We've rounded up the top 10 pre-holiday cleaning hacks you need to know about so you can fly feeling fresh. One of Britain’s most popular holiday habits is the pre-getaway spring clean – afterall, no one wants to return from a relaxing summer holiday to a long list of housework chores. Get your home in order and then enjoy a stress-free holiday knowing that a sparkling house is waiting for you!

The Warm Up

Pack One, Throw One

Packing is one of the most exciting parts of your holiday prep, especially if you’ve made new purchases that you can’t wait to wear. You can make good use of the time spent rifling through your wardrobe however by taking the opportunity to have a clear out. If you don’t love it, or haven’t worn it in the last 12 months, get rid!

If packing has you in a pickle, check out our travel hacks and learn how to pack like a pro.

Steam It Off

Steam is a natural cleaning aid that you can use to your advantage. Microwaving half a lemon in a bowl of water before wiping will leave it clean and smelling fresh, while cleaning the bathroom after you’ve showered is easier thanks to the grime-lifting abilities of steam.

Don’t Forget The Fridge

The pong from a smelly fridge will quickly spread to other rooms of the house if left unchecked. Don’t forget to clear out the food from your fridge before you fly – the last thing you want to return to is the smell of two week old salad items, mouldy meats and sour milk – yuck! Grab some baking soda and a bowl of hot water and you're prepped. This natural remedy won’t leave any chemical smells you don’t want around food, all you have to do is leave a few balls of scrunched up newspaper in your fridge while you’re away to absorb any lingering aromas.

Raid The Drinks Cabinet

Save time and skip that trip to the shops for cleaning products by simply raiding the drinks cabinet instead! Cheap cola thrown down the toilet bowl will leave it sparkling with no effort required, while spraying your mattresses with vodka (yes, vodka) will give them a disinfecting deep clean. The mattress spray is a great one to do the morning before you fly, as they’ll have plenty of time to dry out while you’re away.

Ask for an extra pair of hands

As the saying goes ‘many hands make light work’, so make sure you’re not taking sole responsibility for all of the pre-holiday housework. Children of all ages can get involved, from getting tots to tidy away toys to giving teens simple jobs like dusting and hoovering while you get on with more in-depth tasks. If you’re feeling generous, use the promise of some holiday pocket money as an incentive.

Shoe Polish Those Scuffs

Get that expensive leather sofa back to its best by using shoe polish to buff up any scrapes or scratches. Doing this just before you go away will give the polish plenty of time to ‘set’. If you have a fabric sofa that’s seen better days, sprinkle with baking soda before hoovering away for a much sweeter smelling suite!

Use Your Socks to Sweep

Socks are a secret cleaning weapon! If you’ve got fiddly blinds to clean, simply slip a sock over your hand and run along the slats. Fluffy socks are brilliant at picking up dust, so if you’ve got wooden floors, make your cleaning chores less of a bore and get the kids sliding around (carefully though – we don’t want any pre-holiday trips to A&E!).

Download An App

There’s an app for everything these days and while your phone won’t clean your house for you, there are some useful tools available. Pomodoro is a timer app that will give you a 5 minute break for every 25 minutes worked, and many people swear by the FlyLady website and app to keep their cleaning missions on track!

Pay A Professional

While a top to bottom spring clean is the ideal scenario, we’re aware that the weeks before a holiday can already be hectic, what with tying up loose ends at work, planning for your trip, picking up currency and shopping for all those last minute bits and bobs. If all else fails, why not consider paying someone to do a one-off clean before you go? The cost will be more than worth it for a no-hassle homecoming at the end of your family holiday. Grab a great deal on a holiday at Teletext and use what you’ve saved to get the professionals in!