The art of decluttering part 3: Living spaces

Deep Clean

Surfaces 

Start at the door and work around clockwise. Clear all your surfaces, dusting off any ornaments or objects as you go. Damp dusting is ideal if there’s a lot of dust, otherwise, a quick going-over with a decent duster will do the trick. Follow up with a spray of polish and a quick buff up with a dry microfibre cloth.

We recommend:

Minky M Cloth hi-tech duster for damp dusting or the Pledge Fluffy Duster to collect small amounts of dust.

Mr Sheen multi-surface polish leaves behind a smooth, dust-free surface and a smell that will remind you of your childhood.

Sofas and chairs 

Remove all cushions (if possible) and give the whole thing a good hoover to get rid of crumbs and hairs. A lint roller or hair collector is ideal for fabric sofas, while leather wipes are great for leather sofas. Remove and wash cushion covers and throws before reassembling.

We recommend:

Fur Magic Hair Remover Lint Brush is perfect for both pet and human hair and helps remove dust and fluff from fabric sofas.

For leather sofas, try Duzzit Leather Cleaning Wipes to give your sofas a lift.

Finish off with a liberal spray of Febreze on all fabrics to leave them smelling fresh.

TV cabinets – remove or lift all DVD players, TIVO boxes and gadgets and get the duster into all the nooks and crannies. If possible, pull the cabinet away from the wall, straighten out any tangled cables, hoover underneath them and give them a good clean.

For the TV itself, it’s important not to use any products on the screen to avoid blemishes. Use a slightly damp microfibre cloth to wipe the screen over before dusting the rest of the unit.

We recommend:

Pledge Fluffy Duster for removing dust from the whole area – it’s slimline and has an extendable head for getting to hard-to-reach areas.

Shelving units 

Remove all ornaments and objects before dusting and polishing the whole area.

We recommend:

Minky M Cloth hi-tech duster for damp dusting or the Pledge Fluffy Duster to collect small amounts of dust.

Toy storage 

Empty out the contents of your toy storage and get in there with the hoover, duster or damp cloth to remove stains and marks. Dry off with a microfibre cloth before replacing the decluttered toys.

We recommend:

The Pink Stuff Cream Cleaner for stubborn marks and stains – apply with a damp cloth and wipe clean

Rugs/carpets/flooring 

Always underfoot, the flooring areas of our living rooms get so much use and can become grubby without us realising it. Regular hoovering will help keep them clean, but spot cleaning might be necessary to get rid of small marks on carpets and rugs.

If you have deep pile rugs, hoovering the top surface alone can leave dust and dirt trapped in the pile. Lift the rug regularly and give it a good shake. Hoover the floor beneath the rug before placing it face down. Hoover the underside of the rug, lift it again and hoover the floor – it’s amazing what comes out during this step. Replace the rug the right way up and give it one last hoover – it should look fluffed up and fresh again.

Hoover or sweep hard flooring before mopping with a disinfectant.

We recommend:

Dr Beckmann’s Carpet Stain Remover for spot cleaning your rugs and carpets.

1001 Carpet Fresh leaves your carpets and rugs smelling gorgeous after a good hoovering.

For hard floors, the Flash Powermop is great for cleaning and disinfecting.

Next week we’ll finish off our series with the high traffic areas of your home.