Most of us carry out housework on autopilot and get as much cleaning done in the shortest possible time. However, there are quite a few ways that you can make your housework easier and quicker. Giving you more free time to do the things you love. We hope you find this list useful, and let us know if you have any great time-saving hacks too!
1. Set a timer
If you give yourself a set time (say 30 minutes) to carry out your cleaning, you will get a lot more done. Allocating a whole afternoon to cleaning your house from top to bottom will mean that you’ll probably get sidetracked and procrastinate. However, you will be amazed at how quickly you can get your house clean if you give yourself a shorter timeframe.
2. Job by job
Rather than trying to clean room by room, try cleaning job by job instead. For example, polish the entire house, and then move on to hoovering, rather than trying to polish and hoover one room at a time.
3. Oven cleaning
Ovens always take a bit of a battering over the festive period, so once you have scrubbed your oven you probably won’t want to use it again for a while! However, we have the perfect solution for you… line the base of your oven with a piece of foil. This will catch all the excess that usually gets stuck to the oven floor.
4. Window cleaning
Windows are one of the hardest things to get clean, particularly without leaving streak marks all over them. This little hack will save you so much time. Simply add a dash of dishwasher rinse aid to the water, and this stops the streaking process.
5. Damp sock trick
Ok, so bear with us on this one! If you have blinds in your home and don’t want to spend money on a feather duster, then simply put a slightly damp sock over your hand and it will do the same job. You may look like a puppet holder, but trust us, it is worth it. Simply pop the sock in your washing machine when you are finished.
6. Reduce ironing time
Ironing is one of those jobs that we all put off, as it takes so long (although in winter it is a great way to stay warm!). One way to reduce your ironing time is to slow the spin speed of your washing machine. This will reduce the creases in your clothes, so you may get away without needing to iron them at all.
7. Steam clean your microwave
Microwaves get their fair share of work, and whether you use yours to cook your morning porridge, or to warm up your evening meal, they can get grubby quite quickly. Most people will try scrubbing their microwave with a cloth, but there is a faster and more effective way to get rid of the dirt. Add water and white vinegar to a bowl, place it in your microwave, and turn it on at medium heat for 3-4 minutes. This will allow your microwave to steam up, so all you need to do is wipe the 4 walls off.
8. Use citric acid for limescale
Limescale can build up quickly either around your taps and plug holes, or in your kettle. Without regular cleaning, this can become worse and appliances don’t work as efficiently. Citric acid is a quick and easy way to remove limescale. Add a few tablespoons to some water and apply with a sponge around your taps, or leave in your kettle for half an hour. Rinse and then the limescale should all be gone.
9. Purchase some baking soda
Baking soda isn’t just useful in the kitchen, it is a great cleaning product and deodoriser too. If you find your bin starts smelling, baking soda can be used to clean it and leave it smelling fresh. Simply sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the base of your bin, and the smell will instantly be removed.
10. Remove pet hair with rubber gloves
Pet hair gets everywhere and it can stick to furniture easily, making it hard to keep your home looking clean. You could spend lots of money on the latest pet hair removal gadgets, but a much simpler trick is to wear rubber household gloves and run them over the surface of your furniture. The rubber will cause the pet hair to gather into a ball, which can then be thrown away.
If you are still struggling to find the time to clean your home after applying these tricks, why not get in touch with your local Time For You cleaner who can take this pressure off you. Leaving you with more time to do the things you love.
