Developers of PowerWash Simulator 2 share expert advice for real-life home cleaning.

“Do they have any tips for how to get water stains off a plastic shower floor? I’ve tried everything,” was Graham’s pitch for a question to ask PowerWash Simulator 2 devs FuturLab following the reveal event a few weeks back. They’re busy game development professionals, Graham, not your personal stain assistants. What kind of unscrupulous hack would use an interview opportunity to crowdsource stain removal advice?

Anyway, here’s 13 members of FuturLab sharing their top cleaning tips with us.

Peter Hansen, head of tech.

“Doing it only once” – instead of leaving plates and cutlery all over your kitchen sink, wash them or put them in the dishwasher straight away so you don’t have to come back and do that later. The PowerWash Sim equivalent would be not leaving small bits of scattered dirt behind and having to revisit them to clear that last 1%.

Cristina Ruiz, marketing artist.

Use a washable cover on your sofa (or any other furniture you might regret to mess), so you will not have to cry later. House is to be used, not to be admired.

Jordan Lewis, programmer.

If you have pets, I can’t recommend a robot vacuum enough! It’s so much better having that whip around whilst you tackle other chores.

One that’s tangentially related to cleaning: open your windows, even when it’s cold! Even just 10 minutes can make a massive difference to how fresh the house feels. Helps prevent mould growth and damp in the colder months too.

James Butlin, lead programmer.

Take your keyboard/laptop outside and use an air blower on it every few months. Equal parts satisfying and gross, especially if you have pets.

Mark Ginbey, writer.

I find that adding an element of danger to any cleaning task helps speed it up, whilst also making it much more enjoyable. For example, when I’m washing up, I’ll open the curtains and put on the away kit of our neighbour’s least favourite football team. When I’m hoovering, I’ll empty a nest of bullet ants onto the floor.

Will Dyball, multiplayer programmer.

The right tool/appliance for the situation makes a big difference. I have a battery powered vacuum as I don’t have much carpet in the house. It’s easy to use and means I’m not carrying Henry up and down the stairs.

In PowerWash Sim the yellow nozzle is the right tool for almost all situations for me. That is until I have a spot of dirt I can’t see, then I use the turbo nozzle.

Jess Green, marketing manager.

Clean the radiators down with some (diluted) Zoflora and the whole house will smell great. Always keep a bottle of white vinegar around, it’s great for cleaning a bunch of things. Niche one but if you have a sticker that you just can’t get off, spray some furniture polish on it. After five minutes, it’ll scrape off easily with no sticky residue.

Isla Dupont, assistant lead programmer.

Automate the things that you hate doing the most! An automatic cat litter tray and dishwasher give more time to focus on other cleaning tasks.

Tom Roberts, lead programmer.

Pace yourself, you only have so much time in the day, prioritise the stuff that goes funky quick like food, standing water and toiletries. Find a pace that fits your lifestyle!

Russel Young, principal data analyst.

Do you have a badly stained coffee mug? Slice a lemon and rub the juice all around the mug. Leave the mug to sit for 15 minutes then rinse clean with a sponge. The stain should be gone.

Harry Mitchell, video editor.

Invite friends round more often, and then it’ll force you to speed-clean everything before they arrive.

Alex Dawson, senior artist.

Generally, bicarbonate of soda is great at cleaning everything plus vinegar. If you are cleaning mould out of the bathroom, dip tissue in bleach, stick it to the mouldy bit, leave it, remove later and rinse. Wear gloves obviously.

Laura Collins, internal comms coordinator.

Gamify! Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can get done in that time. Also if you find clutter building up in a certain place, just make that the place it lives! Leaving post on the kitchen counter? Add a little letter rack so it can be tidy and you’re not changing the habit!

“Do not try some of these at home,” they added, “as this is not professional advice”. PowerWash Simulator 2 is out later this year. Please let Graham know if you have any advice for his water stain problem. It’s really getting to him.