It’s not always easy to find the time to clean and tidy up the house – especially in busy homes with kids. Spring cleaning is a yearly tradition in most households, an often daunting task that can make you shiver with terror and want to run away and hide in a dusty cupboard until the end of time. Fear not, though: here’s a manageable checklist that will get you through the ordeal in less time than you could have ever hoped for.

Get rid of unwanted stuff

Start afresh and get rid of the clutter in your home. Broken or unused toys, hardware, clothes, furniture, and little bits and bobs can usually be recycled, donated or sold. So why not get the whole family together to help and organize a garage sale? A little reward goes a long way in motivating the troops: invite your little ones to give you a hand at the stand, or take the whole family to the cinema with the proceeds from a successful sale.

Dust it

Would you have guessed that even the air inside your house can contain carbon monoxide and second-hand smoke? This is hardly an issue, though, as opening all the windows to let in some fresh air is a rather straightforward remedy.

But hidden threats might be hiding even beneath your feet: dust mites and other invisible little beasties are often present in carpets and mats and can cause allergies when present in high numbers. To keep them away, just dust regularly and place dirt-trapper mats in front of all entrance doors to avoid spreading dirt and dust in your home.

Careful, though, as if you use a lot of cleaning detergent to get rid of bacteria, chances are that chemical components will be flying around the house. Among them, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are the most feared and most commonly found. Likewise, it is recommended to ventilate yet again after a cleanup in order to let the fresh air in and the chemicals out.

Clean ceilings and walls

This is actually an easy task if you happen to have the material at hand: a ladder, a brush, and some soapy water should do the trick. Start by dusting the ceiling with a soft brush to get rid of any cobwebs and then mop with a clean damp cloth.

The same treatment goes for all the walls in your house, but make sure to check they are washable first to avoid any kind of cleaning disaster such as ripping fragile wallpaper.

Spick and span floorings

Before starting to clean the floors thoroughly, you should move all the furniture in a previously cleared and cleaned corner of the house. Depending on the type of flooring in your home, you might need to stock up on some specific products beforehand: apply polish on wooden floorboards, use a steam cleaner for all carpeted areas, and black soap and water to give tiles a bit of shine and you’re set.