I don’t enjoy cleaning and tidying – which is why I do it all the time.

Some people seem happy to let things pile up: dust-bunnies, unwashed crockery, bills. I used to be one of them – and then I realised how much I hated the way they lurked at the end of my week, like a line of dark clouds. If you feel the same way, join me in being an As-You-Go Tidier.

Here are a few techniques:

 In each room, decide where everything goes. Make places for things: drawers for bills, bins for magazines, somewhere handy for everything recyclable. Make it obvious to yourself when something is out of place.

Whenever you leave a room, put 10 things away – or 5, or 20. At the very least, put away everything you get out.

Treat your house as if important visitors are about to drop by. Imagine what your Mom would say. (What are those shoes doing in the hallway? Were you born in a barn?)

Want to be completely on top of all the cleaning? Try Real Simple’s 19 minutes a day.

Rate yourself. Keep a chart on how tidy you’ve kept the house. Use a RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status. Reward yourself for jobs well done, and chide yourself a little when you fall short.

Be prepared. Anything that slows you down is a distraction (and when you’re cleaning, distractions are fatal). So make sure bins are already emptied and anything else you need is ready to hand. (And no, "preparation" doesn’t include coffee – have one as a reward!)

Revel in your newly-pristine environment. Light an aromatic candle. Sprawl out with a book. Enjoy it. You’re training yourself to associate a freshly-cleaned room with fun – thus making it less of a struggle to start cleaning the next time round!

By the weekend, it’s like an invisible person has tidied the whole house – and that’s something you could definitely get used to.

Image: stephcarter