A former primary school teacher and self-confessed home bird, Anna Louisa started sharing DIY videos, kitchen makeovers and decorative tips on Instagram as a hobby… before becoming a parent.

With less time on her hands after the birth of her son, Oliver, and needing a routine to stay organised and on top of housework, she switched up her profile and started posting cleaning videos.

Her content ranges from hacks on how to blitz the bathroom and decluttering, to habit-building cleaning tricks and creative ways to shortcut everyday chores.

“I found I was getting more and more followers by sharing quick cleaning tips, they seemed to be a lot more popular,” highlights Louisa.

“I was gaining more attention, and it made me realise what people wanted to see were quick tips to make their lives easier.”

More than 4.2 million social media followers later, the ‘cleanfluencer’ (@anna_louisa_at_home) has now written a book – The Five Minute Clean Routine.

Built around breaking down cleaning into five-minute tasks to help you get things done, she says a timer is great tool to motivate yourself.

“Whether that’s a five-minute, 10-minute or half an hour timer depending on the task you need to do…you almost make it like a game,” says Louisa.

“I used to do this in the classroom with the kids. So, I would have a five-minute timer on, and we’d all scurry about tidying up… everyone would be hands-on because it was more of a game.

“We’d see if we could beat the clock – and they absolutely loved it.”

She continues: “By the end of it, the classroom was all clean; and if it was done earlier, they [the kids] got a little bit of extra break time,” recalls the 35-year-old, who lives in Norfolk with her husband.

“So if I have to declutter my wardrobe, or do a larger task, I definitely put a timer on just to keep me on track,” reveals Louisa.

“Because I’m definitely someone who would start something, then maybe procrastinate for a little while, then go back to it… and then find something else to do. So yeah, a timer is really good.”

Today, she says the five-minute clean is a habit-building motivational tool to teach you how to clean almost everything, and help you build a routine – instead of it being a large, overwhelming process.

“Seeing various cycles throughout your housework rather than one big cycle,” explains Louisa. “And realising not everything is going to be done all at once.”

“So if you’re focusing on one cycle, which is the laundry one day [for example], that cycle can get done that day. But that doesn’t mean hoovering or dusting the whole house has to be done.”

The cleaning guru says it’s almost like hacking your brain into realising we don’t have to have everything perfect all at once. “But what you can do in five minutes – and how that can [make an] impact.

“It’s kind of taking a chunk out of the housework, but also realising that can have an impact on your own mental health as well.”

Want to get a head start on your spring clean? Here are Louisa’s top motivational tools to put you in the right mind set…

Listen to music to put the wellbeing into cleaning

“I love listening to music, so depending on my mood, most of the time it’s something upbeat…because again, that makes me work quicker.

“It depends on your day,” suggests Louisa. “So if you’re having a sort of high anxiety day, you might not want to do things quickly. You might just find wiping the surfaces, doing something quite repetitive and listening to calming music can really help with anxiety.”

You already know it’s going to be a quick task and not overwhelming, underlines Louisa. “So listening to a favourite playlist, or The Mel Robbins Podcast, that’s going to help your mind that way.”

Have a cleaning caddy and everything to hand

“Make sure you have things easily accessible,” advises Louisa. “So, for example, if you have a really, heavy Hoover you have to lug up and down the stairs, you’re far more likely to put off hoovering.

“So it’s making sure the things you have are readily available – and easy to use.”

From lightweight vacuums, to products that will trap dust a lot more quickly and easily than others, suggests Louisa. “And being more mindful about what you’re using around the house.

“I’m kind of on the journey to finding really good products, and things I can use in place of lots of bottles. “Streamlining and sorting, so you don’t have too many cluttering up your space.”

Louisa says she uses mainly all natural, eco-friendly products… her three hero items for your caddy are dish soap, white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.

The latter absorbs any odours. “You can sprinkle it in the base of your bin; on your carpets, leave it for 15 minutes and then vacuum it up; and you can do the same on your sofa.”

Cleaning can burn calories

A physical stimuli, another win Louisa shares with her followers is how cleaning can be a low-impact workout. “When people are conscious they’re not quite as active anymore, it’s making sure they realise you can burn a lot of calories while cleaning.

“If somebody’s got an Apple Watch or something to track how many steps they’re taking, or how many calories they’re burning – that’s very motivational,” encourages Louisa.

“You see the calories building up, and you can say to yourself, I’m doing something for myself and my body… not just the house.”

The 5 Minute Clean Routine: Tips And Tricks For A Happy Home By Anna Louisa is published by Century, priced £18.99. Available now.