Owning a home often comes with promises to yourself to implement a cleaning schedule, keep everything tidy and ensure you stay on top of the garden so it never becomes a jungle.
These are tough pledges for even the most disciplined of us. Keeping a home in pristine condition, especially with a young family, takes a lot of work.
But, just a few smart choices about how you decorate and furnish your home can make a world of difference for even the most houseproud.
A white-mare
Buying a white couch looks amazing, but keeping it clean is a nightmare. If you let the dirt build-up, it can take a lot of elbow grease to return it to its original pristine look. Also, the white stitching can discolour over time.
Retire the black
At the other end of the spectrum is black. It might be dramatic and striking but it also shows scratches, grease marks and fingerprints. Be warned, it will feel like you never stop wiping down black benchtops and furnishings.
Shelve it
If you love framed photos, figurines and other bric-a-brac on your shelves, you’re inviting a cleaning headache. To minimise dusting and the time you spend with furniture polish in hand, keep these items to a minimum. A display cabinet is also an alternative.
Tile troubles
Selecting white grout with white tiles for your bathroom floor is a mistake. Foot traffic will dull the grout, creating a noughts-and-crosses grid between the tiles. Several cleaning solutions can return your grout to its former glory but it does require a lot of scrubbing.
Sliding doors
If you have old-school glass sliding doors in your bathroom, it’s time to bid them farewell. They are awkward to clean. Consider installing a modern shower and pay a little extra to have the glass panels treated with an anti-streak solution.