I hate cleaning the house. If I could spend all my time reading, cooking, and creating stuff that is what I would do. My sister on the other hand does not mind cleaning the house, she enjoys it. The one thing I struggle with is floors. Most houses in Zimbabwe have concrete floors and you have to put floor polish and shine them kneeling on the floor. I CAN”T! My knees just can not handle it. In my mother’s house I could get my sister to do it for me but when I got married and had to do it at my in-laws. Lets just say I am terrible when it comes to floors.
I am always on the lookout for ways to make cleaning easier and less time consuming. Here is how I try (try being the key word) to keep my house clean:
Create a cleaning schedule – I function better when I have a routine and schedule. I usually do my shopping on a Friday and I do my laundry on Thursdays. I am not militant about it but having a schedule keeps me organised and I am able to do much more and spend more time with my family. Here is an example of a schedule that you can keep from Greater Than Rubies.
Source: Greater Than Rubies
Use a large laundry basket or box to collect things like clothes and toys – You have to remember to put everything back where it is supposed to be. I am bad with this because I always forget to empty the boxes until there is way too much stuff in them. I like this tip from Mordern Mrs Darcy, she uses her baskets when she is expecting visitors and does not have a lot of time to clean.
Source: Modern Mrs Marcy
Make your bed everyday– The first thing I do when I wake up is make my bed, when the bed is made up the room looks fifty percent better.
10 minute pick-up – Spend 10 minutes a day picking up stuff that is out of place and putting it back where it is supposed to be.
De-clutter often – It easy to keep things that you do not need over years. I have learnt not to be so tied to the material things I have. I used to get sick, literally, when I lost something I owned. Now it is easier for me to let go of things that I own. Give clothes, toys and books to someone who needs them or sell them for some extra cash. Go through your clothes and you may realise that you gone for years without wearing these clothes. Here is an excellent post that shows how to declutter by room from Homedit.
Source: Homedit
Clean as you go -I like to cook and bake and I find that if I wash the dishes as I cook, after dinner I will only have a few dishes to clean. This really helps because after dinner I begin to feel lazy(well more than I usually feel).