Woman holding cleaning basket full of sponges, brushes and cleaning sprays

Photo: Anna / Adobe

Boss the housework with this annual cleaning calendar

14 January 2023

Fed up with the chores and no longer motivated by Mrs Hinch’s ingenious cleaning hacks? You’re not alone! This annual cleaning calendar is just the thing for those in a cleaning rut. It breaks up the tasks into months so you know which jobs to focus on at particular times of the year.

A new year is the perfect time to get a new routine in place, especially since more than a quarter of Brits claim that cleaning their homes is a go-to way to relieve stress, according to a recent study from Dr Beckmann. The household cleaning experts also discovered that nine out of 10 Brits claim having an untidy or dirty home has a negative impact on their mood.

So, get your home straight and boost your mood at the same time with this easy-to-follow annual cleaning calendar…

January: Declutter and de-stress

January is the perfect time to declutter! Not only will it make cleaning easier, by clearing unnecessary clutter, decluttering is also good for your overall wellbeing.

‘Household clutter is a mirror that reflects the clutter inside your mind and heart,’ says the world’s most famous tidier upper, Marie Kondo. ‘When you successfully finish tidying, your mind also becomes more clear – enhancing your self image and welcoming more positivity in your life.’

Start by preparing a checklist of rooms and spaces to declutter. And start small – tackle a draw or your wardrobe, rather than a whole room in one go, as it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you have quite a lot of clutter to clear! For more decluttering tips, head for the new Spring Clean Stage at Ideal Home Show.

February: Revamp your laundry system

It’s easy to let your laundry pile overwhelm you, especially in a busy family household but now is the time to get on top of it! Get a system in place for sorting colours and fabrics, and ensure kids have a laundry basket they can use so that no rogue socks get missed. While it’s probably still too early for the washing line to get regular use, you can use a tumble dryer or clothes airer to get everything dry.

Ikea BRANÄS laundry baskets

March: Spring cleaning

March is the season for spring cleaning, so a deep clean will certainly be due. This is the time to get to places you wouldn’t normally clean, like the tops of the kitchen cupboards, under the sofa, ‘the big cupboard’, bathroom cabinets, behind the TV… the works. Make sure you remove any hidden dust and cobwebs, and then fling those windows open to let the fresh spring air flow freely throughout your home.

April: Neglected areas

In theory, you should get into all those nooks and crannies during the big spring clean, but there will always be bits that get missed. Make a checklist of the bits you didn’t get around to when spring cleaning, and make sure to tackle them in April. Things we tend to miss – or don’t have the energy to tackle when spring cleaning – include lampshades, blinds, curtains, shelves, frames, bannisters and skirting boards. Curtains and blinds are crucial as dust mites can form there, and not cleaning them correctly can cause health risks as bacteria and mould can attach and build.

Photo: Hillarys

May: Windows

With the brighter mornings and lighter evenings, May is the month to tackle your windows. Now the sunlight will show up even the smallest of smudges, so make sure the glass is regularly wiped. The longer it’s left the harder the windows will be to clean and then you may have to enlist the help of a professional. Vacuum up any loose dust and dirt first, then tackle with a solution of warm water, washing up liquid and a dash of vinegar to cut through any soapy residue. Use one cloth to clean and another to polish and dry. While you’re outside, you may wish to give any uncovered garden furniture a wipe down too.

June: Invisible areas

Prepping for summer hosting often requires moving the furniture around, so June is the perfect time to clean underneath those larger furniture items. Get a friend or family member to help you move larger furniture items, and clean, dust or hoover underneath them. Getting behind, under and around these items will ensure every part of your home is spic-and-span for guests – and will help keep the dust bunnies at bay.

July: Tackle the outdoors

Create an alfresco entertaining space fit for casual drop-ins and summer parties. Tidy the garage, clear any gutters and drains, add flowerbeds to the garden and give your outdoor furniture the onceover. This will all make a big difference to the aesthetics and is even more important if you’re planning barbecues and garden parties.

Rattan garden furniture set from B&Q

August: Bathroom deep clean

August is the time to show a bit of love to your loo! Of course, we all clean our bathrooms regularly, but a deep clean requires a little extra effort. Get into the corners, tackle any mould, scrub the limescale off taps, clean around and behind the loo, and give the shower screen a good going over to remove any water deposits. Tackle everything off any shelving units and dust thoroughly. Make sure windows, mirrors and floors are all clean.

September: Detox

Now that the kids are back to school and the mayhem of summer entertaining is over, it’s time to do an autumn cleanse and detox. Make sure your kitchen is thoroughly cleaned, and if you have a porch area for coats and shoes, use this time to organise this and get it smelling fresh. It’s also a good time to give your garden another dose of TLC before it goes into hibernation until next summer.

October: Floors

The perfect time to deep clean your carpets, especially if you have pets and/or young children as hair and dirt will often get trodden deeper into the carpets. Keep cleaning materials handy on 31 October so that any face-paint marks, sticky sweets or other accidents from Halloween parties can be dealt with quickly and effectively.

Gold-yellow carpet in a living room with dark teal walls and grey accent chair

Stainfree Caress carpet in Old Gold from Abingdon Flooring

November: Storage

This is your chance to clear your loft, basement or messy spare room ahead of the Christmas period. This will help you to feel more organised when you do get the decorations up, as you’ll already know the decorations you have, which lights you need to replace, and how much room you have to store any new purchases (and presents!).

December: Appliances

December is always a crazy time of year with all the Christmas fun and frolics. So, rather than give yourself a long list of jobs you’ll never achieve, prioritise the main ones. Kitchen surfaces need a regular going over, and it’s a good idea to deep clean the fridge-freezer, washing machine, dishwasher and oven ready for hosting duties.

The E Black built-in electric single oven, B&Q