I was a professional cleaner for five years - here are the top cleaning tips I swear by

After five years working as a professional cleaner, I realised a lot of us overcomplicate the process.

Most homes don’t need more cleaning products or effort, they need better technique. A few simple changes and a reliable set of go-to products can make cleaning quicker, easier and far less frustrating.

These are the habits I still rely on to make my Sunday reset more effective - and far less daunting.

I was a professional cleaner for five years – here's what I still keep in my cleaning kit

1. Never use boiling water with bleach

One of my biggest cleaning pet peeves is seeing people mix bleach with boiling water. It might seem like the steam would help disinfect surfaces more effectively, but in reality, the opposite is true.

On top of that, the fumes created by hot bleach are not only unpleasant, but harmful to breathe in.

When using bleach to clean, always dilute it according to the manufacturer’s instructions using cool or lukewarm water (often around a 1:50 bleach-to-water ratio).

Open windows where possible, wear gloves and avoid using clothes you don’t mind damaging, as bleach can stain fabrics quickly.

See our expert tips on how to clean your toilet

2. Loosen oven dirt by steaming before scrubbing

If your oven is coated in stubborn grease and burnt-on food, there’s no need to attack it with endless scrubbing. 

Try steaming the grime loose first with lemon and water before going in with a dedicated cleaner.

1. Fill an oven-safe bowl or baking dish about halfway with water. 
2. Cut one or two lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the water, then add the lemon halves to the bowl.
3. Place the bowl on the middle rack of your oven and turn the heat to 120°C for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat it until the water boils, turn the oven off, and leave it closed.
4. Turn off the oven and allow it to cool, but keep the door closed so the lemon-infused steam can circulate and loosen the grease.
5. Once the oven is cool enough to touch but still slightly warm, dip a sponge or cloth into the lemony water and wipe down the interior surfaces. The citric acid helps to degrease, while the steam softens stuck-on food.
6. For tougher stains, dip half a used lemon into bicarbonate of soda and use it as a mild, abrasive scrub to tackle stubborn spots.

After my oven has had its steam bath, I like to use an oven cleaner to lift off the remaining grime. See below for some popular models from our testing, and don't miss our guides on how to clean your oven and how to clean your kitchen appliances for more cleaning tips.

See some of the best oven cleaners from our tests, or if you'd rather kick this task to the curb altogether, see our guide to buying a self-cleaning oven.

3. Clean from top to bottom

Cleaning from top to bottom stops you from creating extra work for yourself.

Dust, crumbs and debris naturally fall downward as you clean, so tackling higher surfaces first means you only need to vacuum or mop once at the end.

I always recommend cleaning in this order:

1. High points and ceilings – dust any crown moulding, light shades or fixtures, and on top of cabinets or wardrobes.
2. Walls and windows – clean any fingerprints or marks off of walls and windows, dust down blinds, take a window vac to your windows to make them shine.
3. Mid-level surfaces and furniture – wipe down kitchen counters and the hob, bathroom sinks and surfaces, and vacuum sofas. 
4. Low-level surfaces and skirting boards – a damp microfibre cloth makes cleaning skirting boards easier, or use an old, damp (but clean) sock on your hand to get into tiny crevices.
5. Floors – by now, you’ve dusted and brushed all the accumulated dirt onto your floors, use a vacuum cleaner and steam cleaner to get them back spotless.

4. Use bicarbonate of soda as a deodoriser

Bicarbonate of soda is one of the cheapest but most useful cleaning products I own. 

Unlike candles or air fresheners, which just mask smells, bicarbonate of soda helps absorb and neutralise odours instead.

I always keep a small open pot in the fridge to tackle lingering food smells and replace it roughly once a month. 

It’s also brilliant sprinkled over carpets, rugs and mattresses before vacuuming to help freshen up fabrics.

Our expert says

Jacob Compton, Which? scientist

'Bicarbonate of soda isn’t just a masking agent - it’s actually a highly effective remedy for chemically neutralising odours at their source.

'Rather than simply covering up smells with fragrance, it acts as a chemical buffer that neutralises and absorbs odour-causing compounds before they disperse into the air. 

