Not all housework tasks are time consuming. Many household chores take less than 15 minutes to complete. With busy, hectic lifestyles, it is important to learn to take advantage of "spare" blocks of time and to use them effectively. Here are some quick tidying tips to assist with the daily housework.
Fold Washing
Fold washing as it is removed from the clothesline or dryer if possible. This saves handling the items twice, which wastes time. Sorting clothing can be done quickly and piles of folded clothes can be placed into the appropriate bedrooms to be put away.
Wash Up or Stack the Dishwasher after a Meal
Plates and pans are easier to rinse and clean soon after they have been used. Washing up or stacking the dishwasher as soon as practical after a meal makes the job easier and leaves the kitchen tidy. If this job is left, it is too tempting to leave dirty plates to be dealt with the following morning, which starts the next day off messy and disorganised.
Clear the Entry Table
Tables or benches in entry areas often accumulate junk and clutter. Take 15 minutes to gather up what doesn’t belong and put it away. This makes the first impression when entering a home more pleasant for family and guests. This can also apply to kitchen countertops and sideboards.
Clean the Shower
Spray the shower with a preferred cleaner and leave for 5 to 10 minutes before taking a shower. Come back and scrub/wipe down the tiles then turn the shower on to rinse away the detergent before getting in.
For some people, pieces of paper multiply like rabbits. There will never be enough time to deal with them all at once. If there is 15 minutes available, pick a pile and sort through the papers making sure that anything that has to be dealt with immediately is placed in a safe place and anything that can be discarded goes straight into the bin. Reduce clutter and don’t simply create six more piles by sorting the papers. Be decisive and complete whatever is required so that the paper can either be filed or discarded.
Sort through Email Inbox
For some the email inbox is more cluttered than their desk workspace. Ignore the temptation of solitaire or Facebook and take 15 minutes to delete unwanted emails and sort others into folders. Create folders for social emails, work emails and any other categories that are appropriate. Keep only emails that need some kind of response or action in the inbox.
Make a Phone Call
Many phone calls can be completed in less than 15 minutes. Making appointments with a hairdresser, doctor or dentist can usually be done quickly, as can ringing businesses to get quotes or make enquiries. If these quick tasks are put off, however, they can accumulate into an overwhelming list.
For those that hate housework, breaking larger tasks down into 15 minute blocks can make things more bearable. Cleaning a bathroom and ensuite entirely might take more than 15 minutes, but breaking this job down into two tasks – cleaning the toilets/sinks and cleaning the bath/showers – makes it more manageable. Mopping the floors can be grouped with mopping the kitchen and laundry floor: three 15-minute jobs that leave two bathrooms and the floors clean.
By keeping a mental list of tasks that can be completed quickly, it is possible to declutter and create a more ordered, tidy home. Some tasks require less than 5 minutes to complete while others can be easily managed in less than 15 minutes.
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