The idea of spotlessly clean home sounds like an impossible task, but with a little effort and planning, it’s actually quite easy to achieve and maintain.

Divide chores up into daily, weekly, monthly and even seasonal tasks and you’ll soon find you’ve got a system that not only works but also takes up a minimal amount of time.

Kitchen: Wipe down tables, work surfaces, fridge front and oven on a daily basis. Clean up spills and crumbs immediately. Load/unload the dishwasher or wash-up and put away, empty bins, then give the floor a quick sweep.

Once a week, give all the surfaces and small appliances a quick clean. Wash out bins and vacuum and mop the floor.

Every month, wash the cooker hood with a de-greasing agent and clean or replace filters if necessary. Give the fridge a good clean inside, wiping up any spills and getting rid of anything past it’s Use By date.

Start every season with a blitz, cleaning underneath the oven and fridge, remembering to vacuum the coils on the back. Also clean out the freezer compartment and clean the oven.

Bathrooms: Put things away after use and give the sink or bath a quick wipe round. Wipe over shower screens or glass after use and they won’t go streaky.

Clean mirrors and bright work once a week, along with the toilet and bath. Sweep and vacuum on the same basis.

Go through the bathroom cabinet once a month, getting rid of empty containers and disposing of any expired medicines.

Clean shower curtains and vents once every season.

Bedrooms:

Make beds, fluff up the pillows, straighten up dresser and bedside tables every morning.

Wash and change sheets and air the duvet once a week, dusting tops and wiping down windowsills.

Once a month, give the duvet cover a wash; flip the mattress, clean mirrors, dust shelves and vacuum inside the wardrobe.

As the seasons change, rearrange your clothing to suit and take the opportunity to clean out cupboards and drawers at the same time. Now is also a good time to clean the curtains.

Living rooms: Make a daily habit of tidying up magazines and newspapers and straightening cushions or throws. Pick up any loose dirt or fluff.

Dust off hi-fis, TVs and any electrical equipment once a week. Rotate the cushions around to even wear.

Vacuum upholstery and clean out fireplaces every month.

Steam cleaning or shampooing carpets is something you can do every season, when you wash the curtains.

Around the house: Do a general tidy up and recycle any old boxes, packets or bottles every day. Be sure to shred confidential papers and correspondence before discarding.

Vacuum carpets, stairs and hard floors once a week to keep them looking pristine.

Dust and wipe down windowsills, doors, light switches and fingerplates once a month. Don’t forget to give houseplants a dust too.

Use the change of seasons to give everything an extra spruce up. Wax and polish wood, wipe down the tops of doors and frames. Check batteries in smoke detectors and replace if necessary.

Carpets: A good carpet should last you 10–15 years if it’s well looked after. Plan for high traffic areas, perhaps adding rugs to ease wear on older carpets.

Use cups or gliders under you furniture to avoid making marks on the carpets and move furniture slightly on a regular basis. To get rid of any dents, simply fluff up the pile with your fingers, dampen with water and dry with a hair dryer.

For stubborn marks, deal with them as they happen and use stain-specific removers.

New carpets shed fluff and pile for a while. This is quite normal and should simply be vacuumed up.

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