Enjoy Cleaning and Housework

It's a fact of life that you'll need to clean, even if there are a million other things you'd rather be doing. However, it doesn't need to be a miserable or tedious endeavor. It's easy to make it more enjoyable. Keep reading for detailed instructions.

Steps

  1. Get extra help.
    • Delegate to family members. Don't try to clean up after the whole family all by yourself.
    • Play a game with the kids. Tell them "I'm thinking of a toy that's on the floor. Whoever picks it up first gets to sit in my lap for story time."
    • Play lively music and dance a few steps. It'll keep you moving along while having fun.
    • Listen to an audio book with a long project.
    • Time yourself. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and clean as much as you can. Make a game out of cleaning by competing against time.
    • Play a game. Allow yourself only ten minutes per hour to get up and clean. You'll be surprised by your ingenuity and efficiency with only a limited amount of time to devote to cleaning throughout the day.
  2. Learn some technique.
    • Each time you clean the same area, perfect your technique and routine until it requires little or no effort.
    • Let your dishes soak. They'll be easier to clean. Put the leftovers away and clean the stove and counters in the meantime.
    • Let tough dish stains soak overnight.
    • Let the cleaner do the work. For most surfaces (with the exception of wood), let the cleaner soak for a while before wiping it clean.
    • Learn to clean windows with a squeegee.
    • Learn to clean a microwave with minimal effort.
    • Scrub and soak stained clothes before putting them in the washing machine.
    • Do the most difficult things first. As you near the end, you won't have to work as hard.
  3. Get rid of the clutter.
    • If you have less, there's less to clean.
    • You'll still have to tend to everything if you just bring it from one area to another.
    • Discard unnecessary items rather than cleaning them or cleaning around them.
    • Try a game. Grab a bag for trash and donations. Pick a number, such as 25, and go as fast as you can putting that number of items into a bag. This prevents dawdling over any one item.
    • Drop your donations off regularly or phone a truck for pickup.
  4. Avoid making extra work for yourself.
    • Use doormats to reduce the frequency of sweeping and washing the floor.
    • Choose surfaces and arrangements that are easy to clean. For example, either put the sofa right up against the wall or put it far enough away from the wall, to get a vacuum cleaner behind it, without having to move it.
    • Don't bother to fold underwear; just sort it and dump it in the drawer. Nobody's going to check.
    • Don't just throw your clothes in the closet; take a moment to hang them up. When things are accessible, it saves time in the long run.
  5. Work towards being organized.
    • Organize the kitchen. It's a very active place.
    • Keep working surfaces free of clutter, such as the bathroom and kitchen counters.
    • Make your bed every day. This provides a big surface area to sort through your things. It gives the room an overall tidy appearance.
    • Keep your drawers, cupboards and closets more spacious. Retain a minimal amount of clothing or towels. It will take a lot longer to put away laundry if there's limited space.
    • Keep things handy. Set up an area to have everything you'll need.

      • Hang an extra towel in the kitchen to add convenience.

      • If paying the bills, have your checkbook, Choose a Calculator, envelopes, postage stamps and pen readily available in a basket or desk drawer.
    • Be neat. If you have a lot of mail, place it in a pile with the most important envelopes on the top.
    • Try not to let things pile up. One piece of paper in a cleaned area can give you an excuse to add more.
  6. Tidy as you go along.
    • Do you have a few minutes while you're waiting for something to cook? Put away the dishes while you're still in the kitchen. Straighten the Make Your Silverware Sparkle (Liquid Dish Soap Method) drawer.
    • Keep a container of wipes in the bathroom and run one over the toilet or sink while you're still in there.
    • Going up or down the stairs? Is there anything that should go with you to be put away?
    • Bring things a little closer to where they belong as you're walking by. Always have something in your hand that's headed in the same direction.
  7. Clean a small area at a time. Work on one drawer or cabinet per session and don't overdo it.
  8. Focus on one area at a time. This week, clean the kitchen more thoroughly, doing only minimal upkeep in other areas. Next week, move on to the bedroom, bathroom, living room and so on.
  9. Make your mess neat and keep it out of the way.
    • Think about your habits and traffic patterns. Leave things in a convenient location until you have time to deal with them later.

      • Undress near your closet so that your shoes are closer to where they belong. Place a hamper within the same area.

      • Place a basket next to the couch for your books, newspapers or crafts; you can always put them away later.
    • Have zones where you allow yourself to be messy. Perhaps your desk, workshop or Organize Craft Supplies room could be off limits to others. Just close the door or simply acknowledge that this area is too busy or too creative to keep clean.
  10. Make things visibly neat.
    • Empty the dishwasher promptly. An empty dishwasher means less dirty dishes in the sink.
    • Focus on cleaning certain central, highly visible areas first, especially if someone is coming over. Gather everything together and store it behind a closed door, such as in a closet or in the bedroom.
    • Whatever you do, don't start tearing apart drawers or closets if you are cleaning for a Entertain With Ease that is about to arrive.
  11. Make your progress visible.
    • You and your family will appreciate what has been cleaned and automatically spend more time keeping it clean.
    • Take pride in a job well done, even if it means you only have one gleaming spot in the chaos.

Tips

  • Don't let yourself be distracted or interrupted. Don't answer the phone, watch television or sit at the computer. You'll end up doing nothing.
  • Tolerate a bit of mess. Let things go at Free Your Time by Reducing Your Possessions. You don't need to be so meticulous. Keeping things completely spotless at all times requires a lot more effort than keeping things reasonably in order. Besides, you have better things to do.

Warnings

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