London - For some it’s therapeutic – but for the vast majority of us, household cleaning is an onerous chore that we want done and dusted as soon as possible.
The good news is that a group of experts have now come up with a sure-fire way to lighten the load.
Housekeeping gurus say their string of practical tips will slash the amount of time we spend getting homes spick and span. And their biggest revelation is that we’ve been doing the cleaning all wrong.
Dusting, vacuuming and tidying the house room-by-room in the time-honoured tradition simply wastes too much time that could be spent on more enjoyable activities. It would be far quicker to do it chore-by-chore instead, say the domestic experts of the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Once the duster is out, it makes sense to go round the whole house dusting – rather than dusting one room, putting it back to run the vacuum round and then getting it out again in the next room.
The same applies to the vacuum cleaner, the mop, the dustpan and brush, cleaning windows and all the other chores, says the GHI. Other practical tips include keeping a running list of groceries on a phone to remind you of what you need every time you’re at the supermarket or online.
The experts also suggest oven sheets to take away the hassle of scrubbing off grease and stains, newspaper at the bottom of a pedal bin to soak up leaky liquids, and keeping sets of sheets in their matching pillowcases to make it easier to find the whole set when changing the bed.
The GHI’s report, ‘12 brilliant time-saving cleaning hacks’, added: "Some household jobs we do day in, day out, week in, week out, on autopilot without really thinking about whether there’s a better way to get tasks done.
"But what if you could streamline regular jobs and save time to devote to other more fun things?"
1. Challenge yourself to get as much done as possible in 30 minutes
9. Dust blinds with a slightly damp sock over your hand
8. Keep sheets in matching pillow cases to make them easier to find
7. Leave bathroom cleaner on a basin for 10 minutes for best effect
2. Swap cleaning room-by-room for doing it chore-by-chore
3. Keep a list of groceries on your phone to speed up shopping
4. Put old newspapers in the bottom of bins to absorb liquids
5. Line ovens with foil or easy-clean oven sheets
6. Add dishwasher rinse to water for streak-free window cleaning
12. Push in the perforated tabs on a box of clingfilm to stop the roll falling out
11. Use slower spin speeds and shake clothes out to cut creases
10. Wash small fittings such as fridge shelves in the dishwasher
- Daily Mail