Kristina Soljo, aremedia.com.au
Life can get a little stressful, especially if you’re working all day, have a family to feed, and a messy home to clean. Ever wondered how you can streamline daily tasks to make it less hectic and more organised? Having a strong routine and daily cleaning habits is the answer.
Don’t believe us? Here are 12 cleaning habits to ensure you are saving time in your day and maintaining a happy, positive life.
1. Make your bed every day
There’s an old saying that if you make your bed in the morning, it will set you up for a productive day. Get into a routine of waking up and making your bed immediately – it’ll only take three minutes! Regardless of the style or storage situation elsewhere in your bedroom, it will make you feel in control and on top of your day.
2. Always load your dishwasher
Clearing dishes after a meal is one thing, but loading the dishwasher and handwashing your pots and pans, knives and chopping boards straight away will result in clean and tidy benchtops and prevent a build-up of dirty dishes to wash. Even if the dishwasher is not full, make a habit of loading it up and setting it to run, then wipe down your sink and bench for a clean and clear food prep area. Use a little air freshener or essential-oil-and-water spray to finish.
3. Tidy the bathroom vanity
Always put away your makeup and grooming products as soon as you’re finished with them and wipe down your vanity. Ensure there’s a place for everything, and keep clutter at bay. Organise your makeup and hair products into racks, drawers, or acrylic holders. If your makeup collection is extensive, it’s worth investing in storage designed to care for and organise it properly. Find stylish containers for storage of other essential items to keep your vanity beautiful. Don’t forget to replace your towels with a clean one a couple of times a week.
4. Use stackable containers for storage
Invest in a system of containers for your under-sink storage. Use as many as needed to fit the space and organise products by use and type. This also helps to keep your supplies fresh as items are less likely to get lost at the back of a shelf or cupboard.
5. Use baskets and/or drawers in your hallway
Shoes, hats, dog leads and umbrellas are often kept in the entrance hall for convenience, but they aren’t all attractive. With daily use, they tend to look untidy if not given adequate storage. Choose a set of drawers or freestanding baskets to organise your hallway and style it up with decorative hooks and holders to create a stylish welcome to your home.
6. Have a lightweight vacuum cleaner
You want a vacuum cleaner that’s easy to carry around your house, so a portable one is the answer to your incidental cleaning woes. Rather than lugging the whole unit everywhere, you’re more likely to grab a stick or hand-held dust buster for quick clean-ups and to whip around high-traffic areas in no time. Try to vacuum once every day to prevent build-up of dust, hair, and dirt.
7. Start a system to organise paperwork
A simple filing system for keeping and storing paperwork and receipts will not only save you time looking for papers, but it will also keep surfaces in your home clear. A cheap file organiser or set of chic drawers kept handy in your kitchen or living area works well for keeping receipts, school notes, invitations, and invoices.
8. Empty your bin often
Rather than letting kitchen and household rubbish bins pile up into a groaning, side-splitting mess, empty your bins often. This is a great job for children learning to contribute to housekeeping if you make it fun. A quick wipe down of the inside of your bin and frame each time you do so will keep things clean and hygienic. Place small bins in each room in your home to ensure litter doesn’t collect.
To aid in the breakdown of household waste, don’t tie your waste bags when you dispose of them – simply use the tabs to carry them to your wheelie bin and allow for the waste to tumble out into the garbage truck and, in turn, the dump. Better still, don’t use bags at all to line your bin.
Green tip:
9. Add indoor plants to your home
Plants are not only a beautiful addition visually, but they purify your air and keep you healthy, offsetting chemicals thrown off by plastics and finishes in your home.
10. Keep a cleaning cloth in each room
Having a small sponge or cleaning cloth in each room will make incidental cleanups easier. Tuck a sponge behind your vanity or in the corner cupboard, keep one in your bathroom and laundry for daily wipe-downs and hide dusting cloths at the back of bookshelves or cupboards in your home office or rooms removed from the kitchen or laundry where you store cleaning equipment.
11. Add to the grocery list
Keep paper handy so you can create a shopping list throughout the week. As you use up food or run out of cleaning products and household items, immediately write it on your list. You’ll no longer need to rummage through the house to figure out what to buy before heading to the shops.
12. Prepare lunches the night before
To save you from having to wake up early and whip together lunches for yourself and your family, do it the night before. You’ll thank yourself for it when you realise you have more time to get ready and eat something for breakfast.
14. Keep shopping bags handy
Stop buying a million grocery bags every time you go to the shops. Store grocery bags neatly by your entrance or in the boot of the car so when you plan to go to the shops, you can grab it and go!
13. Keep a to-do list
Admin chores like paying bills and organising handymen to come and fix that leaking tap can easily get pushed to the backburner. Stay on top of those tedious, easy-to-forget tasks by writing them all down on a weekly to-do list to make sure you get them done.
