Your home should be the place where you feel most comfortable and safe. You should be able to freely go about your activities in it and, at the same time, be able to do so in the easiest manner.
However, you can only do so if your abode is properly maintained, meaning it's clean and everything is where it's supposed to be. The problem is that keeping a home tidy is not easy - even for stay-at-home wives and mothers.
A lot can happen in a day that could throw things into chaos, and putting everything back in order becomes the last priority.
A Much-Appreciated Service
It's a good thing that there are more affordable professional cleaning services that families can hire these days. Such companies provide deep cleaning services for homes - a task that most people just can't get around to.
This typically includes a steam cleaning service which kills 99.9 percent of disease-causing bacteria, germs and dust mites in the home.
However, in the instances that you are unable to book professional cleaning service providers due to budget constraints, adopting a new mindset is necessary. It's imperative to learn to be deliberate about it.
To help you with his, gathered here are some cleaning hacks that can make tidying up at home a healthy habit instead of a task you dread getting around to.
7 Habits for a Cleaner Home
1. Sort items to toss, recycle and give away into boxes
Controlling the clutter at home is a must in keeping a home organized and tidy. Therefore, make sure that the items that you will no longer use in your daily life can easily be taken out at the end of every week. Don't let them pile up.
Also, make sure that you conduct a weekly inventory of your possessions to see if you're keeping things that you shouldn't be anymore. Afterward, place them in the appropriate boxes. The fewer useless items you have in your home, the less time you have to devote to cleaning.
A simple process of segregation can do so much in creating a clean and healthy home for your family.
2. Wash dishes immediately after use
There's no bigger eyesore at home than a dirty sink, so keep it clear as much as possible. Every time you use a plate, a spoon, or any eating utensil, wash it right away. By doing this, you can prevent the accumulation of dirty dishes in your sink that you dread tackling during your free time.
3. Clean up where you can
When you're done doing one particular thing in your home, scan the room for things that are out of place and need to be restored to their original location, spills that need to be wiped up, dust bunnies that need to be snuffed up by the vacuum, and others. Tackle a cleaning task the moment you see it.
4. Set a day for proper cleaning
For most people, this day falls on the weekend, but it really can be any time of the week. List everything that you need to do so you can tackle them one by one with ease.
Be thoughtful in listing chores so that multitasking can be done effectively. Say, doing the laundry is something that you need to get around to doing; make sure you also list down a task that you can do while the clothes are tumbling in the wash, such as vacuuming the floors. You'll be able to make smart use of time if you're always organized with your chores.
5. Create a cleaning music playlist
Nobody enjoys cleaning, but you can get into the groove of it better if you have music to clean along to. Once the first song of your cleaning playlist plays, that automatically signals you to do some tidying up.
6. Put cleaning wipes in different parts of your home
You can purchase tubs of these cleaning wipes at your local grocer. Place them in various areas of your home so you can easily dust and wipe as you go, every day.
When cleaning doesn't require a big effort every time, you'll get around to it more.
7. Create a "clean" ambience
When you've done everything to tidy your space, enjoy it further by scenting it up with an aroma diffuser, decorating here and there, and lighting up some candles to set the right mood.
Appreciation plays an important part in developing cleaning habits.
Easily maintaining a clean home is all about adopting the right habits and creating a manageable routine instead of setting yourself up to face a mountain of tasks that you keep putting off. So, aim to develop a good set of cleaning habits and see how it helps you achieve the quality of life that you desire.
About the Author
Rania Bellos launched Dust Busters Cleaning Services with the help and support of her husband after spending 15 years working in the banking and finance industry in France, Lebanon and the UAE. She welcomes the daily challenges and exciting opportunities provided by Dubai's highly competitive residential and commercial cleaning services market.