There's no way around it: Everyone needs to clean, and now that it's spring, a deep clean or purge might be much-needed. If it sounds exhaustive, but you can't bring yourself to pay someone to do it, rest easy, because we have the time and cost-saving tips that you need.
Sort your cleaning kit
There's not much to invest in other than a mop, vacuum cleaner, and microfibre cloth such as the Norwex EnviroCloth ($34), which can be used to polish, dust, and scrub.
If money isn't on your side, the internet suggests pantyhose also work, because that's the same stuff that microfibre cloths are made out of. A two-pack is $8 at The Warehouse and you can rewash them.
Wrap them tightly over a broom handle, spray with vinegar, and then move into tight spaces like under the stove and fridge, and above cupboards.
Other than vinegar, all you need to add to your cleaning shopping list is antibacterial dishwashing liquid, baking soda, lemons, bleach, oven cleaner and mayonnaise (more about that later).
Cleaners we spoke to said expensive cleaning products aren't needed, nor are they always the best.
Bay of Plenty's Aisling Fahey of Fahey Cleaning Services makes her own natural cleaning spray by mixing three parts water with one part distilled white vinegar, with the peels of two lemons or oranges, and leaves it to soak for a fortnight.
"Strain it, and use the liquid in a spray bottle. I mostly use it in the kitchen," she says.
"If you're cleaning your kitchen regularly you don't need harsh chemicals, because there won't be a lot of build-up of grease," she explains, adding that you can also drop half a lemon down your kitchen Insinkerator to eliminate smells.
Papamoa mum Taryn Bellman says apart from an antibacterial spray for high-touch areas, she uses dishwashing liquid for "everything", adding hot water for stubborn cleaning, and glass.
"It saves money and time from gathering a multitude of products."
When it comes to cleaning appliances, a pricey Bissel spot cleaner, Karcher window cleaner or Dyson vacuum aren't needed, say the professionals.
For example, if you have animal fur all over your carpet or rug, "chuck a pair of shoes on and moonwalk across your carpet," reckons cleaning guru Nikesha Bromley of Nikesha's Home Cleaning Services.
"It brings up all of the furs and then you just vacuum it up," she says, adding the best vacuum cleaner she's found is the 2000w bagless vacuum from Kmart ($52). That, in her opinion, works better than a Dyson.
Bathroom
To get the toilet clean, Laila Jeffries, of KleenIt by Laila, suggests sprinkling baking soda all over the toilet bowl and adding Janola.
"When they combine, it lifts the yellow underneath the bowl."
What's more, dish liquid, a non-scratch scourer and squeegee will get your shower doors sparkling, says Jeffries. Fahey says a squeegee should be used after every shower, including the shower ceiling, to eliminate water stains and mould.
Windows
Use either streak-free window cleaner or a bucket of hot soapy water, a soft brush, and a hose.
"Then use paper towels," explains Bromley, or if you can't get streaks off, use newspaper.
Lounge, kitchen and dining
To clean your skirting boards, walls and ceilings for fly poo, cobwebs and mould, use hot water, dishwashing liquid or sugar soap, and a mop.
Rotorua reader Amanda Stevens Hathaway has also found fragrance-free Baby Wipes from The Warehouse ($1.50) work well on fly poo.
When it comes to dirty floors, Fahey advises keeping a doormat outside and inside your door to trap "double the dirt", and vacuum both sides.
For wooden floors, Jeffries uses a cap of Rug Doctor in hot water inside a spray bottle.
"Go over it with a mop. It brings out a good shine."
To remove crayons, felt and vivid marks on walls, she uses mayonnaise (any brand) and a cloth. It's a trick that she saw on TikTok two years ago.
"I use it all the time now. I was like 'that cannot work', but it actually works."
Equally unusual is that she uses lemon juice to clean the microwave.
She squeezes juice all over the inside, wipes, turns it on for 30 seconds, and wipes again.
For the range hood, she advises soaking it in hot water with dish soap and baking soda for 10-15 minutes and it'll break down oil residue.
And when it comes to the dreaded oven clean, she rates Mr Muscle Odourless Oven cleaner ($6.39), while Bromley's top-rated oven cleaner is The Warehouse's Maxcare Spray Oven Cleaner ($3.50).
Clean your oven once a month to keep on top of it, experts say.
Don't do what a recent client did and leave it for six years. It took several hours of scrubbing, and three cans of oven cleaner, and it still wasn't able to be returned to pristine condition.
Bedrooms
When you get out of bed in the morning, pull your blankets back and walk away.
"You should let it breathe," Fahey advises.
"Then remake it in the evening. And I put the pillows on the window sill in the sun."
Make a list and all dig in
If you don't want to do one big spring clean, each week tackle a different area and ensure the whole family chip in.
"When my kids were young I used to give them a duster, or wet Chux cloth and got them to clean the walls and the doors and they loved it," Fahey says.
Bromley suggests locking yourself in one room at a time and don't leave until it's done.
"If your phone is distracting you, put it on aeroplane mode, and chuck your headphones in," she says.
Mum of three Ashleigh Mason says if that's too much, clean during television ad breaks.
She works afternoon and evening shifts as a meat inspector and is "sluggish" in the mornings, so she potters during the ad break for the quiz show Tipping Point on TVNZ 1.
"First ad, hang out the washing. In the second ad, wash the dishes. The third ad is a vacuum. You'd be surprised how much you get done by the end of the show."
What's more, she puts her washing machine and dishwasher on a delayed timer when she gets home from work at 2am, saying power is cheaper in off-hours.
Call in the big guns
If all else fails, you can, of course, pay someone.
Cleaners charge between $30 and $50 an hour, plus GST, and Fahey, who works alongside her husband Steve, suggests you make a list for your cleaner and they'll go through it.
"We do work very fast. I have been told that we're like a tornado coming into the house, but a good tornado."
Reader tips
A robot vacuum is your friend. I also set a timer for 15 minutes - being focused helps to power through more, and I keep a bag handy for things to donate.
- Stephanie
Fill a Scotch-Brite heavy-duty dish wand with Jif to clean the bath and shower. Plus, lemon essential oil removes sticky residue and vivid.
- Erin
Add baking soda to a sink full of dishes with mild detergent for general cleaning. For stained or baked-on items, sprinkle liberally with baking soda, soak with water, and scrub. You can also create a paste with baking soda and vinegar, or lime or lemon juice.
- Sarah
Use white vinegar instead of rinse aid in the dishwasher, and you'll have no nasty chemical residue or taste on glasses.
- Joanne
Drop a couple of denture tabs into your toilet before you go to bed, and clean in the morning. Use a couple of whitening denture tabs to soak your whites in before washing.
- Trichelle
With three girls in our house, sweeping the carpet first means I spend less time unclogging my vacuum of hair.
- Kate
Use a toothbrush to get into hard-to-reach places; chuck ice cubes down a waste master to clean, sharpen and dislodge food from blades. Put a dry hand towel in the dryer with wet clothes - dries them faster; store bedding inside a pillowcase - it's easier to find.
- Lana
Just before you put your socks in the wash, zoom around with your big toe on the top of the skirting boards. Easy duster without having to bend down.
- Laura