5 Cleaning Hacks for A Busy Home

Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day.

If a clean home is the first casualty of your busy life, our tips and tricks can help get your cleaning schedule back on track.

How Do You Keep A Clean Home When You Don’t Have Time?

1. Do A Load of Laundry Daily

Collect dirty clothes from around the house before you go to bed and the next morning, pop a load in the washing machine first thing.

Don’t just do a load for the sake of it but most family homes will easily accumulate at least a load a day.

Doing this will help you keep on top of the never-ending laundry pile and is a great way to kick off a productive day.

Some more laundry tips:

• Many washing machines have a scheduling function. Load up the machine the night before, add your detergent and close the lid. Set the time about an hour or so before you usually wake up and all you have to do the following morning is put the clothes on the line or in the dryer.
• Get help. Older children are capable with smart devices, so should be able to put some clothes in a machine, press a couple of buttons and hit start. At the very least they should be folding or putting their own clothes away.
• Smaller children can help with folding, too or at least sorting the clothes into piles or pairing socks together.
• Check your appliance’s manual to make sure that you are using it correctly (you may be able to wash most of your items on a shorter cycle and with less water, which equals less dryer time)

2. Do A Little at A Time

You’ve put off doing any cleaning all week and now it’s the weekend. Ticking off every chore on your list is the last thing you want to do on your days off, but friends are coming over for a Sunday barbeque and the house is a mess. Sound familiar?

We recommend tackling your household tasks throughout your week instead – trust us, it won’t feel so overwhelming if you take on one at a time.

These are some ways to implement this tip, whatever works best with your routine:

• Set a timer for 10 minutes and clean as much as you can. Sure, you’re not going to get the bathroom clean, but you’ll be surprised how much you can get done – things like wiping down surfaces, doing a pickup of everything that is on the floor or not where it belongs, making beds, or giving the floor a sweep.
• Rather than cleaning your whole home during the weekend, clean a room each day (bathrooms on Monday, floors on Tuesday, etc). Splitting it up will make it seem more manageable.
• Before you go to bed each night, spend just 10 minutes doing a scan of the house and doing what you can do to make the morning less hectic. Put dishes away, get school bags ready, put toys or items away, check for dirty clothes in bedrooms and bathrooms then pop them in the laundry.

3. Learn to Multitask

If you’re managing a busy household, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of multitasking.

Plenty of jobs around the home provide an opportunity to tick off a couple of additional pesky chores.

Here are some examples.

• Clean as you cook. While you’re waiting for the oven timer to go off, utilise the time to wash any dishes or pans you can, wipe down any surfaces, or unload the dishwasher.
• Have a spray bottle and squeegee in the shower ready to use after your shower. Soap scum on the shower screen is tough to tackle, so doing a little each day or every second day will make bathroom cleaning day so much simpler.

4. Get The Kids on Board

If there are children at home, there’s no reason why kids aged 3 or older can’t help out with the housework in some capacity.

You’ll need to ensure that the task is age-appropriate, keeping safety and capabilities in mind.

This article on what chores are best for your children is a great source of information but here is where you can start.

• Toy tasks are an easy win. Younger children should know where their toys belong and if you turn it into a game (‘finish in 2 minutes’ or ‘race against a sibling’), it’ll get done in no time.
• Get older kids involved in looking after a family pet (washing bowls, brushing them, cleaning their area) to give them a sense of responsibility and take one thing off your list.

5. Get Your Supplies Organised

Being on top of your supply stock ensures that you take the most organised approach to your cleaning routine, saving you precious time.

• When you finish cleaning, make sure that there are enough cleaning cloths and cleaning products left over and any other items you need. If required, put items on your grocery list to make sure you are ready to go next time the cleaning mood strikes.
• Some websites recommend keeping supplies in a few different rooms of the house so that quick clean-ups are a cinch.
• Keep a cleaning caddy in your cupboard, loaded with everything that you need. If you’re interested in embracing a more natural cleaning routine, check out our blog on creating a natural cleaning kit. It’s a great starting point if you want to be a little more green.

How Can You Make Cleaning Fun?

Let’s be honest here; cleaning isn’t fun.

There are a few ways you can make it a little more exciting, however.

• Listen to your favourite playlist or even a podcast or audiobook while you're working to make the time fly.
• This was a tip for the kids, but it can work for grown-ups too. Set a timer and make it a game for yourself.
• Pair a tough task with something that brings you joy. For example, unload the dishwasher while your coffee brews or give a friend a call while you're cleaning.
• Never underestimate the power of a reward for yourself. After all, you deserve it.

And a final note: Don't get too caught up in creating a picture-perfect home. Sure, a clean home is important, but it isn't a big deal if you don't tick everything off the list.