Max results without bulky gear – perfect for inner-city living.

Shoebox living above Hay Street cafés has its perks—hello, walk-to-work—but the cosy square meterage can feel chaotic fast. The secret to a life-size vibe in a pint-size pad? Declutter first, then deep-clean. Below are seven hacks our Subiaco technicians swear by to make a 50 m² apartment look (and feel) twice its size—without hauling industrial equipment up three flights of stairs.

1. Use the “3-Box Blitz” for a 30-Minute Purge

Grab three boxes: Keep, Toss/Donate, Relocate. Set a 10-minute timer per living zone—bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. Decision fatigue is the enemy of speed; timers force snap calls and prevent doom piles.

Pro tip: Bag donations immediately and place them by the front door. If they linger, they migrate back! For more granular tactics, see our room-by-room spring-cleaning guide.

2. Go Vertical: The 600 mm Rule

Perth builders design cupboards for “average” tall folk, leaving a 600 mm dead zone between shelf tops and ceilings. Add IKEA SKÅDIS pegboards or adhesive hooks up there—great for yoga mats, fold-up stepladders and cleaning caddies. Instant space-saving win.

3. Microfibre + Eucalyptus = Two-Bottle Arsenal

Forget the 10-product cart; small apartments need minimalist chemistry. A single spray bottle (¼ cup white vinegar, 5 drops eucalyptus oil, fill with water) plus quality microfibre cloths tackle glass, stainless and benchtops. You’ll cut cupboard clutter and plastic waste. Want greener alternates? Browse our eco-friendly products list.

4. Zone Clean: Clockwise “C” Sweep

When it’s time to deep clean small apartments in Perth, divide rooms into invisible quadrants and move clockwise in a “C” pattern—top to bottom. Dust falls with gravity; finishing floors last prevents double work. This flow also keeps you psychologically “closing loops,” boosting momentum.

5. Steam-Refresh Soft Furnishings—No Machine Needed

Tight on storage? Borrow heat instead of gear. Hang curtains in the bathroom, blast the shower on hottest for five minutes, then shut the door. The steam relaxes fibres and loosens dust; follow with a lint roller. For stubborn sofa smells, sprinkle bicarb, leave an hour, then vacuum with a handheld.

Big spill? ADD Bhutan’s professional spring-cleaning service brings portable hot-water extractors that dry in two hours—zero bulky hire returns for you.

6. The “Fridge First” Power-Saving Hack

Quarterly fridge deep-cleans boost cooling efficiency by up to 15 %. Pull the unit out 100 mm (yes, it fits), vacuum the rear coils with a brush-tip nozzle, wipe the floor, then push back leaving a 50 mm airflow gap. Cooler food, lower Synergy bills, cleaner floors—triple win.

7. Finish With a Five-Minute Air-Quality Reset

Open opposite windows to create a cross-breeze, then run your ceiling fan on reverse for five minutes. This whips out VOCs from cleaning products and Perth pollen lurking in corners. No fan? Wave a towel in big figure-eights. Silly, yes—effective, also yes.