The first thing to clean when cleaning the living room, according to experts

We spend a huge chunk of our spare time hanging out in our living spaces. Unfortunately, this means dust, crumbs and empty mugs collect before you can say 'where's the remote?'

When it comes to the care and cleaning of this busy area of the home, it's a good idea to begin with your light fixtures.

Going from top to bottom is often touted as a way to speed up the whole process of cleaning the living room - leaving more time to kick back on the sofa, with a comforting show on the TV and our best candles flickering.

'I start top to bottom when doing a big weekly clean,' says cleaning enthusiast and blogger Mrs D. 'Using my Addis Ostrich Duster, I dust the ceiling light, mirrors and pictures,' she tells us.

'Then, I start from the left of the living room door and make my way around the room.' After using the duster, she turns to her Pledge Classic Polish, available at Amazon and a dusting cloth to get rid of any remaining dirt.

Lynsey Crombie, Queen of Clean has also spoken about a similarly linear approach. She recommends starting on the top floor of the house and working your way down. Lynsey recommends removing any cobwebs and dusting off surfaces before using your best vacuum cleaner or mop.

Cleaning can be an arduous task we want to get over with as fast as possible, but it seems like a 'less haste more speed' approach is far better than frantic hoovering, dusting and disinfecting. Whether we have guests coming over or have just had enough of the layer of dust building on our TV units, the first thing we do on auto-pilot is to get the hoover out.

But it's worth pausing and doing the more fiddly bits first. Our overhead light fixtures quickly attract dust and dirt, which as well as not looking great, can dull the light from the bulbs.

Whether it's knowing how to clean windows properly or having table and floor lamps, a bright living room will always make us feel more uplifted than one lacking in light. Cobwebs lingering on our coving and lighting are the kind of thing that builds without us noticing.

But keeping on top of dust and so on will keep our well-loved living spaces looking cared for in the same way houseplants suggest there's someone looking after things.