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A Cleaner’s Guide to Better Housekeeping — The Kitchen and Bathroom

If there’s two places in your house that require the most cleaning and maintenance, it would likely be the kitchen and the bathroom. In this article, our cleaners provide their top tips on how to keep these areas looking their best.

How to clean shower screens

If you live in a hard water area, it’s likely that your shower screen has significant water marks from usage. For an initial deep clean, you will need Viakal, a non-scratch washing up sponge with a green scouring pad, a firm bristled toothbrush, glass cleaner and for maintenance, a daily shower spray. Take the rubber seal off the bottom of the shower screen and soak both the screen and the seal in Viakal, front and back, and leave for 30-45 minutes.

Then, using the green side of the washing up sponge, scrub the glass clean. You can use the toothbrush to scrub hard to reach areas and to remove any build up from the rubber seal. Once both have been scrubbed, use your shower head to rinse them down and dry with a soft clean cloth. Refit the rubber seal onto the screen and polish the glass with glass cleaner.

To maintain a clear shower screen, use a daily shower spray. After each shower, use your squeegee to remove any excess water, then spray a fine mist over the screen with the daily shower spray and it will do the rest for you without the need to scrub.

How to clean hard flooring

When it comes to hardwood and laminate flooring, if you do not have a steam mop, streaking can be quite frustrating. The best way to combat this is to use wood floor polish, and a flat head mop. After mopping your floors with a regular floor cleaner and letting them dry, use a small splash of polish to buff out the streaks.

How to clean hob vent filters

The majority of hood vents will have a button or clip that you can use to remove the filter and guard. There are two standard filters and guards; one will have a paper filter that needs removing when it gets too dirty, and the other is a metal guard with built-in mesh filters. For both types, it is best to soak them in a degreaser spray. Our personal favourite is the Cillit Bang Kitchen Degreaser, and you can leave it on for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After soaking, you can use a metal scourer to gently scrub in circular motions whilst running under warm water.

Extra tip: Use a toothbrush to get into the holes and corners of the mesh for a spotless finish.

How to remove mould and damp

For basement and seafront properties, mould and damp are difficult things to tackle but with a few simple steps you can make it much easier. First of all, we recommend purchasing a dehumidifier: dehumidifiers draw all of the damp out of the air and all you need to do is empty the tank when it becomes full.

If you have damp where you store your clothes, another thing you can do to protect your items is to use vacuum sealable bags for anything you don’t use regularly; not only does this help protect your clothes but it also creates more space.

How to clean window frames

When cleaning your windows, most will just wipe the glass and move on. As a cleaner, the frame is equally important to maintain as a clean frame will brighten up a room even more! For all window frames we like to use a toothbrush and mould remover spray, as windows can build up mould and mildew quickly.

Spray the whole frame with mould remover, and run a toothbrush along every edge to loosen any build-up. Then take a damp cloth over the edges to remove all of the debris. Once this has been done, go in and clean the glass. It’s best to clean the window after the frames as you can make sure all of the dirt has been removed.

Extra Tip: For painted window frames – the paint will tend to chip and flake after some years, so make sure you keep a small pot of paint to top up every now and then as this will allow for easier cleaning.