This makes it particularly effective against common household odours such as sour milk, food spills, smoke and pet smells.

Here are five reasons your fridge might smell plus how to deal with a smelly kitchen

5. Clean hob extractor filters weekly

Cooker hoods are easily overlooked in the kitchen, despite quietly collecting grease and grime every single day. Over time, dirty filters make your extractor less effective and can leave a sticky residue on nearby surfaces.

Thankfully, most cooker hood filters can be removed and cleaned surprisingly easily. Keeping on top of them regularly helps your extractor work better and keeps your kitchen fresher overall.

In the market for a new hob? See our expert's pick of the best hobs.

6. Use a glass cleaner to get shiny stainless steel

One of the simplest cleaning tricks I still swear by is polishing stainless steel appliances with a dry microfibre cloth and a light spritz of glass cleaner. 

It’s brilliant for lifting fingerprints, water marks and streaks. You can also use a small amount of white vinegar to clean stainless steel, but I find glass cleaner smells a little nicer while you're using it.

That said, glass cleaner shouldn’t replace your main cleaning step, as it won’t disinfect surfaces. I find the best method is to:

1. Clean the surface first with warm water and a small amount of washing-up liquid (after dusting, if necessary).
2. Buff it dry with a microfibre cloth to prevent streaks.
3. Buff once more with a spray of glass cleaner and a clean microfibre cloth.

Like wood, stainless steel actually has a grain to it - you'll get the best shine by buffing the surface with the grain rather than against it.

It’s also important to avoid abrasive scourers, steel wool or harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia-based cleaners, as these can scratch and dull the protective finish over time.

You don't need to spend loads to get a decent glass cleaner - I find the cheap and cheerful option from Elbow Grease works well. Compare prices for this and other popular options below. Please note we have not tested these products.

White vinegar can be a handy tool for getting a polished shine, but there are some things you shouldn't clean with it

7. Squee-gee the shower after every use

If there’s one habit that dramatically cuts down bathroom cleaning time, it’s using a squeegee after every shower. It takes less than a minute, but removing excess water from glass screens, tiles and shower walls helps prevent limescale build-up, water marks, soap scum and mould. 

Keep a squee-gee hanging inside the shower so it becomes part of your routine, and focus especially on glass doors and corners where water tends to collect. You’ll spend far less time deep cleaning your shower later on and your bathroom will stay looking fresher between cleans. 

If you want to make this task even easier, I recommend using a window vac. Compare prices for popular models from our expert testing below.

8. Mop wooden floors with the grain

One of my old managers was adamant about this one: when cleaning wooden floors, the direction you mop really does matter. Always mop with the grain of the wood rather than against it. 

Not only does it help lift dirt more effectively from the tiny grooves in the flooring, but it also leaves a cleaner, more even-looking finish with fewer visible streaks.

Mopping against the grain can also cause more friction, risking scratches appearing on your floor or damaging the finish.

A few other rules I follow when cleaning wooden floors include:

• Vacuum first to remove most of the dried dirt – removing grit and dirt helps prevent scratches when mopping. Check out our vacuum cleaner reviews to find the best models.
  
• Use a lightly damp mop rather than soaking the floor – excessive water is your wooden floor’s worst nightmare as it can cause warping and moisture damage. Open windows to ventilate before mopping to get floors dry again as quickly as possible - and so you don't walk over all your hard work.
• Avoid harsh chemicals or bleach-based cleaners – you can buy cleaning solutions designed specifically for wood flooring, though make sure you always do a spot-test on an inconspicuous area before mopping the whole floor. I like the wood floor cleaner from Method which has a refill option, but you can browse more options and prices below.

Can I steam clean a wooden floor?

It depends. You should only use a steam cleaner hardwood floors provided the floors are sealed and have no gaps, as sudden shifts in temperature and moisture can cause the wood to warp.

Fully sealed wooden floors, however, should be fine being steamed. You can tell if your wood floor is sealed by dabbing a drop of water on the surface in an inconspicuous area, and see if it soaks in or beads on top. If the water droplet beads on top of the wood, your floor is sealed.

If you're not sure, play it safe and stick with the mop. 

Watch out for these five surfaces you shouldn't use a steam cleaner on