With a house full of kids and dogs, I often wonder if it is actually possible to keep the house clean. I ask myself this question, especially on a Saturday morning when I have been cleaning for a few hours. I wonder if it is possible to clean your house on a budget. By 'budget' I am referring to time. I don't have all the time in the world so cleaning on a time budget is very challenging. I went to the expert (the internet) in search of tips and ideas to help me and other moms who have the same problem out.
The bottom line is that the house still has to get cleaned and it is NOT going to happen if you are the only one doing it, so lets review a few tips to help you retain your sanity (and keep the house clean):
1. Dealing With What Comes Through The Door. Set up a small area by the front door to act as a landing strip for incoming items into your home.
2. Do Your Dishes After Every Meal. This will help you stay on top of your kitchen instead of having it turn into a monster! No one really wants to do them (after all, you probably cooked dinner to boot). But waiting for another meal or until you have enough to fill the dishwasher just makes things feel overwhelming and easier to put off. The same goes for take out trash as well. If you need to take the trash out, place it by the front door to go out in the morning or dispose of it that night so it's over and done with.
3. Set a Timer. It's easy to rationalize 20 minutes, but it's also easy to get distracted by phone calls, emails, children and other projects that call your name as you tackle each chore. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes (which ever works best for you) and that way when it sounds you know exactly how much time you have left. If you find yourself off task it's easy to get back on track. You can commit to 20 minutes per day to cleaning. You will be surprised how easy it makes the weekends!
4. Laundry. We all have it and it adds up quickly. If you have a washer and dryer at home, do a little bit each day. Spread things out so you don't feel bogged down by lots of laundry waiting for you on Saturday morning. If you take things to a laundromat, sort clothes as you go so things are easier to load up into machines when you get there. Fold them before you come home.
5. Whistle While You Work. Those who are happiest when cleaning are few and far between. Get a music playlist, put in those headphones (or crank up your house stereo system) and get down while you get clean!
With just these few tips, I am already off to a great start in cleaning my house on a (time) budget!
For great housecleaning tools, check out the Mint Floor Cleaner Review or the Shark Navigator Lift Away Review
