Have you ever visited a friend and asked her in bewildered wonder…
“How do you live such a busy life and keep a clean house?”
Thinking back to your own home, and the state of disarray it is in because of your own busy lifestyle, you might assume your friend has a cleaner on hand to make light work of her household chores. And the truth is, she possibly does! On the other hand, she might mention some of the following tips and tricks to you, each one of which is designed to help you get a handle on your housework.
#1: Make cleaning supplies accessible
The key to keeping a tidy house is to stay organized. If you have what you need to hand in each room of your house, you are less likely to procrastinate over the chores you have to do. Supply yourself with cleaning baskets and store them with the items that are necessary for your household chores. So, you might have a feather duster and a can of polish in the living room, for example, and in your bathroom basket, you might include disinfecting wipes and a toilet brush.
Another good thing about having your cleaning supplies accessible is that you can clean on the go. So, when you have showered in the morning, you can quickly give your bathroom a scrub before you start your usual routine. If you have a sweeping brush near your kitchen, you can quickly eliminate any crumbs that your children dropped during breakfast. By taking opportunities such as these, you will have less to do when you finally get round to giving your house a clean.
#2: Make a few changes to your home
If you’re already thinking about giving your home a makeover, why not do so with ease-of-cleaning in mind? You could add laminate flooring and granite countertops to your kitchen, for example, as they are both stain-resistant and easy to clean. In your living room, you might want to swap your sofa, especially if you have children and pets living in your home. So, you might purchase something with a durable leather or vinyl fabric, or you might choose something with removable covers that can easily be slipped off and washed. And when painting your home, choose high gloss rather than matte paint, as you will be able to make light work of any stains or fingerprints that your children leave behind.
Check out these other remodelling ideas for an easy-to-clean home.
#3: Get the kids involved
Why should you have to do all of the hard work? Chances are, your kids probably provide the bulk of the mess in your home, so if they are old enough to assist you with your household chores, get them involved.
You might set a few rules for starters. By telling your kids to leave a room as they found it, or by implementing a ‘put one toy away before bringing out another’ rule, you will have less to clean up later.
Of course, your children are bound to kick up a fuss when you try to get them to do anything resembling a chore. Therefore, look for ways to make housework fun. Set them challenges, such as timing them to see how long it takes them to clear up their toys. Or play their favorite tunes while they’re cleaning, and as is suggested in these fun cleaning game ideas, incorporate a game of musical statues into the mix.
You might also pin up a weekly rota on the wall, giving every member of the family, from the youngest to the oldest, jobs to do on a regular basis. When tasks have been ticked off, you might then reward your family in some way, preferably with a non-messy activity to counter the risk of further mess.
#4: Automate your cleaning
Especially if you’re a gadget fan, you might want to invest in those automated items that will reduce your to-do list each week. So, you might play out a scene from Disney’s Fantasia in your home by purchasing a robot mop to clean your kitchen and bathroom for you. If you’re tired of vacuuming and sweeping your home, you might purchase a Roomba. You can even schedule it to clean your home when you’re out of the house by linking it with your smartphone. There are bound to be other devices on the market, so do your research and welcome them into your home.
We hope these ideas were useful to you, but let us know your thoughts. And if you have any other housework tips for our readers, be sure to share your suggestions with us.
Take care, and thanks for reading.