The school bags are finally hung up for six whole weeks, and the house has gone from quiet to busy in a single afternoon. Suddenly there are trainers by the door, damp towels on the bannister, and a trail of crumbs leading straight to the sofa.

If that sounds like your home right now, you are in very good company. The summer holidays are wonderful, but they do have a way of turning a tidy house into a bit of a whirlwind.

The good news is that keeping on top of it all does not have to mean scrubbing from dawn till dusk. With a few small habits, and a little help where you need it, you can keep your home calm and comfortable and still have plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine. A regular cleaner from Time For You can take a lot of that pressure off too, but more on that later.

Here are seven simple ways to keep your home clean and happy all summer long.

1. Start With a Quick Declutter

Before you reach for the spray bottle, clear the decks. It is so much easier to clean a room when the clutter is out of the way first.

Spend ten minutes gathering up the bits that have wandered:

• Shoes, sandals and flip flops by the door
• Sun cream, sun hats and sunglasses left on the side
• Swimming bags, towels and goggles
• Odd toys and games that have crept into every room

Give everything a home, ideally near where it gets used. A basket by the back door for garden bits can work wonders.

2. Try the Little and Often Approach

The secret to a calm home in the holidays is not one giant clean. It is little and often.

A quick daily reset stops mess piling up into a big, off-putting job. Try setting a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and doing a speedy tidy as a family before tea.

• Plump the cushions and fold the throws
• Wipe down the kitchen worktops
• Run the hoover over the busiest rooms
• Load the dishwasher or do the washing up

It is amazing how much calmer a home feels after a few minutes of resetting, and it beats losing a whole Saturday to it later.

3. Set Up a Landing Zone by the Back Door

Summer means the garden, the park and the beach, and all of that lovely fun comes home on little feet. Grass, sand and mud have a habit of spreading everywhere.

Create a simple landing zone just inside the back door to catch it all:

• A doormat inside and out to trap dirt
• A box or basket for muddy shoes and wellies
• A hook for damp towels so they are not draped over the furniture
• A little tray for water bottles and sun cream

Catching the mess at the door saves you hoovering the whole house later. It also helps to leave sandy shoes to dry completely before you brush them off, as dry sand comes away far more easily than wet.

4. Deal With Sticky Summer Spills Straight Away

Ice lollies, juice, sun cream and the odd melted chocolate button are all part of summer. The trick is to tackle spills quickly, before they set.

For most sticky marks, warm water and a little washing up liquid on a microfibre cloth will do the job. For a few common summer culprits:

• Sun cream on fabric: gently dab, do not rub, then check the care label before washing
• Grass stains: dab with a little white vinegar diluted in water before washing
• Sticky lolly drips on the floor: a damp microfibre cloth and a spot of washing up liquid

A quick word of caution. White vinegar is brilliant on glass and many surfaces, but avoid it on natural stone like marble or granite worktops, as it can damage the finish.

5. Keep on Top of the Washing Mountain

Between beach towels, swimming kit and grubby play clothes, the washing basket fills up fast in summer. A simple routine keeps it from taking over.

• Pop a wash on first thing so it can dry through the day
• Make the most of the warm weather and dry your washing outside where you can
• Give the tumble dryer a rest to save a little money
• Shake sand and grass off clothes outdoors before they go in the machine

Line-dried washing on a sunny day smells wonderful, and it is kinder to your energy bill too.

6. Get a Little Help From the Family

You really do not have to do it all yourself. Even small children can join in, and it teaches good habits while lightening your load.

• Ask everyone to carry their own plate through to the kitchen
• Turn the daily tidy into a friendly race against the timer
• Give each child one small job that is theirs for the week

Keep it light and encouraging. The aim is helpful hands, not a spotless show home.

7. Give Yourself Permission to Not Do It All

Here is the most important tip of all. The holidays are for making memories, not for chasing perfection.

A home that is lived in and loved will never be perfectly tidy, and that is completely fine. Consistency matters far more than perfection, and a few small habits will always beat one exhausting blitz.

This is where a helping hand can make all the difference. A regular clean means you can spend those precious six weeks paddling in the garden and building sandcastles, rather than mopping floors.

Make the Most of Your Summer

The summer holidays go by in a flash, so it is worth freeing up as much time as you can to enjoy them.

At Time For You, we match busy families with trusted, reliable, local cleaners who take the hard work off your hands. Whether it is a weekly or fortnightly clean, having a friendly cleaner you can count on means one less thing to think about, and a lovely fresh home to relax in when the children finally nod off.

Life really is too short to spend it cleaning. If you would like a little more time this summer to do the things you love, find your local Time For You branch today at timeforyou.cleaning and let us help.