Cleaning routines that actually work

A clean home is less about one huge weekend scrub and more about small habits done often. Learn what needs doing daily and weekly, and how to use cleaning products without putting your lungs at risk.

Cleaning versus disinfecting

• Cleaning means removing dirt and most germs with soap or detergent, water and scrubbing. The CDC says cleaning alone removes most harmful viruses and bacteria.
• Disinfecting means using a stronger product, such as a bleach solution or a labelled disinfectant, to kill most remaining germs. Always clean first, because dirt can stop a disinfectant reaching the germs.
• The CDC says regular cleaning is usually enough. Disinfect when someone at home is ill or has a weakened immune system.
• High-touch surfaces need the most frequent attention: door handles, light switches, worktops, phones, keyboards and remote controls.

A simple daily routine (10 to 15 minutes)

• Wash up or load the dishwasher after each meal so dishes never pile up overnight.
• Wipe kitchen worktops and the hob with hot soapy water after cooking.
• Do a 5 minute reset of your room: clothes in the laundry basket or back on hangers, cups back to the kitchen, desk cleared.
• Empty small bins before they overflow, especially kitchen food waste in hot weather.
• After a shower, open a window or run the extractor fan and squeegee or wipe wet surfaces.

A weekly routine

• Change and wash bed sheets and towels.
• Clean the bathroom: toilet (inside and out), sink, taps, shower and mirror. Work from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest so you do not spread germs.
• Vacuum or sweep floors, then mop hard floors.
• Dust surfaces from top to bottom (shelves first, floor last) so dust falls onto areas you have not cleaned yet.
• Wipe high-touch surfaces and clear out out-of-date food from the fridge before the weekly shop.

Using products safely

• Read the label before you use any product and follow its instructions, including dilution and how long the surface must stay wet (the 'contact time').
• Ventilate: open windows or doors or run a fan while you clean and afterwards. Wear rubber gloves, and goggles if a product could splash.
• Keep products in their original containers so nobody mistakes them for a drink, and store them out of reach of children.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after using disinfectants.
• Some cleaning products can trigger asthma, so if you have asthma, choose milder products and ventilate well.

The one rule you must never break: do not mix products

• Bleach plus ammonia (found in household ammonia, some glass cleaners, and urine) makes chloramine gas.
• Bleach plus an acid (such as vinegar or some bathroom and toilet cleaners) makes chlorine gas.
• Health Canada says it is never safe to combine bleach with any other cleaning product. Use one product, rinse, then use another if you really need to.
• Low exposure causes burning eyes, coughing and irritation; high exposure can seriously damage the lungs and can be fatal.
• If you accidentally mix products: leave the room, get into fresh air, and air the space out. If someone has trouble breathing, collapses or is getting worse, call 998 for an ambulance in the UAE (999 in the UK). Take the product label with you.
• If someone swallows a cleaning product, do not make them sick and do not give them anything to eat or drink. Get medical help straight away and show staff the packaging.

Damp and mould in hot, humid places

• Condensation from showers, cooking and drying laundry indoors is one of the most common causes of mould. Humid coastal air and air-conditioned rooms with cold surfaces can add to it.
• Use extractor fans, put lids on pans, close the bathroom door while showering and open windows when you can.
• Leave a small gap between furniture and outside walls so air can circulate.
• Small patches can be wiped off with a mould cleaner while wearing gloves. Large or returning mould is a building problem, so tell your parents or landlord.