Most working adults find house cleaning tasks rather daunting. Maintaining the cleanliness of the home after the visit from a part time maid or weekly maid cleaning services might sound difficult for those who don’t have a cleaner that comes in frequently.
If you’re already juggling work and kids, and don’t have someone who comes in frequently to clean, here are six easy tasks that you can adapt to keep your house clean for a longer period of time.
1. Do the dishes every day
If you cook and eat your meals at home every day, don’t forget to do the dishes right after a meal. Minimise the use of dishes so you’ll have less to clean.
A house will feel dirty and might smell bad if the dishes are left unwashed overnight or worse yet, for days on end.
Dirty dishes will invite unwanted guests – imagine a flurry of disgusting cockroaches making themselves at home in the sink.
Make sure you remember to scrub the sink clean after washing the last item and discard any food bits caught in the sink’s strainer. Leaving food bits lying around will certainly attract more unwanted critters.
2. Vacuum the floors
A vacuum is certainly more efficient at sucking up dust, dirt and pet fur than sweeping, no matter how thorough you are with the broom.
Focus on areas in your home such as the living room, dining room and kitchen since these areas received the most foot traffic throughout the day.
Most commercial vacuums work on hard surfaces as well as carpet. Only vacuum areas you’ve just used, that you think needs the most cleaning.
Leave other areas for days when you have more time than 10 minutes on your hands to spare for house cleaning.
3. Wipe down visible surfaces
Big flat surfaces like tables and countertops are where dust is most noticeable. So, try out a few dusting options such as a microfibre cloth or a feather duster to ensure these surfaces stay clean.
This easy task will take you just a few minutes and yet it will make a huge difference to the overall cleanliness of your home.
Accumulated dust gets into your eyes, irritates your nose and will make your beautiful furniture and cabinets look considerably less attractive than it actually really is.
Spend some time wiping down the obvious visible areas such as the dining table, kitchen countertop and coffee table. It doesn’t take long!
4. Don’t forget the bathroom
The most important room in your house needs to be kept as clean as possible. So, wipe down wet countertops every day and scrub the toilet briefly every other day.
There is little need to spend hours cleaning the entire bathroom. Rather you want to clean each fitting every couple of days.
For example, on Tuesday you could give your sink a wipe down and on Thursday you can do the same for your toilet bowl. By rotating these tasks, you’ll spend considerably less time cleaning yet achieving the same results.
5. Protect the furniture
Furniture sprays and carpet sealants will protect against accidental spills. Instead of liquid being absorbed quickly into the fabric, it will remain on the surface of the fabric instead.
Some of these products can also protect coloured fabrics from fading fast. And many too also repel mold, mildew, and bacteria.
Apply the appropriate sealer once a year after a major cleaning of upholstery and thorough carpet cleaning.
6. Clear away the little things every night
Keep the home looking neat with minimal effort. Before retiring to bed every night, clear away empty glasses, misplaced mail/bills, pieces of paper, magazines, envelopes, pencils, or other foreign objects.
Store away these items in their respective containers or cabinets, or discard those you no longer need.
If you’re in a rush, chuck them into a corner, or a dedicated room. This is a convenient trick as well but don’t make it a habit!
This article first appeared in kaodim.com
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