Some people have a pure love for cleaning & organising. However, for me, I really have to be in the mood to clean. Once I’m in that mood it’s fine. There’re so many other things I would rather be doing.
Mustering up the motivation to get started on a house clean can feel impossible! Unless we have friends or family coming over, then I seem to find it easy to clean. Is that being house proud or just not wanting the place to look like a tip? It is nice to have a clean house. The house is never messy, it’s just sometimes it isn’t as ‘on point’ as it could be. However, i do love a declutter – almost obsessively at times!
Anyway, here are a few of my tips to make cleaning a bit easier and more pleasant.
Clean In The Mornings
If you do the tasks you really don’t want to do at the beginning of your day, you’ll be able to enjoy the rest of your day. Knowing you’ve taken care of the worst task to do that day.
Get Organising
Many people love to have a schedule to stick to when it comes to boring tasks like house cleaning. Things that get scheduled generally have a better chance of getting done…apparently!
For example, for many people, Sunday mornings are all about making sure the house is clean and tidy. Getting the washing cleaned before work the next day. I did try to do this for a while but instead of leaving it to do all on one day. I try to task myself with one cleaning things to do each day.
So on a Monday I might do the washing, Tuesday the hoovering…etc. That way I have Sunday to do what i please.
Prepare Your Cleaning Tools
Make sure you have all of your tools and cleaning products with you before you start cleaning. This way you won’t get distracted having to run off to find what you need.
Many people swear by having a cleaning caddy to store all their bits and bobs in. Something easy to carry around with you while your on the go.
You could even join AO Five Star Membership and save money on your cleaning and household supplies.
Cleaning Equipment
Making sure you have the right equipment is an important part of being able to clean properly and efficiently. Getting good cleaning tools might be a bit of a boring way to spend your hard earned money. However, most will last a long time and will make your cleaning faster and more efficient.
The standard products might include…
- A duster or microfibre cloth
- A hoover
- Window cleaning spray
- Bathroom cleaner
- A sponge
- Bacterial spray
- A broom
That’s pretty much all you need to do the basics of a house clean these days, and you don’t always need everything on that list either. You may be able to do it with a lot less.
However, do get yourself a microfibre cloth of some kind as they can be used in a multitude of ways around your home. Something like these from Paragon Microfibre would be ideal.
You can use them for dusting, for buffing out smears on windows, cleaning your car, cleaning work surfaces…etc. Plus, the recycled eco-wipes are £4.99 for a pack of x10 – £0.49 per cloth is fab!
Where To Start
The most difficult part of any boring job is to get it started. Nothing could be more true when it comes to jobs like cleaning.
I try not to think too much about where I am going to start. I just have a wonder around the house and the first thing I see that needs a clean is where I start. It’s normally something like hoovering or putting clothes away which then leads on to other areas of the house.
Avoid Distractions
These days we have more distractions than ever which makes it so easy to get off topic. You think a quick check of social media or a text message might only take a few seconds.
However, down the wormhole you go and before you know it’s been an hour! Try to make sure anything that might distract you is out of eye sight and temptation.
Whistle While You Clean
Okay, so you might not whistle while you clean, but perhaps you could play some music to get you moving? A little music can go a long way to putting you in the right frame of mind. Just make sure it’s something that will motivate you.
Tidy Up & Declutter
Remember, you aren’t trying to clean the house for a visit from the Queen! You’re simply trying to tidy up and de-clutter a bit, it doesn’t have to look spotless.
They say that for an average size house, it shouldn’t take one person more than 90 minutes each week to clean to a good standard. So don’t get caught up trying to clean one area of the house for hours on end, it just isn’t worth it!
Treat Yourself
I guess the day to day jobs like cleaning or things that have to be done we don’t think to congratulate ourselves for doing because, well, why would we, it’s only a bit of cleaning!
However, thats not the way to think about it at all. It’s a brogan thing to have to do and you got yourself motivated enough to get up and do it so that in itself should be reason to give yourself a pat on the back…isn’t it?!
When you’ve finished your cleaning tasks, why not reward yourself by going out for some lunch with friends, or allow yourself time to watch a film, or just generally have some well deserved ‘you’ time.
Whatever you decide to do to treat yourself, it’s an important part of the process because this time next week when it’s time to clean again, you’ll remember that when your cleaning time is over, you get to reward yourself with something fabulous.
How do you start your cleaning & organising tasks?
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