How to Keep a Small Apartment Clean

What you need to know first

In a small apartment, mess and cleanliness are different problems. Mess is things out of place; it makes a room look dirty even when it is not. Dirt is dust, grease and grime. Deal with mess every day and dirt every week, and neither builds up.

Step 1: Do a ten-minute reset every day

Pick a fixed time, such as after dinner, and do the same short list:

• Put things back where they live.
• Wash up or load the dishwasher, and wipe the kitchen counters and hob (stove).
• Wipe the bathroom sink.
• Take out rubbish and recycling if they are full.
• Make the bed in the morning; in a studio it is half the room.

Step 2: Clean properly once a week

Work from the top down and from dry to wet, so you are not cleaning the same surface twice.

1. Dust shelves, sills and screens with a damp microfibre cloth.
2. Bathroom: spray the shower, bath, sink and toilet, leave the cleaner to work while you do something else, then wipe and rinse.
3. Kitchen: wipe cupboard fronts, the fridge door and handles, the microwave inside and out, and the sink.
4. Floors: vacuum everywhere, including under the bed and sofa, then mop hard floors.
5. Laundry: change the bed and wash towels.

In a small apartment this takes about an hour.

Step 3: Keep a short monthly list

• Clean inside the fridge and check dates.
• Descale the kettle and the shower head if you live in a hard-water area.
• Wash or vacuum extractor fan covers and filters, following the maker's instructions.
• Wipe skirting boards (baseboards), doors and light switches.
• Vacuum the mattress and the sofa.
• Clean the windows inside.

Step 4: Stop dirt at the door

A doormat and a shoes-off habit keep grit off the floor. Hooks and a tray by the entrance stop coats and bags travelling further in. Good ventilation while cooking and showering prevents grease and mould from settling; see how to improve air quality in a small apartment.

The tools worth storing

Storage is tight, so keep the kit small:

• Microfibre cloths, washed and reused.
• An all-purpose cleaner and a bathroom cleaner.
• Washing-up liquid, which also handles most kitchen grease.
• A toilet brush and cleaner.
• A vacuum that suits your floors and your storage space. Cordless stick models hang on a hook or stand in a corner; robot vacuums keep floors tidy between proper cleans if the floor is kept clear.
• A flat mop with washable pads.
• Rubber gloves and a scrubbing brush.

Keep everything in one caddy that you can carry from room to room.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing cleaning products. Never combine bleach with ammonia or with acidic cleaners; the fumes are dangerous. Use one product at a time and ventilate.
• Wiping sprays off at once. Most cleaners need a few minutes to work; check the label.
• Buying a product for every surface. Two or three cleaners cover almost everything.
• Saving it all for the weekend. A daily reset makes the weekly clean short.

What to do next

Once the routine is running, reducing what you own makes every clean faster. 21 small apartment storage ideas and how to organize a tiny apartment kitchen will help.