Catherine Roche on how you too can be a domestic goddess – or , and let’s not be sexist – a domestic god.

The clocks have gone back, the weather is getting warmer and its the time of year when women think of throwing open the windows and enjoying the great outdoors.

But with the spring often comes the dreaded “spring cleaning” and new figures have revealed a third of Brits have admitted to spending less than a measly two hours per week cleaning their homes.

The first day of spring was officially March 20 but it’s clear that the spring cleaning bug has not bitten Britain, with 19 per cent admitting to never doing any cleaning according to the research carried out by cleaning experts at Vileda.

The research shows that 52 per cent of Brits spend less time cleaning than their parents did and a fifth of Brits have never been shown how to clean properly – not knowing the difference between sponges and their scourers.

Results also show we have never been more time pressured, admitting to not having the time to spend hours getting homes spring cleaned

But, while we aren’t cleaning enough, a staggering 98 per cent of those surveyed, admitted to feeling much happier when they had a clutter free home

Lindsey Taylor, product manager for Vileda, said: “Our research shows that spring cleaning has become lower on Britain’s priority list than ever before, when traditionally at the turn of spring we all give our homes a good clean!

“With time pressures being bigger than ever the future is clever cleaning little and often to fit into our busy lifestyles. “Consumers want to know how to achieve amazing results for minimum effort.”

For further information on Vileda and clever cleaning, visit www.vileda.co.uk

Quick and easy internet cleaning tips from real-life women:

• To pick up cat hair, put on a wet rubber dishwashing glove and wipe your hand over surfaces. The hair will stick right to it.

• Don’t wipe any surfaces taller than your tallest friend.

• Set a timer for 30 minutes to help you stay focused and get more done in a short amount of time.

• Try a foaming shaving cream to help remove many red-wine spills from carpets.

• Leave a basket at the foot of the stairs and toss in any toys or miscellaneous items that were brought downstairs during the day. Whenever you go upstairs, take the basket with you and unload. It beats running up and down the stairs all day.

• Use old newspapers instead of paper towels to clean mirrors and windows. They work and it’s recycling.

• Motivate yourself by inviting people over, then you’ll do it and enjoy socialising in your nice clean house.