A quarter of Aussies spend more than three hours a week vacuuming, mopping and dusting and this doesn’t include the time we spend on washing up, doing laundry and ironing. The to-do list of chores can sometimes seem overwhelming and never-ending, especially if you work full-time and try to cram everything into the weekends.
Chances are, as a mum, you’re the one who’s doing all the chores and while there are ways of getting your husband to be more helpful at home, we’re focusing here on how you can reclaim your weekend with six simple cleaning tips.
6 cleaning tips so you can take back your weekends
Cleaning isn’t exactly our favourite activity, with new research from Fantastic Services Group revealing a quarter of us admit we’re just too busy to clean. In our day-to-day juggle of trying to balance work, family, keeping our houses tidy and some semblance of a social life, it is no surprise we can’t always give our all in every area. However, what we can do is implement routines, organisational hacks and shortcuts to make our lives easier and our busy schedules more manageable.
1. Stop associating chores with the weekend
Where many of us go wrong is associating housework or chores only with our weekends, as if there’s some universal rule stopping us from doing the vacuuming on a Monday. Learn to clean clever and try taking on one task a day that you would usually leave for your weekends. For example, on Monday, you might vacuum and mop the floors, Tuesday you could wipe down the bathrooms, Wednesday could be tidying up the bedrooms and so on. By doing some quick cleaning throughout the week, you’ll find yourself getting to the weekend without much left to do.
2. Keep your cleaning products easily accessible
While it might not be as aesthetically pleasing, keeping your cleaning products within arm’s reach of where you actually need to use them will help you to stay on top of the cleaning without much effort. It can be tempting to keep all of your cleaning products together under the laundry sink, but it doesn’t really come in handy when you’re in the shower and notice that the glass could really use a clean. Try keeping a dish wand (filled with detergent) in the shower for a super-quick clean while your hair mask soaks in or keeping a pack of antibacterial wipes in the vanity to quickly wipe down the bathroom while you brush your teeth. Having your go-to products close by will mean you’re more likely to spot clean when something needs it, rather than making a mental note to get to it later.
3. Clean up the clutter
To make dusting and wiping down surfaces even faster for you, keep on top of the clutter and try to minimise the décor on tabletops, bookshelves and TV units. Not only will it mean less places for dust to settle but it will also mean there are less things to move and clean around.
Read: Get your kids to clean their room in 7 easy steps
4. Keep it regular
Although it might seem contradictory, booking in regular cleaning with a professional will cost you less than infrequent one-off deep cleans in the long run. With regular cleaning, high traffic areas are more easily maintained, meaning each clean will be consistently quicker and therefore, cheaper. Regular cleaning will also reduce the work needed when it comes time for a deep clean and help to extend the life of surfaces and appliances.
5. Lock in loyalty programs
Don’t be scared to shop around for professional cleaners who offer loyalty and reward programs for their services. Booking multiple appointments and establishing a relationship with a professional cleaner will reflect in the price of services. If you are investing in a regular cleaner, make sure you are getting the best deal and not missing out on any extra add-ons offered for loyalty.
6. Schedule in the “I’ll get around to it” jobs
Sacrificing one weekend in a month to get to one of the bigger cleaning jobs can be less daunting than having them accumulate and transform into one massive job that you never get to because it’s simply too much. The secret is to schedule it into your calendar. If you engage a regular cleaner, switching in some odd jobs like the windows or oven into the usual cleaning circuit once or twice a month will help to ensure that everything stays clean, without adding the extra cost of an alternative call-out for these odd jobs.
Consider professional cleaning
While cost is often the biggest barrier to getting a professional cleaner in, there can sometimes be other cost benefits of outsourcing the housework to someone else. It’s all about weighing if you would prefer two hours of regular cleaning a week instead of a Saturday night takeaway or more time to spend with family and friends, doing things that you love.
When it comes to getting the most value out of a professional cleaner, it is crucial to make sure that they are on the same page when it comes to your expectations, desired tasks and length of the clean. It is recommended you sit down with your cleaner and go through a regular schedule to ensure all surfaces are touched regularly.
