Here’s a stripped down list of the most essential cleaning products you should have in the house:

• Rubber/latex gloves – the last thing you want is to dirty your skin or worse, damage it with abrasives. I buy them in bulk and just dispose of them after each use.
• Knee pads – these are great for when you plan on spending a bit of time scrubbing and cleaning the floor. They will keep your knees from going red and aching.
• Medium sized bin – when you move around cleaning up, have a bin close by so you can chuck any dirty cloths and rubbish you may find along the way.
• Sponges – you can never get enough of sponges, they can used for a multitude of tasks and best of all, reusable.

If you’re stuck with no cleaning products and wondering what you can you do with your baking soda, then look no further! Here are some great uses for your surplus baking soda which you can try out.

• Sprinkle a damp cloth with some baking soda to get rid of dirt and grease. The baking soda will cut straight through the grease leaving surfaces clean and shiny – perfect.
• Smelly carpets? No problem. Just mix half part corn starch and half part baking soda and sprinkle this mixture over your carpets and leave overnight. Vacuum the next day and you will notice all the smells will have gone!
• Cleaning sinks – mix one part vinegar, one part water and half part baking soda to clean you sink out with. The result is a shiny, clean and fresh smelling sink which will also freshen the drains as it washes away
• The smell of smoke can be a nightmare around the house. Sprinkling some baking soda in the ashtrays will help neutralise the smells and is also a great for putting out cigarettes, similar to sand.

White distilled vinegar is an amazing multipurpose liquid used mainly for household cleaning and is favoured due to it being much gentler and more environmentally friendly when compared to harsh chemical substance alternatives. Due to its high level of acidity, it is very effective in cleaning up most germs, moulds and bacteria.

If you want to shine up your chrome taps and metalware that have a build up of limescale, mix one part white distilled vinegar with two parts salt to form a paste. Clean the microwave by bringing to the boil a mixture of half water and half white distilled vinegar. Food will be loosened and smalls will evaporate.

Having a cluttered working space can really distract your mind from work and you can find it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. Not only does the mess in the drawers, clothing stuffed here and there and stationery all over the table clutter up your free space, it also clutters up your mind.

Cleaning up and organising your workspace can greatly benefit you, helping to clear your mind of junk and think clearer. Having a clean and tidy workspace will relieve you of stress naturally, you will become more productive and generally happier all round. Get started by archiving old papers and getting a stationery draw to put all your bits and bobs in.