Cleaning may not be the most exciting task you do on a day-to-day basis, but it is a necessary one. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that up to 3.2 hours per day are spent on house cleaning duties. When you’re already giving up huge chunks of your day for commuting, working, school, family time, and other responsibilities, three hours of cleaning on top of that can sound daunting. Take a look at your cleaning routine, and try a few of these tips to make it more efficient, freeing up more time for family and leisure.
Not Putting Everything in its Place
Lessen the amount of time you spend cleaning up by adopting the habit of putting things in their proper place. Opened mail, toys, clothing and gadgets can easily pile up when they are strewn across common areas of the home like the living room and the kitchen, making the clean-up process seem even more overwhelming. Organized Home recommends looking over your house as though you are a professional cleaner.
Train yourself to unpack right away after a vacation, and to put everything away immediately when you come home from a shopping trip for groceries or home essentials. Teach your other family members to do the same, and encourage your kids to put old toys away before they choose something new to play with. “If a child is old enough to get out a toy to play, she is old enough to put it away,” assures Unclutter.com.
Ignoring Tech Tools
The process of vacuuming can seem never-ending when you try to tackle the whole house at once. If the majority of your time seems to be spent on cleaning the floors, consider putting technology to work for you. A robot vacuum works slowly throughout the day to scan across your floor’s surface and pick up debris. It’s a higher cost upfront than a traditional vacuum in most cases, however many see it as money well-spent when they get to spend the time they saved with family.
Robot vacuums aren’t for everyone, however, especially if you have a house that’s under a pet hair invasion or one that is more than one level. In this case, consider picking up a high tech Dyson vacuum or another high-end vacuum brand that will make your vacuuming more efficient. The cleaning power of these quality vacuums ensures that debris gets picked up at first pass, allowing you to get through each room more quickly.
Decentralized Supplies
If you’re making several steps to the laundry room for supplies while you’re trying to clean the rest of the house, you’re being inefficient. Instead, put all of your cleaning supplies in a single, central location so you have one stop to get everything. Use a cleaning tote to take the basics with you from room to room, such as window cleaner, paper towels and furniture oil. Real Simple suggests using a shoe organizer to store cleaning supplies in the closet when they’re not in use.