Designing an easy-care home: walk through the cleaning

Start with one job you put off

Choose a chore you regularly avoid and break it into steps. Cleaning the bathroom might involve moving a basket, reaching between the bath and wall, wiping behind a tap, then finding somewhere for the wet cloth. Which step makes the job annoying?

Photograph that part of your current home and explain the problem to your designer. 'I cannot get my hand into this gap' is more useful than 'I want a modern bathroom'. The aim is to turn a small frustration into something the proposed design can answer.

• What has to be moved before you start?
• Where do you have to stretch, crouch or work around an obstacle?
• Which surfaces do you leave because they are difficult to reach?

Test the gaps at the fittings

For a hypothetical bathroom, imagine a freestanding bath placed close to two walls. There may be room to walk beside it, but can you reach the floor behind it with your usual cleaning tool? Ask to see that space in plan and elevation, with the actual bath dimensions included.

I would compare a deliberately accessible gap with a different bath arrangement, rather than leaving a narrow slot by accident. Apply the same test around a basin, beside a toilet and beneath a vanity. Ask the designer to resolve the construction and waterproofing details; this exercise is about spotting the awkward places early.

• Can the cleaning head turn in the space?
• Can you reach the whole surface from a comfortable position?
• Does the chosen fitting change the answer from the generic symbol on the plan?

Decide where the mess stops

MBIE's room-by-room guidance suggests that an entrance through a laundry or utility area can help contain wet and dirty clothing. I would trace your actual route home from gardening, sport or walking the dog. A useful wash-up area does little for that routine if you have to cross the living room to reach it.

You may not need another room. A clearer place to leave shoes, a route to the laundry or a better location for the kitchen bins might answer the problem. Mark the route on the plan and decide where the dirty item changes hands, gets cleaned or is put away.

Be selective about the surfaces you add

Open shelves, display ledges and decorative recesses can be lovely. I would choose them where you want to look after the things they hold. Imagine emptying each one to clean it, then decide which still earns its place.

Emma and Justin's published feedback describes concept designs tailored to what they wanted. That is the conversation I would encourage here: tell the team which details you enjoy and which chores you want less of, so the design reflects your preferences.

Rehearse a clean on the proposed plan

Take one room and trace the whole job, from collecting equipment to putting it away. Include the furniture and loose objects you expect to keep. Note any part that depends on moving something heavy or reaching somewhere awkward, and ask for an alternative.

Keep cleaning products in storage appropriate to your household; MBIE recommends lockable cupboards or high cabinets for hazardous household items. If you are planning a new home or renovation, bring your chore notes and photographs to a conversation. We can use them to make the brief more specific.