Self-proclaimed clean queen Chloe Rowe talks cleaning habits, top tips for a big spring clear out and why it’s okay to be messy
I always clean up after people’s messes. Ever since I was a young girl, maybe about eight or nine, I would get so sick of my older sister’s lack of cleaning habits that I would clean our entire shared bedroom. She had her side, and I had mine. But I couldn’t stand to see her side as messy as it was, so, I would clean it.
I was like a cleaning maid for my 19-year-old sister. I guess she was too busy being a teenager and hanging out with her friends to clean up after herself I suppose. Though I can’t say the same for myself when I was a teenager.
Cleaning has always come easy for me. Maybe it was living with my messy sister that got me to be so strict about it and now everyone is annoyed with me.
I go back home after being at university for so long and the house is all over the place. Realistically, it’s not that bad, but they just don’t clean the house the way I like it.
So I go home, I moan about the mess, and I clean. I clear out drawers and cupboards that have become messy in my absence, I wipe down the sides they always forget, make everywhere look a bit more presentable.
And then I go back to university and my cleaning will be totally useless when no one else in the house keeps on top of it. The drawers will be messy, the sides unwiped and everywhere looking unpresentable.
I want things to look like a show home, minimal things on display, neat and breathable, but I guess homes just aren’t like that, homes have mess, it’s inevitable. And I’m just picky.
But I realised something, and it’s been with me since I was younger too. I may like to say how clean I am and how things need to be neat and tidy, and uniform, but that’s only a façade.
As a kid I would clean mine and my sister's entire room, but if you opened up my wardrobe, you’d be in for an avalanche of toys, clothes, and art supplies.
I would make it look clean on the outside, the floor is spotless, shelves are neat, bed is made, but all the clutter hasn’t been taken care of, just shoved away in hopes that no one notices the real mess behind closed doors.
And maybe this is a reflection of my mind. I am presentable on the outside, but inside it’s hectic, a jumble of thoughts and stress and I’m still like this.
My wardrobe at home contains storage boxes full of DVDs and books I don’t have room for, old clothes and shoes and my broken keyboard I can’t part with. Not much has changed, but I’m going to try.
Spring cleaning is the time to start fresh, clear the house and clear the mind. And maybe I’ll be able to live better and think better. No more mess, inside and out.
CHLOE'S TOP TEN TIPS
1. Start off slow. Don’t do big things at once, because big things can make more mess and that can leave you worse off than when you started. Sometimes starting with the smaller things is best, maybe you start by just picking up bits of rubbish on the floor or hoovering.
2. Make a list. Check it twice too, if it helps. A to-do-list for all the tasks will keep you on top of things and will help you figure out how long everything will take and checking them off makes you feel accomplished too.
3. No need for fancy high-end cleaning products. The cheapest things will do. Cleaning is already tiring enough, no need for it to tire your bank account as well. They all do the same job, especially with some added elbow grease. The necessary products: sponge, antibacterial spray or wipes, bleach, glass/window cleaner, duster, hoover/sweeping brush and a mop.
4. Keep a bin nearby. Finding little bits of rubbish is inevitable when cleaning, keeping a bin handy makes it easier so you’re not running around the house with handfuls of rubbish, only to have to go and do it again when you find more rubbish.
5. Have a place for everything. Even if you end up with a box that collects random things, it’s still going to keep all those random things in one place in the future, so you will end up without random things all over the house.
6. Focus on one room at a time. When doing a thorough house cleaning, doing a little bit in every room all at once will be confusing and might make you forget things. Instead, doing one room at a time will ensure every task will be completed.
7. Motivational music. Using music or videos on in the background while you clean can help keep you focused on a task. And cleaning doesn’t have to be boring, dancing along while you clean will make the whole experience way more fun and endurable and it will be a good workout too.
8. Out with the old. If you come across any items that you don’t need or have never used, selling them online or donating them is a good idea to earn some money or help somebody else out, all while keeping your space clean.
9. Don’t forget easy to miss spots. If you’re going for a real deep clean, don’t forget commonly missed places like blinds/curtains, appliances like the washing machine, dryer and fridge, windows, sofas, even walls and door can get scuffed, so remembering to tackle these things will give your house a real deep spring clean.
10. It’s okay to be messy. Cleaning can be overwhelming, so take every day as it comes, and just do as well as you can. A useful thing to do is to keep a set day as your cleaning day, so it all gets done in one go and feels less overwhelming.
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