Falling behind on chores once is more than enough to discover that it’s worth all efforts to avoid facing this tremendous stress again. So how to avoid it and make sure you are prepared to handle the piled up housework? While tackling all may not happen in a single day, the important thing is to make the first step towards taming the chaos.
Do a little more every day
A good way to start is to divide before conquering. Better invest your already precious time into several most important tasks for the day, which have to get done no matter what. This could be the laundry, dishes, detailed bathroom scrub, whatever seems most urgent.
After the daily priorities come to the extra tasks. Those you can do if you have the time and strength. The good thing about this strategy is that it allows you to push yourself further and learn to be more efficient. Strive to go beyond the priorities’ section and do just one or two extra tasks per day. This will be just the progress you need to get back on track before you know it.
Still, don’t push yourself to the point of complete exhaustion. After all the point is to get through this as stress-free as possible. You know how you work better than anyone, so take this into account when planning. Making a checklist and putting it on display is a good way to keep yourself motivated.
Working smart not hard
Catching up on domestic chores may require examining the current ways you do things. We certainly all have at least one bad cleaning habit regarding the bedroom, the kitchen or perhaps a few other places in the house. That’s why it’s important, from time to time, to reevaluate our cleaning practices and look for ways to improve!
Even one small change can make a big difference. Taking advantage of technology can be just what you need. If you don’t like writing on paper, then transferring your priority cleaning duties or weekly routine to your Google calendar is a convenient alternative. Some of the benefits you will get include easy accessibility, scheduled reminders, so you never forget and fall behind on your home duties again and, basically, easy and fast adjustment of your tasks.
There are all kinds of apps, as well, created specifically for making cleaning and maintaining the house simpler. You can check some of the most promising cleaning apps for this year and give one or two a try.
Making sure that you have a cleaning kit, stock up with the essentials that’s also easy to transfer is another plus. You don’t want to lose time finding your detergents, brushes and stuff every time you decide to clean. Plus, with your kit prepared, you will be always ready for a 5-,10- or 15-minute quick clean when an opportunity presents itself. That’s a big advantage in the battle with the home chores.
Numbers do matter
House maintenance efficiency sounds complicated, but it is something simple and quite important you may be missing to pay attention to. In case you don’t keep a record of how productive you are with the house duties, don’t worry. There is no time like the present!
Start tracking how long it takes you to complete daily home tasks and put the numbers into a notebook. Give it a week or two and then analyse the results. This will help you understand which tasks give you the most trouble, what’s the reason, where to focus your efforts for improved results. Of course, the main point of this exercise is to better organise your cleaning time. However, it will also help discover how to keep the home maintenance situation under control in the future.
Forget perfection, strive for completion
Everything comes at a price and your home’s spotless look may cost you your sanity. So, don’t think so much about the outcome and focus on actually getting things done. In fact, perfectionism can hold you back instead of push you further. It can also be responsible for your constant struggle of keeping up with the house chores.
On closer evaluation, you may discover that no one cares about a few spots on the window or if there is a little dust left behind the couch. Getting the rest of the family’s point of view about the acceptable level of cleanliness and the maintenance process can actually bring a new perspective. You can use this opportunity to also discuss how to work together towards handling the domestic chores and making your home a comfortable and inviting place for everyone to enjoy.
Marieta Ivanova is a blogger and home improvement expert for Fantastic Services in Australia, a company specialising in professional home maintenance services. She enjoys writing about how to create a better home environment through effective cleaning, organisational and environment-friendly practices.
