Cleaning 'cheats' published - 17/12/2008

Busy householders have been issued advice on how to clean homes quickly.

Rachel Hardage, from Real Simple magazine, has offered the tips to domestic cleaners so they can save time during the festive period.

"It's nearly impossible to carve out time for the fun holiday stuff - let alone the nitty gritty cleaning like washing the sheets on the guest bed or wiping the dust off the good china," she told the Associated Press.

For quick domestic cleaning, Ms Hardage recommends the use of wet wipes on a variety of surfaces.

Areas touched the most, such as light switches, door knobs and chrome surfaces, should be targeted with wipes.

Lint can be removed from upholstery, carpeting and lampshades by rolling an adhesive brush over fabrics.

Ms Hardage advises straightening cushions and magazines so rooms appear tidier in addition to lighting scented candles to make them smell pleasant.

Figures from Bissell reveal that 29 per cent of female householders spend eight hours or more organising their homes for guests.

For help with your household tasks call London cleaning agencies.