6 cleaning resolutions for 2016

When it comes to keeping the house spick and span, don’t make sweeping resolutions you’ll banish long before it’s time for spring-cleaning. Instead, break those dreaded jobs into smaller chores you can squeeze in here and there. As compiled from realsimple.com, these minuscule changes to your routine will help keep the house orderly — with minimal time and effort. Start today!

Make your bed every morning

You’ve heard this one since you were a kid — and with good motive. “A made bed will help even the most cluttered of bedrooms look tidier with very little effort,” says cleaning columnist Jolie Kerr. “It really does make a psychological difference in how you feel about your home.” Sure, laundry might be piling up in the basket, or a little film of dust might be visible over the dresser but a neat bed means you’ll be less apt to notice those things and, in fact, even more encouraged to tackle them, while a messy bed can mentally highlight other problem areas. Added gratuity? According to research, people who made their beds every day were nearly 20% more likely to report getting a good night’s sleep.

Open fridge before you take out the trash

Add this simple step to your daily routine: before you dispose the kitchen trash bag, do quick scans for leftovers, produce, meats, or anything else that has passed its prime and needs to be tossed. “While you’re in there, make note of what looks to be on its last legs, and make a plan to use that food in the next day or two, before it goes to bad,” Kerr says. This daily regulation helps to ensure your fridge doesn’t start to smell ghastly, cuts down on food waste, and guards against that plummeting feeling that comes with finding a fungus occupied container of leftovers immediately after you’ve gotten rid of the garbage.



Load trashcans with multiple bags

Apply this super stress-free kitchen trick to every bathroom, office, or other areas with a wastebasket and save the stress of foul odours and deep cleaning the waste bucket time and again. Line the bins with four or five bags in one go and save a chunk of your time, since the task of taking out the trash will transform into exactly that and nothing more. When you notice any one bin getting full, you can snatch the top bag on your way out of the room without needing to dig through the storeroom for a replacement.

Let your cleaning products do the work in the kitchen

Believe it or not, thoroughly deep cleaning the kitchen shouldn’t necessitate a load of elbow grease and broken nails. “The truth is, we usually don’t give cleaning products enough time to do everything they can, including lifting grease,” says Melissa Maker, creator of the company, Clean My Space. Do your hands a favour and pre-treat all your surfaces with your preferred multi-purpose cleaning solution, and then walk away for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Trust us, when you return to clean, you’ll be wiping effortlessly, not scrubbing.

Clean the bathroom once a week like clockwork ...

“Scrubbing the bathroom isn’t high on most people’s chore list, but trust me, cleaning it regularly makes the job so much less gross — and so much less time-consuming,” Kerr says. Steady maintenance helps keep mildew, mold, bacteria, and icky soap-scum from building up, so regular cleaning is speedy, easy, and much less intimidating. Finish the job in under half an hour — clean the sink, scrub the tub and tiled walls, clean the toilet, then give the floor a quick wipe-down  and, finally, use glass-cleaner on the mirror.

But wipe down your bathroom surfaces each night

Systematise your bathroom cleaning routine even further with this nightly measure, which can be accomplished in just a minute or two. “Keep a container of disposable, biodegradable wipes under your counter, and each night, before you turn out the lights, give the surfaces a quick clean,” recommends Maker. Hit the sink, countertop, and faucet, she suggests, adding, “Every morning you’ll walk into a fresh-looking bathroom, and when it comes time to actually clean the sink, you’re not dealing with a thick layer of toothpaste, hair, and dust.”

By Umnia Shahid

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2016.

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