Residential cleaning tips for a healthier home

A professional clean sets the standard. What happens in the days after decides how long that standard lasts, especially in a city where windows stay shut and damp air hangs around.

Start with the rooms that collect the most: the kitchen bench after cooking, the bathroom after showers, and the floor at the front door. Ten minutes there beats an hour trying to recover a whole house on Sunday.

Ventilate when the weather allows. Moisture is what makes bathrooms and laundries feel unclean even after they have been wiped. A window cracked, or an extractor actually switched on, does more than another spray bottle.

If you are on a fortnightly or monthly plan, keep a short list of the extras that matter to you — the oven, the inside of the fridge, the kids' bathroom — and tell us before the visit. A clean goes further when the brief is specific.