Don’t have enough time to properly clean your home? These top tips will make your house cleaning faster and easier.
Whether you have a hectic professional life or you spend all of your time running around after the kids (or both), keeping your home spotless is never going to make it to the top of your list of priorities. And – no matter how big or small your house or apartment, there just never seems to be enough hours in the day to actually get any chores done. Sound familiar?
Don’t worry. You’re not alone. However, if you really want to keep ahead of the messes despite a busy schedule, then you definitely have to try the following 5 fast and simple housekeeping tips.
- Stick to5 to 10 minutes each day
No one likes a 4-hour cleaning marathon, but that’s exactly what you’ll be left with if you don’t do things bit by bit. Besides, dividing up your house cleaning into 5 to 10 minutes each day during the week will take less time overall. Now, that’s what you want, isn’t it? To spend less time, you should hire some cleaning services and you should get more time to focus on work, the kids, your spouse, socialising and all the things you actually enjoy? Yes, of course it is.
Just spend a little time each morning, afternoon or evening tidying up to stay in control of the mess. This also allows you to focus more on the individual task at hand, rather than trying to get heaps done in one go. For example, you could spot clean the kitchen one day, the living room the next day, and so on. Once you get into the habit of daily cleaning, it will start to feel natural and you’ll be more motivated to keep up the good work.
- Clean more than just dishes in the dishwasher
Believe it or not, there are loads of things you can clean in the dishwasher that doesn’t include anything you typically use for cooking, eating and drinking. You just need to make sure you put delicate items (anything at risk of melting, like plastic) on the top rack where the heat is less intense. If you’re washing anything that’s made of metal, be sure to dry it afterwards to prevent it from rusting.
So – what can you clean in the dishwasher on a gentle cycle to save time? Let’s take a look:
- Plastic and rubber kids toys (as long as they don’t contain electronic components)
- Pet dishes
- Contact lens cases
- Soap dishes
- Hairbrushes
- Makeup brushes
- Stove grates
- Showerheads
- Toothbrushes
- Dish cloths
- Refrigerator shelves
- Garden tools
- Chopping boards
- Potatoes
- Flip flops
- Welly boots
As long as it’s dishwasher safe, pop it in and give your hands a well-earned rest.
- Say goodbye to the clutter
If you want to save time while trying to make your home hygienic and organised each week, you absolutely must de-clutter your living space. Clutter just gets in the way, slows you down and makes your house cleaning sessions more painful than they need to be. And – let’s face it, you’re bound to have some things laying around or in cupboards that you no longer use or simply don’t need. Even if you don’t think you do, you should still check in every room including the hallway because the chances are, you will find at least one unwanted item.
Once you’ve collected all the clutter, put the things you want to keep in a pile and the things you don’t in another. Obviously, you’ll need to find homes (not on the floor by the way) for any items you can’t bear to part with. As for the things you’re happy to wave goodbye to, put them in boxes or bags and donate them. This way, you’ll not only be helping yourself every time you clean but you can also pat yourself on the back for helping others too.
- Create an essential home cleaning supplies kit
It’s so much quicker and easier to wipe down surfaces, do some dusting or disinfect the toilet with ahouse cleaning kit close at hand. You just never knowwhen you’re going to need to clean up the odd spill or mess. Also,what if you get an unexpected callfrom a friend to say they’ll be heading over to your place in 5 minutes and your house is in a right state? You’ll need your cleaning supplies at the ready – that’s what.
Here’s a list of the essential cleaning tools you should always have at your fingertips:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Disinfectant
- Tub and tile cleaner
- Rubber gloves
- Microfiber cloths
- Sponges
- Paper towels
- Toothbrush
It’s also worth mentioning that good-quality tools will last longer and speed up many of your house cleaning chores. You can even make a little kit for each room, so have all your bathroom cleaners in the bathroom for example. Alternatively, make a couple of cleaning kits and keep one on each floor of your home to save you from having to keep walking up and down the stairs.
- If it isn’t dirty, leave it
Okay, so this isn’t speed-cleaning as such, but there’s very little point in cleaning something that isn’t dirty in the first place. Just because it’s there, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it needs a wipe down or a good going over. It goes without saying that some items in your home will need care and attention each week, especially the things that are targets for dust and dirt. However, you don’t need to waste time cleaning every single surface, fixture or appliance when it looks fine as it is.
As long as it seems to be clean enough, leave it until next time and move on to something else. Also, pay less attention to any rarely-used rooms or spaces only you use, such as guest rooms, formal dining rooms and utility rooms, and stick to cleaning them every fortnight or once a month.
Hopefully, these tips will help free up some time while caring for your home. If you know of any other ways to speed up house cleaning and you’re not too busy, share your thoughts in the comments section below.
