Maintaining a clean and orderly house is no easy feat, whether it’s an apartment or a three-bedroom house, or whether you live with friends or you’re in a family of six. From grocery shopping and dish washing to doing the laundry and vacuuming, it often feels as though your housework never ends. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, tired or even distressed by your list of chores and tasks, keep reading. Here are four ways to stay on top of it!
Recruit the Entire Household
Unless you live alone, it’s not just you that is eating off dishes, drinking out of glasses, wearing clothes that need to be washed, or contributing to the general state of messiness in your home. Therefore, the burden of cleaning and tidying shouldn’t fall solely on your shoulders. Consider allocating different tasks to members of the household or have a pre-appointed time whereby everyone gathers to get their hands dirty. Boring tasks are always made easier when you’re doing it all together – you could even pop on some music!
Outsource the Cleaning Aspect of it
Sometimes, there are particular chores that we just hate. And oftentimes, those tasks are cleaning-related. Why not reduce your overall pile of housework and hire someone else to take care of your cleaning? To see what sort of things you can get help with, and what sort of rates you will have to pay, check out the websites of established cleaning companies such as Absolute Domestics. Always ensure you choose a reputable company that thoroughly vets its cleaners and remember to communicate clearly with your new helper.
Do a Little Each Day
Instead of getting overwhelmed by the stacks of things to do, break up your task list and try to tick off at least one thing per day. You could even come up with a calendar, where on each day, you must do a particular chore. Make a commitment to regularly clean and tidy, and that way, your weekend won’t be filled with dusting, settling and mopping.
Have a Power Hour
If you prefer to sit back and relax as much as possible during the working week, another way to stay on top of your housework is to have a ‘power hour’, whereby for 60 minutes, you are a cleaning machine. Don’t get distracted by the TV or your phone, and focus on finishing one task entirely before moving on. The idea of a power hour was introduced by author and organisational guru Gretchin Rubin and can really make a difference. Can you imagine if you and the entire family slogged away for an hour? The house would be spotless from top till bottom!
While it’s definitely not the most exciting or appealing aspect of our lives, cleaning and tidying can be very important to your hygiene and even mental health. How do you manage to motivate yourself when it comes to looking after your house? If you have any tips or tricks, share them in the comments section below.
