A realistic weekly cleaning routine for a London flat

Start with the things that change your day

Look around your flat and choose the two or three things that make it feel most unsettled. In a small open-plan home, that may be dishes on the worktop, crumbs around the dining table and clothes covering a chair. Deal with those first.

An everyday reset might mean putting dishes away, wiping a food-preparation surface with a suitable product and returning loose items to their place. The point is to make the next day easier, not to clean every room every evening. In a shared flat, agree who owns each task so that everyone is not quietly waiting for someone else.

Give the week a simple shape

You can do these together or spread them across the week. Choose the rhythm you are most likely to keep. If you miss a day, continue with the next useful task rather than treating the whole plan as a failure.

• Kitchen: clear accessible surfaces, clean the sink and splashback, and check food storage for spills.
• Bathroom: clean the basin, toilet and accessible shower or bath surfaces using products suited to each material.
• Living spaces and bedrooms: dust accessible surfaces, put away clutter and vacuum or clean floors as their care instructions allow.
• Finishing jobs: empty bins, replace used cleaning cloths and put your supplies back in one place.

Work through each room in a useful order

Clear the space before you start cleaning it. Work on higher accessible surfaces before finishing with the floor, so that dust and crumbs do not land on an area you have just cleaned. Keep bathroom cleaning tools separate from those used in food-preparation areas.

Read the product label and the surface manufacturer's guidance, especially for stone, timber and specialist finishes. Do not mix cleaning products. More product is not automatically better; use the amount and method specified on the label. The NHS also advises following manufacturer instructions and never mixing different cleaning chemicals.

Keep deeper jobs off the everyday list

Inside the oven, cupboard interiors, high shelving and detailed work around skirting boards can become a separate list. Their timing depends on use and condition. Keeping them separate makes it easier to see whether you need an ordinary maintenance clean or a more thorough first visit.

For example, a flat that has been empty during decorating may need a different starting clean from a home already following a weekly routine. Describe the condition honestly when requesting help, and ask what is included before comparing prices.

Make a regular cleaning visit easier

Prepare a short priority list: the rooms that matter most, any delicate surfaces, which products should be used and anything that should not be moved. Confirm whether supplies are provided. If you live in a London block, include the entry system, lift access and any parking arrangements.

A good brief might be: ‘Two-bedroom flat, kitchen and bathroom first, then floors and accessible surfaces. Please leave the desk untouched.’ That gives a clearer starting point than ‘clean everything’. Review the scope after the first visit and adjust the routine around what your home actually needs.