When I was young, my mother had rather particular views about family participation in cleaning… especially when it came to spring cleaning. Her views were quite simple — no exemptions and all participation would be thorough and time-consuming.

Occasionally repressed memories of an epic battle with the toilet and an unfortunate incident with the electrical wiring of a plug resurface, but on the whole I would like to think that my mother's stringent cleaning regime had a positive effect on the development of my character.

I know, however, that there are those less fortunate than myself — those who went outside to play or watched TV while their mothers cleaned the house — who know very little about the art of spring cleaning.

And it is for these poor souls that we have created this guide to spring cleaning. Naturally, we consulted the experts — women whose profession is cleaning — Mimi Poponi and Beauty Kuta.

Vacuuming

"The first thing I like to do is to move all the furniture away from the corners. Then I can vacuum everywhere," says Mimi.

This is the one and only law of vacuuming — vacuum everywhere. This doesn't only mean moving your furniture, it also mean vacuuming your furniture. Mimi suggests that a great way to get rid of dust in furniture and mattresses is by vacuuming them. You can also use the vacuum cleaner to get rid of dirt in hard-to-reach places such as the corners of cupboards.

Dusting

Everything that the vacuum didn't touch probably needs to be dusted. Beauty suggests that whether you use a dry or damp cloth depends on what you're dusting. If you are dusting light dust or an electrical appliance, a dry cloth is often best. But you might need a damp cloth to get rid of thick or stubborn dust.

While it's not quite dusting, any self-respecting spring clean involves washing the walls. You should be careful about the detergent you use because some can damage the paint. The best bet is often warm water with just a spot of sunlight (dishwashing) liquid. Remove all paintings or photographs and wipe them clean with a slightly damp cloth.

Polishing

The main candidates for polishing are wooden furniture and brass or silver. When polishing the furniture you should use either a furniture polish or oil and a soft cloth. Because you are polishing and not simply dusting, you should use a circular motion.

You can use a multi-purpose cleaner/polish such as Mr Min for more synthetic surfaces, but when it comes to brass or silver, you should use a product like Brasso. Mimi suggests that the trick to brass that absolutely glows is to put the Brasso on, "rub, rub, rub until you get the right colour" and then wipe off with a clean cloth.

Tiles, toilets and windows

Tiles quickly become covered in grease and grime. The best approach is warm water and a multipurpose cleaner such as Handy Andy. Often the tiles in the bathroom, but more particularly in the shower, get mouldy because of the humidity. If this happens, you should use a spray-on mould cleaner. Often these have really pungent smells, so don't forget to open the windows.

A nifty trick up Mimi's sleeve is to thread the garden hose in through the bathroom window. Using the hose, it is really easy to wash down a detergent-filled shower.

Toilets require time, patience and a bit of elbow grease. Put the toilet cleaner into the toilet and leave it to act for a couple of minutes. Then scrub the toilet bowl with a toilet brush. Finally, flush.

The general consensus when it comes to windows seems to be: use newspaper. However neither Mimi nor Beauty thinks that this is a good idea, both prefer to use a soft cloth.

"If I am cleaning the outside of the windows, I like to spray them with the hose first to get rid of the hard dirt," says Mimi.

While most people use Windowlene, Beauty is convinced that a drop of liquid soap in some water gives the window a better shine. The same technique can be applied to mirrors.

Curtains, sheets and cushion covers

Most people remember to wash their bedding on a regular basis, but curtains and cushion covers are often neglected. If you don't have a tumble dryer, make sure you pick a sunny day and wash all of your curtains and removable covers. While you're at it, you can also toss bathmats and throws in the wash.

Cupboards, fridges and ovens

The method is pretty much the same for cleaning cupboards, fridges and ovens – empty, clean thoroughly, discard old or broken items and repack. Beauty's trick to defrosting the fridge is to use hot water — in this way you don't have to wait a long time while the ice defrosts.

Mimi suggests that when cleaning the oven, you leave the oven cleaner in for a short while before scrubbing the oven. This will make the task a lot easier.

Survival strategies

Spring cleaning the house can take a long time and you will need nourishment. Before you get started buy some yummy goodies and even prepare some lunch. Set break times for tea and lunch and stick to them.

There is also the very real danger that you will become bored — so get together a pile of CDs and blast the music through the house. If your powers of persuasion are really good, get someone to keep you company. My mother used the line, 'you will not leave this room until I decide it's clean', you never know, perhaps that'll work for you too...

Getting lucky 101 Reckon you're a bit of a lothario? Pick-up lines occasionally work. Mostly, they don't.

Wax on; wax off Rebekah Kendal reckons that, with a mere six words, she can make grown men wince. Maybe cry.

Blue roses hit the market Which colour would you like your roses to be? Red, white, yellow... or, perhaps, blue?