How To Spend Less Time Cleaning

Cleaning is a necessary, unavoidable, mundane and ever still unappreciated part of life. Inspired by my 2015 published article detailing 3 steps to not hate cleaning! This article is an extension of the previous but focused on how to spend less time cleaning, here I'll share some of the things I've learnt over the last few years that I think are most valuable life lessons to address the issue of time, energy and effort spent cleaning. If you feel like your always starting from square one every time you finish cleaning, or just want some useful practical tips to make the process easier for yourself, this is for you! Specifically, I'm discussing how to create less mess to clean, Multitasking to save time and effort, and Outsource jobs to save yourself the bother.

Seriously how many 'things' do you really need. Whether you're a hoarder or you just like to pick up the latest trinkets on special at Kmart or Walmart, you might want to consider thinking about what you really need.

The main point here is that if you have less 'things' to clean, you're going to spend less time cleaning. But it's more than that. When you surround yourself with things you don't need, you end up wanting to use it just because you have it. So not only does it weigh on your physical resources but also mental. Clearing out some junk could be the positive life you've been needing mentally.

So whether you're ready to embrace a life of minimalism or just want to start small you'll be dramatically surprised at the positive effect this has overall.

And hey, if you really can't fathom the idea of your precious, unbroken possessions taking up refuge in a landfill.. Why not consider donating to charity? Even repurposing things as gifts or giveaways to friends and family could yield respite.

How much time should you spend cleaning? The answer varies widely from a few minutes a day to hours. Not surprisingly women do more domestic duties than men in total but outliers exist. Although the time spent cleaning comes down to your standard of clean, it is also largely about how you manage your time!

This is where multitasking comes in handy. You already brush your teeth daily right? Why not wipe down the bathroom surfaces while you're at it? You shower regularly yes? I sure hope so! Wipe down the shower/bath while you're at it, literally less than a minute here will save your hours socking and scrubbing later.

Tidy the kitchen and dining area while your cooking dinner.

Water your yard during your morning coffee!

Did you know that getting some sun during the day can make it easier to fall asleep at night? Another chance to merge activities, take this time to water the plants.

Merge what you already do daily into keeping on top of all the dust and clutter while you're at it. You'll be amazed at how much time you'll feel like your saving, and how much you actually are.

Although it may seem like the easy answer to just say don't make a mess. Or make sure you clean up after yourself and there will be no mess. But let's face it, dirt and dust are not running out in this world of ours. So no matter how much of an effort you make to make sure you're always leaving a space exactly as you found it, you (or someone) is still going to need to clean.

The 'or someone' is the key here, why does it have to be you?

Now there are some things that are always going to take time. Things like cleaning the oven, mowing the lawn, vacuuming, mopping etc. So outsource these ones! Do you have kids, a neighbour, local youth? I'm sure they would greatly appreciate a few dollars to do something you'd really rather not do.

And seriously now, think about the time/cost/benefit here. Let's say it takes you three hours to clean your oven. Noone's going to pay you twenty dollars an hour to do that, but you'd be surprised to find a cleaning company would do it for twenty dollars or less total!

Ten dollars if you get a young person, whom would likely be appreciative of the opportunity to make some extra cash. Same goes for lawn mowing. Neither my partner or I do the lawn anymore, leaving it to the professionals saves us time and effort. Leaving more time to do the things we love and enjoy.

We outsource other jobs we don't want. Trucks pick up our rubbish. Washing machines wash our clothes, farmers grow our food. Not much of a difference here.

Now no hard and fast way to determine what the better option is when it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of utilising these tips. That comes down to the weight you personally give to each of them.

What's more important to you? Do you want things done fast or neatly? Do you want to have less to clean or own more things? Do you want less overall mess at the cost of consistent cleaning or would you rather let it all go until one-weekend cleaning frenzy? Does effort or money matter more? Life is short, find your balance!

In summary, although you can keep on top of the mess by cleaning as you go, and multitask to reduce the total time and effort that requires. Deep cleaning of dust, dirt, grime, mould and mildew will always be necessary. And unless you really love to do these jobs, there really is no reason you should have to do them yourself. Outsourcing the jobs you don't like can buy you time and energy to do the things you actually want to do and enjoy doing. You only live once, and we already waste enough time sleeping, so why waste more time than is necessary cleaning? The pros clearly outweigh the cons here so don't succumb to the mess, overcome it! Thanks for reading, if you have any of your own magic cleaning tips and tricks please leave them in the comments for all to peruse. Have fun saving time on your regular routine.