Cleaning the house is not an easy thing to do, especially if you have a big family. Choosing a day like Saturday or Sunday to wash all the dirty clothes, clean the dust and windows, rearrange all misplaced stuff and etc., is a thing most of the people do. However, if you split all the tasks from that “day for cleaning” on all the other days of the week, you can end up with cleaning for only 20 minutes a day. Therefore, you might start enjoying the weekends with your family and friends, and while doing some more joyful activities.
Here are the tips on how to clean your house in 20 minutes each day, for 30 days:
1) Sing while cleaning
Let’s be honest, not many people enjoy spending their time cleaning. But while doing this, whistling, singing, and humming might help. So turn up the stereo and play your favorite music.
2) Time for dishes – wash them after every meal
As more you collect dirty dishes, as more time you will need to make yourself actually doing them. This is why you should wash the dishes after every meal and save yourself the trouble. Or at least place them into a dishwasher straight after.
3) Dealing with incoming items
Every front door should have a small area that can serve as a “landing strip” for everything that comes through the door. This is the place where you can hang the jackets and coats, leave you handbags or backpacks, get rid of the shoes, place to leave your keys and etc.
4) Laundry – don’t leave everything for the weekend
Don’t leave all the laundry for one day, rather spread it and do a bit every day. In case you don’t have your own washer at home, separate dirty clothes before you go to the laundry room. As soon as they are done, fold them before bringing them home and save your precious time.
5) Set a Timer
It is easy to get distracted by emails, calls, children or something else while cleaning. To keep up with your 20 minutes a day cleaning, set up a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, so that you know how much time exactly passed. The following list contains the activities which should not take more than 20 minutes a day for 30 days:
- Surface clean living room and kitchen
- Surface clean bedrooms (clothes, dust)
- Clean bathrooms (showers, toilets, floors, walls)
- Surface clean “extra” rooms (office, basement, playroom)
- Surface clean living room and kitchen
- Vacuum and sweep all floors
- Clean bathrooms
- Clean the interior windows
- Surface clean bedrooms
- Deep clean living room (mirrors, baseboards, dust artwork)
- Clean out closets (hang up clothes, mittens, jackets, hats)
- Clean bathrooms
- Surface clean “extra” rooms
- Deep clean bedrooms (tidy closet and organize drawers, dust lights, fans)
- Deep clean bathrooms (clean inside drawers, inside of trash cans, tops of mirrors, tile, mop)
- Surface clean living room and kitchen
- Clean out the refrigerator, take stock of food, organize the pantry
- Clean all entertainment equipment (remote controls), phones, door knobs, switch plates, and other things that are repeatedly touched.
- Clean entryway, sweep porch and your car (they’re usually our home away from home)
Img source: rd.com - Surface clean bathrooms
- Surface clean living room and kitchen
- Surface clean bedrooms
- Clean linen closet, straighten towels, sheets or regular closet if not applicable
- Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
- Surface clean living room and kitchen
- Deep clean kitchen (wash trash cans, baseboards, wipe down and straighten cabinets)
- Surfaces clean bedrooms
- Surface clean bathrooms
- Clean one item you’ve been meaning to get to and haven’t (wipe down all light fixtures, deep clean your stove)
- Vacuum and sweep all floors in the house
Adjust the list as per your needs, and don’t stress about doing everything at once. Everyone has certain habits when it comes to cleaning, and they can’t be changed overnight. The best way to start is to change bad habits with good ones. So instead of leaving your jacket on the chair in the kitchen or living room, put it straight o its place, on a hanger, as soon as you enter your home. Start from the one thing and prioritize the tasks. Use the blank calendar and schedule the activities. Eventually, things will start working.
