Nobody loves cleaning. Well, maybe some women do, but most of us have better things to do than spend all day wiping down walls and scrubbing toilets. Many of us are gone all day at our jobs. When we’re home, we have kids running around, begging or our attention, and if there’s time left after their care we take a few moments for ourselves to relax.
Thankfully there are a few tips you can learn to make your life easier when it comes to taking care of your home. Read the following ideas and try implementing at least two of them this week.
Buy the Right Tools for the Job
Getting any job done properly requires the right tools. The proper supplies will make cleaning the house less of a chore. There is usually an initial higher cost with stocking up on the best cleaning supplies, but because they are more efficient you will save both time and money in the long run.
Some essential tools for your cleaning day include:
A “magic eraser” - These little white sponges are miracle workers. You can use them on almost any surface, and as its name suggests, it erases marks from walls that are hard to remove. You simply wet it and use it, and they work great.
A bag of washcloths and kitchen-sized towels - Forget dirty sponges. Use a wet washcloth for your cleaning and follow it up with a kitchen-sized towel to dry. Keep an empty grocery bag to throw the wet and dirtied items in, as you will go through several of each. They can then be washed for the next cleaning.
Quality cleaning solutions - You’ll need a toilet cleanser, an all purpose cleanser, and a separate spray for your windows if you desire. Often, the all purpose cleaners work great for bathrooms, kitchens, and windows, though each household is a bit different. You shouldn’t need separate solutions for each item you clean (i.e. shower, sink, walls, etc.). Use a lint-free dish towel to dry your windows and mirrors for a streak free clean.
An old toothbrush - For those hard to reach places, such as the base of your sink knobs, use an old toothbrush with soft to medium bristles. If you clean on a regular basis, it shouldn’t need to be used that often, but it’s great to have handy.
Putting Everything in its Place
Mothers know the house stays cleaner when the kids put things back when they’re done using them. As an adult, it can be hard to remember to do this as well. Our homes can quickly become messy if we forget to put away that pen or those scissors we used. The best solution to this problem is to have a place for everything, and once you do - remember to keep them there!
Here are a few household items that should have a place to call home:
The mail - If you don’t have a stack of mail, bills, or other papers laying around on a counter or table somewhere - you are in the minority. Good for you! The rest of us look to you with admiration. The simplest way to avoid this common issue is to have a small box or basket in which to put you mail and papers until you have a chance to sort through them. Just remember to do so, and frequently.
Movies and music - Even with a CD or DVD changer that hold multiple discs, it’s easy to start accumulating stacks of stray discs or cases lying about. Set aside a part of a bookcase or other shelf to house your entertainment collection. You can also purchase a zipped disc holder that can hold anywhere from 12 to 144 or more discs. These are convenient, take up little space, and are easy to carry with you on the go.
Dirty (and clean) laundry - Most of us probably have a place we throw our clothes when we’re through with them, but not all. If you have children, you probably spend a good portion of your cleaning time picking up their laundry. Kids are notorious for changing several times a day as well. Get a clothes hamper for each family member, and when the clean laundry is folded, have each person put their stuff away in their room immediately. Letting it sit leaves an impression that it’s okay… to let it sit.
Short Cleaning Bursts Pay Off
Perhaps the biggest secret to getting your house clean is knowing that you don’t have to do it all at once. For many women, it’s difficult to find the energy or the time to clean an entire house in one day. Instead of attempting that, you may instead spend several hours cleaning one room. A few days late, you’re disappointed because as you attempt to clean another, the first is already dirty or disorganized.
There are a few simple things you can do to combat this problem:
Pick up during commercials - If you want to enjoy a show or a television movie, there’s no need to feel guilty about the house being a little untidy. Use the commercial time to “speed clean”. It’s simple. Find as many out of place things as you can and put them in their place. Commercial breaks are much longer than they used to be, so take advantage of the five minutes.
Spend 10-15 minutes cleaning in each room, each day - Despite what you may think, you can get a lot of picking up and cleaning done in just a quarter of an hour. If you spend this much time in each room every day, eventually you will get to the point where your entire house is clean at the same time. Some rooms will dirty faster than others, and you’ll still need an occasional deep cleaning, but you might find that these few minutes are all you need to feel more organized and less cluttered.
Do a final sweep before going to bed - If you spend 10 minutes picking up before you go to bed, you can wake up, go to work, and come back to a clean home. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.
Recommended Reading
For more information and advice on house cleaning, take a look at the following books:
Speed Cleaning
Cleaning Plain & Simple: A Ready Reference Guide
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House
Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos
The Cleaning Bible: Kim and Aggie’s Complete Guide to Modern Household Management
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