Half an hour for each room: cleaning routines that will optimize your time
There will be times when immersing yourself in a thorough cleaning of the home is cathartic, especially if it is a matter of restoring order and harmony to neglected areas. But this is rarely the case, and most household cleaning chores are considered a burden. So, finding ways not have to do all the cleaning in a single day, we need a system.
One method, for example, might be to focus on one particular area per day for half an hour. Let's see how to do this below:
A trusted helper
If the house hasn't got too dirty (especially from pet hair, crumbs and the like), you can rely on a hand-held vacuum cleaner (dust-buster). With this appliance, you can pick up most superficial dirt and debris on the move. And doing this will mean you have to use the wheeled vacuum appliance much less.
Kitchen
A suggusted routine for the kitchen:
- Pick up all the trash and take it out of the kitchen;
- Change all dirty tea towels and dishcloths;
- Gather up in a basket or box (or trolley!) whatever shouldn't be in the kitchen, and put these items back where they should be
- Fridge audit: What's about to expire? What's gone off? What should be consumed very soon?
- Stoves: if they can be disassembled and cleaned, soak the parts in a basin with hot water, soap, bicarbonate (and also white vinegar or citric acid). Do the same with the grills. Meanwhile, clean the stove/oven/hob top.
- Worktops: use the most suitable detergent spray products depending on the material (even DIY ones with a drop of dishwashing liquid [or Marsaille soap] dissolved in a mixture of water and vinegar);
- Quickly wipe down the kitchen units with a microfibre cloth.
If there are guests
In case you are going to entertain guests, consider where you will be spending your time with them: kitchen, living room, balcony. And if they are overnighting, you need to take care of the bedroom for them.
Tidy up all these rooms in preparation for your guests. In addition to vacuuming and washing the floors, think about how to present the items they will use. Pillows arranged symmetrically, blankets or towels folded and carefully placed, no heaps of objects, boxes, or other junk laying around or visible. For those in a rush, you can toss all these "undesirables" into boxes for sorting through later.
Toilet
Whether we are by ourselves or in the company of guests, the bathroom always deserves special attention.
- Spray the product of your choice onto the dirtiest areas, and let it act;
- In the meantime, spray in hand, clean the bathroom shelves, throwing out any junk or garbage;
- After 10 minutes, go back and scrub and rinse the areas you sprayed earilier (usuall the toilet, sink, bidet, shower and/or tub)
- Wash the floors and you're done.
Productivity in the corner office
Even the most methodical, neatest person will find there are times the home office desk becomes a mess. There are days when we really don't have time to tidy up, but we should try to find 5 or 10 minutes from time to time to clean up the desk. And a clean, well-organized desk will help your productivity.
In short, it's best to do a little cleaning every day than be faced with a cleaning nightmare once a week!
