With so much going on in our lives these days, juggling our work and home commitments, it can be tough to find time to keep on top of the cleaning chores. Know what I mean? If that’s you, then you probably leave things until the weekend or do a quick tidy up now and then. But, in the back of your mind, you know you want to get on top of the housework. Here are five ways to keep one step ahead of the dust and dirt – and on a daily basis.
Tidy up where you wake up
It can be really tempting to crawl out of bed in the morning, toss the sheets or duvet to one side, and leave the pillows hanging over the edge of the mattress. Sound familiar? Yes, we’ve probably all been there. Throw in some discarded clothes on the floor as well maybe?
But thinking clean on a daily basis needs to start in the bedroom. When you climb out of bed bleary-eyed, take a few minutes to tidy up the sheets, plump up the pillows and throw any dirty washing in the laundry bin. It’s quick and easy and will set the foundations for you to make cleaning and tidying up part of your daily routine. Having a tidy bedroom also helps to keep a tidy mind. You’ll also be glad you made an effort when it comes to going back to bed at the end of the day, a made bed is much better than a messy bed.
Don’t go solo
If there’s more than one of you in your house – family, friends or housemates – then get them all involved in the daily cleaning chores. If everyone takes 10 minutes each day to do their bit, it can really lighten the load.
Yes, that means keeping their bedrooms tidy. But it also means keeping on top of the washing up, putting dirty cups and plates in the dishwasher. Putting coats on the coat rack and shoes in the cupboard. And not leaving garbage around the house. It’s important that you regularly empty your bins and dispose of waste properly, to avoid any nasty invaders – and home pest control may be needed.
Pre-sleep clean
Get into the habit of setting aside 10 or 15 minutes before you go to bed, to do a quick clean around your home. Get everyone involved as just mentioned. You may have some laundry to fold up and put away, bins to empty and garbage to put outside. You could even run the vacuum around quickly, if you’re not going to wake any neighbours! Doing this each night will a) save you the pain of it when you get up in the morning and b) will stop things piling up over the course of the week.
Have cleaning products to hand
You’re far more likely to clean up in the bathroom or kitchen as you make a mess if you have the right cleaning products at hand. So, in the kitchen, make sure you have surface cleaners, oven sprays, washing up liquid in easy supply – somewhere you can just grab it from. Similarly, in the bathroom. And ensure you have some clothes nearby too. It’s far too easy to say: ‘I’ll do it later’ if you don’t have the tools you need to clean at hand. You may want to think about using some green cleaning products too!