Housework is a massive time drain. Nobody likes scrubbing the bathroom or vacuuming the carpets. It’s boring and can often feel like a pointless exercise if the room looks like a disaster zone within ten minutes of you packing your cleaning equipment away. Unfortunately, cleaning is not something we should avoid doing. People who never clean their houses end up living in squalor surrounded by stray cats and ten years’ worth of junk. So if you would quite like to spend more quality time with your family without neglecting your household chores, here are a few simple ideas to get you started.
Learn to Multitask
Multitasking is an art form. Most of us multitask without thinking twice about it – we read emails whilst chatting on the phone a million times a day – so there is no reason why you can’t use this skill when cleaning the house.
Sticking solely to one task is not time efficient. You will be able to get a lot more done in less time if you do two things at once. For example, whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, empty the dishwasher. Or, disinfect kitchen surfaces once the dinner is in the oven. There are lots of ways to combine two or more chores, but you do need to make sure you finish everything you start or you’ll end up in a bit of a pickle.
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Schedules are useful for creating a degree of semblance to your busy week. A schedule will also help to break down housework into smaller, bite sized tasks, which should enable you to get more done. How you create a schedule is up to you, but if you want other people to participate, stick it on the kitchen wall in plain view – a white board is useful in this regard. Alternatively, use a smartphone calendar to assign tasks for each day of the week. That way you can change things if unexpected commitments arise.
Short and Sweet
When time is in short supply, you can achieve a lot by doing housework in ten-minute slots. It only takes ten minutes to vacuum a room, load up the dishwasher, put some washing on, or empty the tumble drier. Keep things short and sweet and you will get a lot more done.
Invest in Cool Gadgets
Vacuum cleaners are essential for keeping on top of dust and grime, but there are a whole host of tools that can help make cleaning the home much easier. For example, a multi-tasking steam cleaner can be invaluable if you have hard floors to maintain and windows to wash. Investing in versatile gadgets like this can save you both time and space in the home as they can be used for a variety of cleaning tasks.
Assign Tasks to Family Members
There is no law that says you have to do all of the housework on your own. If you share your home with other people, they also need to take some responsibility for helping out. The more everyone chips in, the more quality time you can spend together as a family. So if they refuse to lift a finger, remind them of this!
If you have zero free time and some spare cash, consider hiring a cleaner to tackle the main tasks on a weekly basis. It could be a worthwhile investment.
