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Fresh New Year January is a great time to catch up on all those household chores and get going with an early ‘spring’ clean. Make it more enjoyable and planet-friendly by choosing goodlooking tools and eco-conscious supplies. This coconut fibre scourer has a bamboo handle, both of which are plant-based and biodegradable; the stainlesssteel wire is easily recyclable. Bambaw reusable bamboo dish brush, £6, beaumonde. co.uk.
Good-looking storage makes organisation more enjoyable. Matt black steel and bamboo caddy, £10; all-purpose hob cleaner, £3; bamboo and plastic scrubbing brush, £2; bamboo round dish brush, £2; all dunelm.com.
Make light work of house cleaning • If you can’t bear the thought of tackling all the cleaning at once, divide it into manageable tasks, and devote perhaps an hour a week – or else tackle one room at a time, maybe over a weekend.
Generously sized and made from pure cotton, this gingham apron features a pair of handy patch pockets. Auberge apron in Wedgwood blue, £16.99, waltonshop.co.uk. Take the effort out of everyday cleaning. Long-handle dustpan and brush, £25, gardentrading.co.uk.
The sustainable way to clean dirty dishes. Simply compost when finished with them. Natural latex rubber gloves, £3, zerozen.co.uk.
• Be prepared. Have a thorough clear-out and tidy, change into old clothes and rubber gloves, and gather the necessary equipment and products. This is where a sturdy caddy, a tool belt, or an apron with plenty of large pockets becomes invaluable – keeping everything with you as you go will save lots of time. • As you work, try to be organised, whether it’s one room at a time or one task at a time. The chores will generally divide into five main areas: vacuuming, dusting, mopping/scrubbing, washing and wiping, and polishing, so bear this in mind when planning, so as not to miss anything out. • Don’t forget specific tasks such as turning mattresses, spot-cleaning upholstery, deepcleaning the oven, defrosting the freezer, descaling the shower head and steam cleaning carpets. • Work from the top of a room to the bottom (in other words, dust the pendant light before polishing the table beneath it). Prioritise the hardest-to-clean item in the room to do early on – then the rest of the room will be a breeze.
