A Fresh New Year

By Katherine Sorrell

A Fresh New Year

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.

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 good-looking tools and eco-conscious supplies.

This coconut fibre scourer has a bamboo handle, both of which are plant-based and biodegradable; the stainless-steel wire is easily recyclable. Bambaw reusable bamboo dish brush, £6, Beaumonde.

This lemon-scented washingup soap bar is 100% natural, biodegradable, plastic-free and contains no palm oil. Dish-washing soap bar in lemon, £7.99, Suusco. Make light work of dusting without the need for toxic chemicals. Living Nostalgia genuine natural ostrich feather duster, Kitchen Craft.

The sustainable way to clean dirty dishes. Simply compost when finished with them. Natural latex rubber gloves, £3, Zero Zen Store.

This eco-friendly cleaner works on a range of high-gloss surfaces, and comes in a reusable aluminium bottle along with a microfibre cloth. Glass cleaner starter pack, £6.99, Wearth London. Generously sized and made from pure cotton, this gingham apron features a pair of handy patch pockets. Auberge apron in Wedgwood blue, £16.99, Walton & Co.

Take the effort out of everyday cleaning. Longhandle dustpan and brush, £25, Garden Trading.

These heavy-knitted cloths can be used, washed, and used again. Bleached stockinette dishcloth, £1.79, Walton & Co. • 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. • 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, spotcleaning 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.

STOCKISTS

Beaumonde: 01202 707 770; beaumonde.co.uk Dunelm: 0845 165 6565; dunelm.com Garden Trading: 01993 845 559; gardentrading.co.uk Kitchen Craft: 0121 604 6000; kitchencraft.co.uk Suusco: suusco.com Walton & Co: 01423 326 332; waltonshop.co.uk Wearth London: wearthlondon.com Zero Zen Store: 01737 550 844; zerozen.co.uk