I asked cleaning experts what they do every day to make their home feel instantly cleaner, and one answer kept coming up

We all love that feeling of a clean home, but if you're short on time or find cleaning a dull chore, you'll likely have spent far too long wishing there was a shortcut to make your home feel instantly cleaner. Well, there just might be.

When I asked several cleaning experts about the 1 thing they do every day to make their home feel clean, one answer kept coming up: wiping down your kitchen worktops. The good news is that it will only take five minutes of your time, and will transform how clean your home feels if you have the best cleaning products at hand

Why should you clean your kitchen worktops every day?

Your kitchen is one of the most used areas in your home. Plus, as it is used for prepping, it is also the site of some of the biggest daily messes. You can cleaning your kitchen in 15 minutes, but for an instantly cleaner home in 5 minutes, you can focus your efforts on the worktop and leave cleaning the kitchen sink and cabinets to the weekend.

‘If I had to choose just one daily habit to stick to, it would be giving your food prep surfaces a proper wipe down. Crumbs, sticky spots and the little splashes you don’t always notice until they’ve dried and getting rid of them can make your space feel much cleaner,’ says Catherine Green, cleaning expert at smol.

‘But it’s not just about keeping things looking neat; this also stops bacteria, mould, and all sorts of uninvited extras from making themselves at home; a clean surface means you can chop an apple, make a sandwich, or roll out pastry without worrying about yesterday’s leftovers joining in.

‘It takes seconds, but it’s one of those quiet little habits that keep your home healthy without you even realising it!’

Heather Nixon, sustainability, NPD and regulatory manager at Bio-D, agrees, pointing out that a dirty kitchen can attract flies and other pests as well as harbouring harmful bacteria.

‘It is a quick and simple task to clean your kitchen worktops after each use, simply spray with an all-purpose sanitiser and wipe. Look for products that neutralise 99.9% of harmful bacteria, like Bio-D’s All Purpose Sanitiser,’ she says.

Cleaning your kitchen side will only take you a few minutes, especially if it is a regular habit you’ve incorporated into your daily routine. And this cleaning as you go approach is something that Olivia Young, cleaning expert at Astonish, advocates for.

‘I’d say the key is to tidy as you go. I know it’s not always ideal, but taking just 30 seconds to straighten the cushions and fold the blankets after an evening in the living room, or five minutes to load the dishwasher and wipe the counters after dinner, makes such a big difference to how clean your home feels – and how you feel mentally,’ she says.

‘There’s nothing worse than saying, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow,’ because when tomorrow comes, you get home from work, overwhelmed by the mess you left. You're busy, trying to get dinner on the table, so you end up pushing yesterday’s mess aside and adding to it with today’s.'

Cleaning your kitchen worktops is an easy task you can adopt to your daily routine, and is an important part of any spring clean. It will even make bigger jobs, such as cleaning your kitchen, even easier.

Is this something you already do? Or, will you be adding it to your daily to-do list?