Sometimes the idea of cleaning the house can make you just want to curl up and take a nap.
Throw a kid or two (or three) into the mix and it can just feel like an impossible task.
As with many jobs, one way to make it feel more manageable is to break it down into smaller parts.
Here we have a checklist for you that will help you get some chores done each day that will have a big impact on the look of your home.
Who knows, it may even make you feel as though the house is reasonably tidy enough to invite someone over…
- Sort out the clean and dirty clothes (3 minutes) – that means putting away the clean clothes, and popping anything that needs a wash into the laundry basket. Which leads us nicely into….
- Put a load of washing on (4 minutes) – there is nothing more satisfying than closing the lid on a machine full of washing. Or is that just me? Doing a load of laundry every morning gives you time to hang it out mid-morning and bring it in that afternoon. Staying on top of the clothes now means you won’t spend your Sunday morning doing 5 loads of washing to prepare for the week.
- Wipe all the surfaces in the kitchen (3 minutes) – benches, stove, cupboards, fridge – if you give it a quick wipe now you won’t need to spend much time doing a big scrub later on.
- Sweep up (3 minutes) – once the kids have gone to bed it’s nice to be able to walk around bare foot without stepping into a pasta shell from dinner or toast crumb from breakfast. So anywhere with floor boards or tiles gets a quick sweep. It also means you will have to vacuum it less often.
- Make the bed (2 minutes) – I know, I know, you’re only going to crawl back into it tonight aren’t you? But a made bed can really help you feel on top of things in terms of a tidy bedroom. It also discourages you from hopping back into it when you have a million other things to do.
- Put away the obvious clutter (3 minutes) – when the kids are all tucked in, it’s time to turn your lounge room back into an adult zone. Have a big storage tub for all the toys with a lid so that you feel extra tidy. Get rid of any cups, shoes, bags, towels, hats, rubbish, bottles, clothes, tissues and general junk that gets left around during the day.
- Read and action the mail (2 minutes) – instead of leaving it in a pile to sort out later, allocate a time each day to go through your mail. Toss any junk and used envelopes into the recycling and take action on anything that needs your attention. Stick bills on the fridge and pop a reminder in your phone to pay them.
- Tidy the lounge room before bed (3 minutes) – before you retire for the night, imagine how you will feel in the morning if you come out to a lounge room that has pillows strewn around and an empty wine glass on the table. Doing a very quick spruce of the area will take no time at all but will make the early morning start much more bearable.
- Give the bathroom a once over (3 minutes) – this will prevent any major grime from building up. Wipe the sink, shelves, mirror and top of the toilet. Squeeze a little toilet cleaner in and give it a very quick scrub. When you’re in the shower give it a quick wipe down so that when you go to do the main clean later on it’s not too dirty.
- Get the dishes done (12 minutes) – there is nothing worse than waking up to dirty dishes in the sink. Before bed, rope someone in to help you put the dishes in the dishwasher or give them a quick wash.
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