It’s time for this week’s discussion thread! Today, it’s time to share your BEST cleaning hacks. We all have one really good one - so share it in the discussion below so we can all benefit!
My cleaning hack is to schedule tasks that take precisely as long as my load of laundry so that as soon as I’m done with my task, I’ll remember to put my laundry in the dryer. Okay, friends - now it’s your turn!
If you feel like you don't have time, don't do the "10 minute clean" or "15 minute clean." Do a 3 minute clean. It's amazing what you can do in 3 minutes. Bathroom sink and toilet. Tidy the whole living room. Clean out the dishwasher. Three minutes is a lot of time.
This is one of my favorites! On days where cleaning seems unattainable, just setting a timer for 15 minutes and getting stuff done is a HUGE help & then things don't seem so overwhelming.
I don't try to do everything in one day or too much at once. Treat each little task as a mindfulness practise. I listen to a podcast or YouTube video while working sometimes. It can be very relaxing. I often focus on one section like focus on the closet next to the front door, or the upstairs hallway, removing all the toys or random bits and bobs left behind, etc. Also, Dawn Powerwash is magical - highly recommend! A splash of minimalism in my life has decreased the amount I'm having to clean or move around. ♡
Cleaning as I cook or bake. It's something my mom & grandma always did, and I haven't consistently done it until recently. If something with dinner simmers or bakes (or can go unattended for a few minutes), I'll wash up whatever dishes or utensils I used to prep the meal (or toss them in the dishwasher). I recently started washing any dishes and tidying up the kitchen before cooking dinner which makes cleaning as I cook more manageable.
I also like the idea of keeping one room of the house clean and the rest of the house at a minimum level of chaos. If the kitchen is clean and the rest of the house is a livable disaster, I feel like I'm still on top of things!
I divide my cleaning into equal time chunks of number of rooms over 5 days, the kitchen is really time consuming so I pair that with the powder room. Another day would be living room + laundry room (quick) + classroom (pretty quick), my bedroom + bathroom, kids rooms + vacuum, etc.
I don't clean on weekends, but still have daily chores: throwing laundry around, load dishwasher, make beds, water plants, pick up & put away.
1good cleaning bucket w microfiber rags, some plastic bags for dirty rags and emptying trash bins, soft scrub w bleach for shower, bathtub, kitchen sink, toilet bowls, ONE bottle spray cleaner (water, vinegar) for surfaces and glass, & your fave scrubbers.
If I miss a day, I don't freak out, just carry on the next day or split a day into two days sometimes and carry on 🙂
A new baby + recovery will soak up A LOT of time. Take shortcuts wherever you can.
I love emeals + Walmart app. Emeals is a fee app that connects to local grocery stores. You may already know all this, but... Pick your plan (vegan, keto, budget, low carb... so many), pick out menu (I cook 5 days/week so 5 recipes bc dinner is my focus and while there's 2 adults, you could pick the meal sizes as 2-4 ppl and you'll have lunch 😉), tap the grocery items into your cart + other household items and like bread, milk, butter, coffee then schedule a pickup time where you just pull up.
Anywhere that's a giant timesaver if you can get past other ppl picking out your groceries. It's not that bad ☺️ 💖 good luck, dear!
After I had my first baby I downloaded an app called Sweepy - it helps me keep up with what needs to be done and it automatically schedules tasks for me. It helps me not get overwhelmed - especially when chasing my kiddo around makes just getting the dishes done a win.
For dishes, especially pots and pants, I HIGHLY recommend the Dawn Powerwash to spray right on. If I get to my pots and pans in timely manner ( I am trying to be better about this...) after I cook I can clean them RIGHT off! As for keeping my apartment clean, I am the worst cleaner ever. I keep putting it off until the place is a hovel. Last year I hired a cleaning lady and things are much better!
If you feel like you don't have time, don't do the "10 minute clean" or "15 minute clean." Do a 3 minute clean. It's amazing what you can do in 3 minutes. Bathroom sink and toilet. Tidy the whole living room. Clean out the dishwasher. Three minutes is a lot of time.
I like this! Breaking it into even smaller chunks is such good advice.
This is one of my favorites! On days where cleaning seems unattainable, just setting a timer for 15 minutes and getting stuff done is a HUGE help & then things don't seem so overwhelming.
I don't try to do everything in one day or too much at once. Treat each little task as a mindfulness practise. I listen to a podcast or YouTube video while working sometimes. It can be very relaxing. I often focus on one section like focus on the closet next to the front door, or the upstairs hallway, removing all the toys or random bits and bobs left behind, etc. Also, Dawn Powerwash is magical - highly recommend! A splash of minimalism in my life has decreased the amount I'm having to clean or move around. ♡
YouTube and podcasts always add a little fun to household tasks :)
First of all..... The Flylady system is AMAZING.
Oh, and can we write an ode to the old toothbrush to help get into all the tiny places!
Cleaning as I cook or bake. It's something my mom & grandma always did, and I haven't consistently done it until recently. If something with dinner simmers or bakes (or can go unattended for a few minutes), I'll wash up whatever dishes or utensils I used to prep the meal (or toss them in the dishwasher). I recently started washing any dishes and tidying up the kitchen before cooking dinner which makes cleaning as I cook more manageable.
I also like the idea of keeping one room of the house clean and the rest of the house at a minimum level of chaos. If the kitchen is clean and the rest of the house is a livable disaster, I feel like I'm still on top of things!
I divide my cleaning into equal time chunks of number of rooms over 5 days, the kitchen is really time consuming so I pair that with the powder room. Another day would be living room + laundry room (quick) + classroom (pretty quick), my bedroom + bathroom, kids rooms + vacuum, etc.
I don't clean on weekends, but still have daily chores: throwing laundry around, load dishwasher, make beds, water plants, pick up & put away.
1good cleaning bucket w microfiber rags, some plastic bags for dirty rags and emptying trash bins, soft scrub w bleach for shower, bathtub, kitchen sink, toilet bowls, ONE bottle spray cleaner (water, vinegar) for surfaces and glass, & your fave scrubbers.
If I miss a day, I don't freak out, just carry on the next day or split a day into two days sometimes and carry on 🙂
A new baby + recovery will soak up A LOT of time. Take shortcuts wherever you can.
I love emeals + Walmart app. Emeals is a fee app that connects to local grocery stores. You may already know all this, but... Pick your plan (vegan, keto, budget, low carb... so many), pick out menu (I cook 5 days/week so 5 recipes bc dinner is my focus and while there's 2 adults, you could pick the meal sizes as 2-4 ppl and you'll have lunch 😉), tap the grocery items into your cart + other household items and like bread, milk, butter, coffee then schedule a pickup time where you just pull up.
Anywhere that's a giant timesaver if you can get past other ppl picking out your groceries. It's not that bad ☺️ 💖 good luck, dear!
After I had my first baby I downloaded an app called Sweepy - it helps me keep up with what needs to be done and it automatically schedules tasks for me. It helps me not get overwhelmed - especially when chasing my kiddo around makes just getting the dishes done a win.
I just downloaded it!
For dishes, especially pots and pants, I HIGHLY recommend the Dawn Powerwash to spray right on. If I get to my pots and pans in timely manner ( I am trying to be better about this...) after I cook I can clean them RIGHT off! As for keeping my apartment clean, I am the worst cleaner ever. I keep putting it off until the place is a hovel. Last year I hired a cleaning lady and things are much better!
I've heard great things about that product!