Image: Clair Strong Interior Design

Few things feel better than a good old deep clean and declutter in the week before New Year’s Eve. After the chaos of Christmas, it’s cathartic to take a deep breath and purge the house of mess, to update and refresh it ready for a new year. Here’s how I like to tackle this chore:

Start in the Kitchen

My kitchen has worked hard over the festive season, so I show it some love. I start by clearing the cupboards, fridge and freezer of out of date food, old instruction manuals for appliances I no longer own and damaged or surplus kitchenware… And then I give everything a really deep clean; the inside of the cupboards, the fridge and freezer, the oven (inside and out) the sink, floors and tiles – everything gets scrubbed until it gleams. I finish with an open window and a bunch of fresh flowers for a really fresh feel.

Move on to the Bathroom

I like to get the most difficult or unpleasant jobs out of the way first, so the bathroom’s next on my list. I start by decluttering; throwing out old medicines or cosmetics and reorganising the cabinets. Then I get on with the cleaning. I find a steam cleaner can be a really effective way to remove grime from wall and floor tiles and it saves lots of time too.

The house already feels much fresher, and we’re on the home straight!

Declutter Communal Rooms and Bedrooms

Decluttering can be incredibly time-consuming but it’s worth it for the sense of satisfaction alone. Christmas tends to bring a lot of new things into the house, so this is a great time to think about donating, recycling or throwing away old toys, books and clothes.

I’ve mentioned the three-pile principle before but for anyone who is unfamiliar; make three piles, one to throw away, one to donate or sell and one to keep. Go through your belongings one by one and if it hasn’t been used in 6 months it automatically goes into one of the first two piles. Easy!

The Final Clean-Up

Now it’s time to clean the rest of the house. How far you go here is entirely up to you, some people simply dust and vacuum, while others take this opportunity to clean everything, including the windows and the carpets too. I tend to land somewhere in the middle.

The list can be never-ending, but don’t forget things like the skirting boards, curtains, light fittings, radiators and door frames if you do decide to go all out. I recommend making a checklist of jobs and ticking them off as you go. And don’t try to do it all at once! Just an hour or two a day will make the job much more manageable and possibly even enjoyable.