You cannot exercise control over every aspect of your life, but you can certainly control the state of your home. Keeping your house pristine does not only entail many health benefits, but it can help reduce your stress levels. Because there is not anything quite as satisfying as coming home after a long day of work, you need to make sure that your little personal space remains clean and tidy.
Cleaning a house from top to bottom, especially if it is a big one, can be tantamount to a vigorous workout, though. So, you might not be able to spare such tasks enough time. What if we told you that you could cut the time it takes to tidy up your home in half? Read on to discover some of the best expert tips that will help you save time and effort when it is time to take out your vacuum cleaner and duster!
Set a Schedule
Cleaning your house should not be something you do haphazardly. While you should not waste too much time planning out each task, you should at least set a weekly and monthly schedule for such chores. This way, you can be mentally prepared to resist distractions and get a move on when the time comes. Moreover, having a schedule can help you get all the products you need beforehand, saving you the time you would otherwise need for a last-minute run to your local retailer.
Declutter
Tidying up an already cluttered space can take twice the effort, leaving you out of breath and unwilling to finish up more demanding tasks. For this reason, you have to declutter the rooms you are planning to clean before you actually start vacuuming or dusting. If you have kids, you can ask them to help you put their toys in place. Not only will this make your kids more independent and prevent some accidents that result from tripping on strewn items, but it will also save you tons of time.
Don’t Repeat Tasks When Not Needed
Some people like to vacuum, dust, and wipe every surface they lay eyes on every time they clean their houses. This is simply counter-productive because it wastes a lot of time and effort. Some tasks should not be done every time you need to tidy up your house.
Vacuuming, in particular, is a chore that takes time and effort, which is why it should not be done often. Once a week should be enough to keep your carpets in top-notch condition. However, if you have pets or want to ensure that high-traffic areas remain clean, it can be done twice a week.
You may also use a timer if you are prone to distractions. This idea may sound a bit ridiculous, but you’d be surprised at how effective it can actually be. When you know that you have a limited amount of time before you have to move on to the next task, you are going to automatically try to finish the chore at hand faster.
If you do not know how much time to allocate for each task, there are some guidelines you can follow. As a general rule of thumb, you should not spend more than 15-20 minutes on vacuuming while dusting should take only around 10-15 minutes.
Soak Your Sink and Bathtub
Scrubbing your sink and bathtub requires elbow grease, not to mention that it is one of the most time-consuming cleaning tasks. Nevertheless, you do not actually have to scrub for hours to get the pristine surfaces of your dreams. In this regard, experts that run domestic cleaning services recommend that you plug your sink and bathtub and fill them with water and some detergent, or suitable stain remover if the situation is too dire. You can then leave them to soak and go on about other tasks. This will save you from 10-20 minutes of hard work.
Dust First
A big mistake that many homeowners do when they attempt to clean their houses is to vacuum before they dust. This will only make you redouble your efforts since you are going to need to remove the dust that has fallen onto your recently cleaned carpets. When you are in the midst of a cleaning spree, always remember to dust before you vacuum. However, make sure to cover your face when you do so to avoid triggering symptoms if you are asthmatic. Surgical masks or even makeshift ones can help you dust without bursting into a coughing fit!
Be Smart About Vacuuming
Do you know that there is a right vacuuming technique you should follow to save time? If you have no idea about this technique, then chances are that you are doing it wrong. You need to move the handle both horizontally and vertically to make sure that you are thoroughly cleaning your carpets.
Furthermore, you should not apply too much pressure when vacuuming because a) ouch, that hurts and b) it won’t do you much good anyway. Finally, try to plug your vacuum into a socket that is located in the middle of the house to avoid plugging and unplugging it several times as you move around.
Don’t Clean Everything
If you are a neat freak, this can sound like an awful tip, but you really do not have to tidy up all rooms every time you decide to indulge in a little cleaning spree. Some areas, such as your basement, attic, or guest room need to be cleaned only once every month or two, as they are not always in use anyway. So, save yourself the time and effort and focus on high-traffic areas like your bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bathroom.
A clean house equals a clear mind. Because you do not have to spare cleaning sprees hours of your precious time, you need to be tactful about how you go about it. The above tips will help you cut back on the time and effort you normally need to tidy up your home. However, if you have a busy schedule and cannot make time for cleaning at all, you can always look for professional cleaning services in your area.
Safetyhub.net
