Everyone loves a clean home. And why not? Practically every single TV show and movie known to man has at least one well-kept home that you’d die to live in. Not every house is a Hollywood location though and the duty of keeping it spotless isn’t just daunting, it can be downright scary.

Though it can be daunting, there are thankfully a few secret cleaning tips to follow so you don’t end up forever being intimidated by the clutter. First off, make sure that you’ve got your things sorted out. A common mistake is organizing and cleaning at the same time. Although it may seem more effective to just move those odd bits of furniture around as you dust them, or stop your sweeping to restack those DVDs, it leaves you tired and out of breathe right in the middle of your work. Organize the room that you plan to clean before you whip out that broom and start sweeping yourself into a dust cloud. Even if it can be the most demanding part of the job, it gives you a lot more space to work with and makes the actual cleaning a lot easier. Also, you manage to clear out even the usually ignored places like the back of bookshelves and under the couch.

The next of my cleaning tips would be to pick something comfy to wear. Nothing that you’d want to get stains on, of course. Cleaning is serious business and you have to dress the part. The sooner that you realize you’re in for a good workout, the more ready you are to face it head on. An old t-shirt and pants normally do well. Just don’t think of putting on those jeans as they’ll eventually feel tight and restricting once you break a sweat.

One of the best cleaning tips I know is to make sure that all your cleaning products are in one place. This prevents you from wasting time trying to find them later on when you’re down to polishing wooden floorboards. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer to use a “tote-all” or a bucket to hold everything. What’s important is that you’re comfortable, because you’ll be using it to carry all those cleaning supplies around.

Some essential cleaning supplies to consider keeping close while working are:

• Window cleaner
• Furniture polish
• Cleaning cloths
• Carpet cleaner
• Air freshener – for that pristine finishing touch.
• Garbage bags – it’ll save you a couple of trips to the trash bin every time your dust pan is full.

Remember to pick out the right cleaning supplies for the job. This not only saves time, but money. Remember that there’s no sense scrimping if it still leaves traces of a stain.

Now, the last thing you’d want is for those dust bunnies on your ceiling fans to mess everything up again after you’ve swept , dusted and mopped so once you’re done getting things arranged, clean from the top of the room down to the bottom. At least then, by the time you get to clearing all that dirt away, they’re all in one place. Another thing to keep in mind is pacing. Focus on one room at a time. This way, in case you get tired, you’ll have somewhere to retreat to. It’s also more efficient since you don’t have to tidy it all up at once.

Finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. If at the end of the day you still don’t have a house worth filming in it’s not that big of a deal. After all, unlike a set, your house is a home. That means it’s lived and not just for display. A realistic well-kept house is also a practical one. With these cleaning tips hopefully you’ll have less clutter, making it easier to move around and a lot more comfortable to stay in. You’ll also have the peace of mind that it is a cleaner safer place for you and your family.