The art of decluttering part 4: High traffic areas

Deep clean

Coat and shoe storage

Empty the storage as a starting point then get into all the nooks and crannies with the crevice tool on your hoover. Once you’ve removed all the loose debris, tackle any marks and scuffs with cream cleaner and a soft cloth. For more general cleaning, try a fresh-smelling disinfectant spray.

We recommend:

Cif cream cleaner and a Scrub Mommy for stubborn marks and scuffs and one of the Fabulosa disinfectant spray with a clean microfibre cloth.

Mats, rugs and carpets

Tackle floor furniture with the hoover as regularly as possible. For marks and stains, use a spot cleaner then spray them with a carpet freshener.

We recommend:

Dr Beckmann’s carpet stain remover for stubborn spot cleaning. Hoover rugs and carpets thoroughly and spray with 1001 carpet fresh to leave them smelling gorgeous with no need to hoover afterwards.

Small rugs and mats which can be washed in the washing machine might benefit from a quick cycle to freshen them up.

Hard flooring 

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.

Bannisters 

Hoover and dust the stairs and bannister areas to get rid of any dust and hairs that might collect there. Bannisters, in particular, see a lot of hand traffic on a daily basis, so regular disinfection is important.

We recommend:

Diluted Zoflora (scent of your choice) on a microfibre cloth to clean and disinfect your bannisters.

Door frames and doors 

Doors and their surrounds can collect a great deal of dust and dirt over time. Grab the hose of the hoover and give every door frame a good clean, paying particular attention to the top of the door frame. Likewise, any indentations in your door can easily attract dust to settle.

Once hoovered, wipe over with a damp cloth to get rid of any remaining dust.

We recommend:

Pledge Fluffy Duster is an ideal tool for removing small amounts of dust from doors and frames. Once dusted, use diluted Zoflora with a microfibre cloth to clean the woodwork. Stubborn marks and scuffs should be tackled with The Pink Stuff Cream Cleaner – apply with a damp cloth and wipe clean.

Skirting boards

Often neglected in the cleaning process, most skirting boards trap dirt and dust. Hoover them with the crevice tool before wiping them over with a damp cloth. More stubborn marks and scuffs might need more attention.

We recommend:

Elbow Grease cream cleaner for marks and scuffs.

Windows and windowsills 

Dust traps and fingerprint hoarders, windows and windowsills need regular attention to avoid them looking grubby.

We recommend:

Astonish window and glass cleaner spray with a Minky M cloth glass and window is a dream team for windows and mirrors.

Try Flash Natural French Soap spray to clean windowsills.

Light shades and light fittings 

So easy to forget about, light shades and light fittings collect dust and dirt if left uncleaned.

We recommend:

A degreasing spray such as Elbow Grease is ideal to cut through thick grime. Always spray your cloth rather than the light fitting to avoid the danger of electrocution.

Lenor tumble dryer sheets are perfect for dusting light shades and lightly dusty light fittings – strange but true!