Keeping your home clean and tidy is no easy feat, especially in today’s world. We are all so busy, always in a rush, working long hours and having short breaks. However, it still needs to be done. A clean home is necessary for your health, both physical and mental. Coming home to a clean apartment will boost your mood tremendously while looking at the same pile of dishes and clutter every day will just ruin it.
Furthermore, the guilt is constantly hanging over your head, the fact that you always have a mess waiting for you. However, we understand that you sometimes simply don’t have the time or the energy to clean the entire place. For this reason, we present you with this article. Here you can find some tips and tricks on how to maintain your home and keep it clean, no matter how busy your schedule is.
Trick Yourself By Starting
We will start this article with a piece of advice that should set the tone for the entire thing. We want you to focus on doing as much as you can, no matter how little that actually is. It’s an unfortunate fact that most Australians are overworked, but that still shouldn’t be an excuse not to do your laundry. Every morning put a small load in the machine. Then, turn it on when you come back home after work. You will have more energy in the mornings (and in turn more willpower). So all you or your spouse have to do when you come home is turn it on.
However, this can be applied to basically any other chore. The point here is to get your brain in the zone where you basically started something. Starting is the hardest part, the space between zero and one is the most difficult to pass by.
Prioritising is Key
If you lack the energy to actually do any cleaning around the house, find at least 30 minutes to sit down and write a couple of things down. Namely, note what is bothering you the most, and what objectively needs to get done as soon as possible. You should also write down what you think is the easiest/most fun chore to do. After you have done this, make a list of priorities. Number one should always be the most time-dependent one.
We’re talking about taking out the trash, washing the dishes, things that will get significantly worse as time goes on. Try to do at least one priority task per day, the rest don’t matter that much. In fact, we’re pretty sure these are the ones that have been (consciously or subconsciously) bothering you the most. You will defiantly find the time to at least do that one chore.
Get Some Help
There is no shame in asking for help. We all know what it’s like to work long hours and do not have any spare time. So why not get some help with the cleaning. Turn it into a fun activity you can do with your kids and your significant other. Or, get all your favourite cousins and neighbours (and the entirety of the New South Wales area is your neighbourhood, right?), and ask them nicely to help you. Just remember to offer pizza as a reward. If that is not an option, you can also get a local cleaning service to help you. For example, hiring a cleaning service in Sydney (or wherever you are) can sometimes be the only answer.
Perfect if the Enemy of Good
Is part of why you can’t seem to get any cleaning done a symptom of procrastination? If so, then know that procrastination is often caused by perfectionism. Now, understand that perfectionism can be counterproductive. Accept the idea that you don’t have to clean everything perfectly. You only have a limited time, and you will most likely miss a spot. It’s completely natural and normal, you shouldn’t beat yourself about it. In fact, if you obsess over maintaining your home perfectly, you will drive yourself crazy, and will most likely give up immediately. Or, you simply won’t give yourself a mental and emotional reward for a job well (not perfectly) done.
Conclusion
We understand that a busy schedule leads to a messy home. But, if you try to lower your standard just a bit, give up on perfectionism, and ask for help, you will make things much easier on yourself in the long run.