How to clean, declutter and organise your house

Marie Kondo has become a household name for declutterers looking to purge their piled-up belongings. Kondo's straightforward and effective philosophy of keeping items only if they 'spark joy' in your life has made it easy for people to get rid of tons of unnecessary stuff. Fans have praised the method – some say cleaning out their homes has even boosted their productivity and helped their relationships in the long run.

The KonMari Method has become so popular, it even inspired Kondo's very own Netflix special where the cleaning guru visits homes and helps families organise their cluttered lives. If you're looking for quick practical tips, check out Kondo's YouTube channel where she shares the best methods for folding clothing and organising your drawers more efficiently.

Created by author Marla Cilley, the FlyLady Method suggests focusing on specific areas of your home and spending 15 minutes cleaning and organising one area at a time.

The method stresses that its 'baby steps' approach to cleaning should take some time – after all, your place didn't get messy in just one day. The method also suggests taking regular breaks between bouts of cleaning and creating a 'control journal' to keep notes on your process and track your routines. A must-do is putting on a pair of shoes before you start your cleaning. Just like getting dressed everyday, it prompts you to get started on the right foot.

Even if you spend just 15 minutes a day on cleaning, you'll be making progress towards happier and healthier habits. So where to begin? As per FlyLady's suggestion, the first place to start is your kitchen sink.

Swedish 'death cleaning' is not as scary as it sounds. This method boils down to one thing: decluttering all your belongings before you pass away. Don't worry, you don't have to be on the brink of death or anything; cleaning can be done any time. Think of it as a thoughful move, since it saves your loved ones from having to sort all your belongings if and when you pass on. 

Margareta Magnusson is the author of the book 'The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning' and has a smart, less severe approach to organising. She emhpasises that this method doesn't force you to do all your cleaning in one go. It can be slowly done over years, starting with things that are hidden away, like long-forgotten boxes or stuff you may have in storage.

When sorting through your things, evaluate each item by thinking if it would be inconvenient, awkward or upsetting when one of your loved ones had to deal with it after you die. The method also suggests leaving nostalgic items such as letters and photographs to sort through last as they can slow down your cleaning momentum. The method is a great opportunity to not just throw away your old stuff, but regift and recycle while only keeping what's meaningful to you.