There are always maintenance tasks to do to keep your home in tip top condition, but there are several great habits that we can all adopt every day to make our homes cleaner and tidier. I really think that when your home is sparkling clean, it gives us a sense of well being and lightness. On the other hand when chores build up and there is a mess in every room you go in, it feels a bit depressing and chaotic.

These simple habits will help you keep your home clutter free and fresh.

1. Fling open the windows

My husband has always moaned that I have to have the windows open in mid winter, but every morning I open a window in each room to remove stale air and freshen our home. I close them after an hour or so. I was given this tip by my son’s asthma nurse, as we have so many allergens in our home that we need the ventilation to keep the air fresh. Things such as cleaning chemicals, central heating and even open fires and log burners, all produce gases that could be harmful to our health. So keep the gentle breeze flowing…

2. Clean surfaces as you go

After you have washed and cleaned teeth in the morning, wipe out the sink with a clean cloth to prevent staining of your sanitaryware. When you have had a shower, spray it with shower cleaner or wipe down straight away. Keep a clean cloth hidden away so that in each room you have a cloth to hand. Antibacterial wipes are also useful for this purpose.

3. Multi task

When my young son is in the bath I use this time to chat with him about his day, but at the same time, I often clean surfaces or windows in the bathroom. Or if I am on the telephone, having a chat with a girlfriend, I will often grab a duster and polish our hallway or lounge. Makes the chores far more enjoyable and you actually forget that you are doing them. Another option is to listen to an audio book or some music while you

4. Wash up as you go

When my husband offers to cook a meal I am always delighted, but then I remember that he will use every pot and pan in our kitchen and every surface will be messy. After the meal it will take me longer to tidy up than to have cooked the meal in the first place. When I cook a meal, my main aim is to wash up and wipe down as I go along, so that by the time we eat, there are only the plates and cutlery to wash. No one likes to get up from a meal and be faced with a kitchen that looks like a tornedo has swept through it, so keep things clean as you go.

5. Keep the windows clean

Nothing makes a room feel brighter than having clean and sparkling windows. Try to clean one rooms’ windows each morning while you wait for the kettle to boil for your cup of tea. That way it won’t turn into a mammoth job that takes hours.

6.Avoid a clothes mountain

Put a load of washing on each day and make sure it is hanging back in wardrobes before bedtime, having been dried and ironed. Again it is much easier to keep your laundry up to date and avoid a clothes mountain, if you do little but often.

7. Give out laundry baskets and coat hangers..

Along similar lines to above, give each family member a laundry basket even the very young ones so that they can get used to putting laundry in it ready to be washed. This avoids each bedroom having a carpet of clothes on the floor. Make them hang up items that can be worn again.

7. Shoes Off!

Ask all members of the family and guests to take their shoes at the door, that keeps the floors cleaner and will stop heavier dirt being paddled through the house.

8. Polish and hoover a room each day

If you spend 10 minutes each day cleaning one room, it means that no room gets overlooked or ignored. Obviously heavy traffic rooms such a kitchen and lounge may need more regular hoovering but this certainly makes life easier and more organised.

9. Load the dishwasher every night

Make sure that you load and run the dishwasher or wash up every evening before bed. That way you won’t start the new day with dirty pots and pans and no cup in which to have your first brew.

10. Get a Housekeeper

By far the best solution I think, certainly at the top of my list if I have a lottery win. In the meantime,

That is the law according to the cleaning fairy. Make sure every family member helps and allocate specific responsibility to them all. It is everyone’s job to keep your home clean and fresh. See if it works for you and makes life happier and easier…