The 5 things I clean in my home while I’m sleeping

As Ideal Home’s Cleaning Editor, you might assume that I love cleaning – but that simply isn’t true. I’m a lazy cleaner, and my role is to find tips, tricks and hacks to cut down mine (and your) cleaning time so we can all spend it on something way more exciting. So, I’ve created an overnight cleaning schedule that quite literally lets me clean while I’m sleeping.

Of course, there are so many ways to clean a house fast. And while I’m happy to put in a small amount of time on cleaning tasks that require hands-on action, I’ve learned there are so many things you can tick off your to-do list without getting too involved – like the things you can clean while you’re showering or decluttering while waiting for your kettle to boil.

But then I got to thinking: what if I don’t actually have to be awake to clean my house?! Well, I’ve found the hands-off cleaning jobs you can do while you’re sleeping, and I can safely say that they’ve saved me so much time. And left my house cleaner than ever.

1. Hard flooring and rugs

One of the best ways to fake a tidy house is to focus on your floors – and I find that if my floors look clean and are clear of clutter, it makes the rest of my house look good (even if I haven’t quite gotten around to ticking all of my tasks off my to-do list). But I don’t stay up late to clean my own hard flooring and rugs. Instead, I let the best robot vacuums do that.

I’m a serious convert to robot vacuum cleaners, and just last year, I thought they were a complete waste of money. But now that I’ve tested more robot vacuum cleaners than I can count in my home, I’ve come to realise that they are definitely worth it – especially if you’re a lazy cleaner like me.

All I do is schedule the robot vacuum to clean downstairs when I’ve gone upstairs to bed, and it does! Most robot vacuums also allow customisation, so you can choose between vacuuming, mopping, or both. By the time I wake up in the morning, my floors are spotless, and I barely have to use my regular vacuum cleaner.

2. The shower head

I’ve previously shared my struggles with living in a hard-water area, and one thing that really took its toll was the limescale buildup on my shower head. Not only did it look unsightly, but it also used to drive up our energy and water bills, and the effect on our water meter was very noticeable. And while I thought I was cleaning a showerhead correctly, the reality was that I wasn’t giving it the proper TLC it needed

Now, I descale my shower head overnight by cleaning with white vinegar. I simply grab a plastic bag, half-fill it with white vinegar, and dilute it slightly with a bit of water. Then I place the bag over the showerhead (still on the hose) and secure it with an elastic band. I leave it to soak overnight and rinse it off in the morning.

However, you shouldn’t leave it in for as long if you have a brass, gold, or nickel showerhead, as these shouldn’t be exposed to white vinegar for more than 30 minutes. But since doing this about once a month, both our water and energy bills have gone down.

3. The toilet

Due to the aforementioned limescale problem in my house, I also went through a few years when cleaning my toilet bowl became almost impossible. I would constantly battle water stains, and it seemed as though no shop-bought toilet cleaner would cut through them.

That’s when I stumbled across Nancy Birtwhistle’s ‘Pure Magic’ recipe, and it solved two of my problems – the first being my dirty toilet, and the second being the amount of time I was wasting scrubbing away. But when I used the mixture of citric acid, eco-friendly washing-up liquid and essential oil overnight, the results were truly incredible.

Now, I spray the miracle cleaner in my toilet just before I go to bed, around once a week (or whenever needed), and let the natural ingredients clean the stained bowl while I’m asleep – no scrubbing required! But if you don’t want to make your own DIY cleaner, our news writer, Kezia, also tried the viral Coca-Cola toilet-cleaning hack, which can be used the same way.

4. Smelly sinks and drains

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a very sensitive nose, and I seem to have a particularly heightened sense for anything foul-smelling. That’s why I’m constantly fighting nose-blindness in my home and use my overnight cleaning routine to combat smelly sinks and drains.

There are so many ways to fix smelly drains, but the method I use at home is to clean with bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar. To start, I pour some bicarb down and around the plug hole, then leave it for five minutes (I typically use this time to brush my teeth and get ready for bed). Then, I follow it with some white vinegar before leaving it overnight.

In the morning, all I have to do is rinse the sinks and drains with boiling water from the kettle – and that’s another cleaning task ticked off my to-do list with very little input on my part! This also helps to solve and prevent any blockages, too, which is why I do this about once a month or more if I feel like it’s needed.

5. The washing machine

Although it would be a great way to clean while I’m sleeping, I prefer not to run a load of washing overnight as this can lead to smelly clothes – but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still get some use out of this cleaning appliance. Especially since running a washing machine outside peak hours (i.e., overnight) can save serious money on energy bills.

That’s why I choose to clean my washing machine overnight to prevent smells from lingering in the machine or transferring to my clothes. And after trying three washing machine cleaning methods last year, I’ve yet to find one as effective as soda crystals. Plus, it’s incredibly easy: I just pop 500g of soda crystals into the washing machine and turn it on for a long, hot wash before heading to bed.

Of course, this might be difficult if you live in a flat with limited space between your loud washing machine and your sleeping space – but if it lives downstairs or there’s a door to separate you, it’s well worth cleaning a washing machine while you’re sleeping. It’s hands-off and gets the job done with minimal effort.

There you have it! Who says you need to lift a finger to clean your home?