Some People Waste Hours Doing These Household Chores Wrong – Do You?
We all have to do cleaning at some point, whether we like it or not, but are you doing it right? In this article Melanie Saunders gives you some simple tips to help you get through your cleaning chores quicker freeing up more time for the things you enjoy.
No one has time to keep an immaculate house every moment of the day. When you get around to doing all of those cleaning chores you’ve been meaning to do for a while, it could take much longer than you expect. By changing your schedule a little bit and trying new approaches to common problems, you can potentially save hours of your time. Whether you want that time to get some extra work done, hang out with your family, or watch some Netflix in your comfortable pajama pants, you’ll be able to do the things that matter more to you.
Scrubbing Almost Anything
Tiles, showers, sinks, and even greasy dishes take a long time to scrub clean. Rather than attacking them with all of the energy you can muster, you’re better off letting your cleaning supplies do a little more of the work.
If you prep surfaces that need to be scrubbed with the right kind of cleaning agent and leave them alone for a little while, the detergents will do most of the work. Leave them to sit while you clean other areas of your home. By the time you come back to them, they’ll be easy to scrub. You’ll get more done in less time.
Cleaning the Oven
Just about every oven on the market is self-cleaning. This seems like a lifesaver until you actually turn on that self-cleaning feature! The whole house starts to smell bad, and you have to open up all the windows and you need to wait until the cleaning cycle is done to cook dinner, and all of this can really throw your schedule out.
Rather than waiting until your oven desperately needs a deep clean, try cleaning up small messes as you go. If you have a small spill, clean it up right away. Taking a few minutes immediately saves you a few hours later, and it keeps the house smelling much better. You then can devote your spare time to other kitchen chores.
If you want to save even more time, invest in some oven liners. Cover it with aluminum foil, and throw it away when it gets dirty. You’ll barely need to clean your oven at all because all of the spills essentially wind up in your trash can.
Purging the Fridge
When you go to put the leftovers away and you realize you can barely shut the door of the refrigerator, you know it’s time to drag the garbage can over and get to work. You’ll have to check the expiration dates on everything, empty your containers, and wash all of your reusable food storage.
Try cleaning your fridge just a little bit every day. When something new goes in, something old has to come out. When the time comes to wipe down the shelves, you won’t have nearly as much to do. It’s the difference between spending an entire afternoon playing catch up or spending five minutes tossing a few things in the garbage when you need to.
Editor’s Note: If you’re really messy like me then think about covering your fridge shelves with plastic wrap, that way you can just peel off the wrap, and replace with little or no need to do a full clean.
Dusting Your Shelves
Dust is going to accumulate no matter what you do. It’s easier to vacuum up that dust than it is to hit every shelf with a duster. If you opt for closed top shelves and place all of your stuff (such as books) completely beneath the edges of your shelves, dust won’t have a place to settle. By keeping your reading material and knick-knacks completely sheltered by the top of another shelf, dust won’t even have a chance to find them.
Folding and Ironing Laundry
You don’t want to wind up with piles of wrinkled clothes everywhere, but folding laundry takes a lot of time. Rather than folding things, roll them up. Tucking the sleeves under a shirt and rolling it up tightly will allow you to fit more into a single drawer. You won’t have any creases to contend with, and you’ll be able to handle a full laundry basket in just a few minutes. No more ironing, and no more folding.
It doesn’t take a long time to do things the right way. Don’t inconvenience yourself with chores that drive you insane when there’s almost always a workaround that will save you hours of your time.
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