar to three parts hot water.

‘Pay attention to areas prone to mildew growth, such as rubber seals.’

For the exterior, a towel and your regular all-purpose cleaner is all you need.

Keep your dishwasher in top order

If you have a dishwasher, it’s important you maintain it. Otherwise, it won’t work efficiently and can add to your daily routine with re-washing and scrubbing.

Start with the drain, removing any food waste by opening the bottom rack of the appliance.

‘Then, pay attention to the dishwasher filter because if it’s not clean, nothing else will ever be,’ explains Dean.

‘You can find it below the bottom spray arm; take it out and give it a good soak in a bowl or sink filled with warm water and dish soap. After a few minutes, scrub the filter with a toothbrush and remove all food particles, then rinse and put it back.’

Wipe down your door seals, spray arms, and the inside of the dishwasher wish vinegar, and poke out any debris in the spray holes with a toothpick. Voila.

Shine your sink with citrus

Use up citrus fruits by putting them to work in your New Year clean.

Joe says: ‘Use half a lemon to scrub salt into the surfaces of your kitchen sink before rinsing with water.

‘The citric acid will cut grime, while the salt will help with the removal of stains.’

Leave surfaces sparkling with citrus and vinegar (Picture: Getty Images)

Give kids’ toys a bath

Children’s toys can be hotbeds of grime, so use your January refresh to ensure they’re playing safe.

Toys with electrical components can be wiped down with a disinfectant cloth, but bath toys and plastic dolls are even easier to clean.

The experts at Munchkin say: ‘Fill a bath an inch or two deep, throw in a couple of sterilising tablets and let the toys soak for around an hour.

‘No need for hot water or to rinse them off afterwards, just let them dry thoroughly once you’ve taken them out and they’re good to go.’

Renew pots and pans

‘It is common for stainless steel cookware to show signs of daily wear and tear so it’s good to give your pans a freshen up once in a while,’ says Joe.

Whip our your trusty baking soda for this one, dampening a sponge and working through some of the powder to remove ‘pitting’.

Joe adds: ‘For more stubborn calcium build up, bring a solution of one teaspoon of vinegar to one litre of water to boil in the pan. Allow the contents to cool before cleaning with soapy water and drying thoroughly.’

Tackle touchpoints that harbour bacteria

Some of the dirtiest parts of a home are the surfaces we touch. Although guests can’t see this, it’s worth going over danger areas before they arrive to ensure they don’t spread bacteria.

Terry Fisher, of WeBuyAnyHome, explains: ‘We touch items such as light switches, TV remote controls, laptop keyboards and kettles every day, but how often do we really clean and disinfect them?

‘These surfaces can provide a nice home for a range of bacteria, from Staphylococcus aureus and salmonella to E.coli and mould.’

Spray a cloth with diluted disinfectant (or use disinfectant wipes) and sweep over the following areas:

Light switches

Door and window handles

Keyboards

Remote controls

Kettles

Buttons on appliances

Use baskets for clutter

When it comes to clutter, your best bet to clear it is to put everything in one place.

Zoe, known as CaptainMumsCleans on social media, says: ‘My best hack for quickly tidying the home is this – grab a laundry basket (I use Ikea bags because they fold up so small and hold so much), run around and just put everything in there.

‘You can sort it out later – but for now all the visible clutter is hidden.’

The weight of a messy space will be instantly lifted, and you’ll feel more motivated to keep up your tidy habits. 

If there still seems like too much to get organised, consider using different baskets for different family members or rooms in your home. This will make the task seem less daunting.

More: Lifestyle

Wash up your washing machine

Steph and Jade, cleaning experts at StadeClean, recommend using vinegar to clean your washing machine.

‘Washing machines can build up grime rapidly depending on usage,’ they say.

‘You can prevent this by adding two cups of white vinegar to your washing machine detergent drawer. Then, run on a hot wash to conquer the grime build up.’

The duo add: ‘For optimal cleaning power, add half a cup of baking soda in the drum and again run on a hot wash. This will neutralise any odours within the drum and fight bacterial build-up around the seal.’

As well as keeping your washing machine working better for longer and giving you the satisfaction of a job well done, this should also banish damp smells in your laundry.

Spring cleaning completed before the season’s arrival seems pretty productive – and nobody else needs to know you did it on your teabreaks.

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