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The clutter in our lives, homes and heads can harm our happiness and our ability to focus and relax, says mum-of-three Katrina Springer, the entrepreneur who has a passion for organising and is also known as The Organised Housewife.
“On the flip side, keeping a clean home can help to improve our mental and physical wellbeing by reducing stress, increasing productivity and maintaining good health,” says the author of The Clean Home (Macmillan Australia).
Follow these spring-cleaning tips from Katrina.
The benefits of a clean home
Keeping a home clean and tidy can feel overwhelming at first, especially if you have young kids to look after and/or a busy full-time job. But taking the time to clean your home can help to enhance mental clarity and eliminate stress and chaos. It also saves you time, because you can quickly locate items, and money, because you are less likely to require repairs or replace furnishings and appliances.
Waking up to a clean home is always a great start to the day. Other benefits of keeping a clean home include eased allergies, reduced safety hazards, enhanced productivity, improved sleep patterns and increased physical movement.
Embrace the imperfectly perfect
Let’s be honest, when it comes to cleaning, perfection is not always achievable.
Rather than completing all tasks in one go, you can use pockets of time throughout the day to tick off a few tasks from your list.
If you find you are always trying to make the end result perfect, set a timer to limit yourself and learn that what you managed to do in the time you have is ‘good enough’. If you can’t finish it all, that’s OK! You can finish it next time. You have at least started.
Everyone’s definition of clean is different. Clean to one person may mean not a speck of dust in the home and everything is in its place; clean to another person could simply be a tidy home with some dust, or a clean bathroom and kitchen but toys scattered on the floor. My definition of clean is that all the most-used spaces (toilets, bathroom and kitchen) are clean for hygiene purposes.
Build a cleaning kit
Make it easy for yourself by having your cleaning essentials on hand. Storing them in a portable caddy allows you to easily carry your kit around the house with you.
Create a cleaning routine
A routine will help balance out all the areas that need cleaning throughout the home. Fitting cleaning into a busy schedule isn’t easy. A routine will give you more freedom to enjoy your home and family without worrying that you should be cleaning. Seeing a list also allows you to delegate tasks to particular members of the household or to work out what you want to outsource.
Clean up sooner rather than later
Cleaning is always easier when it’s done sooner. If a stain, for example, is on your carpet, it will be easier to get out now rather than allowing the stain to set in.
Follow instructions carefully
All cleaners, appliances, furniture, linens and clothes come with directions or care instructions that detail the best approach to clean and prevent damage. Always read instructions first.
Let the cleaning solution do the work
Many cleaning products require them to sit for a few minutes to be effective and break down the dirt and grime. To save you time, spray the cleaning product on to the surface and continue cleaning elsewhere.
Learn Kat’s cleaning cha cha
Clean from top to bottom, left to right, back to front. This way, you won’t miss anything or clean an area more than once, as it will prevent you from accidentally dropping dirt or dust on to a lower surface you have already cleaned.
Make it fun
Put on your activewear and create a cleaning playlist filled with music that will energise you.
To conclude, waking up to a clean home is a great start to the day. Cleaning can help to enhance mental clarity and eliminate stress and chaos so ensure that all the most-used spaces such as the toilet, bathroom and kitchen are clean for hygiene purposes. Build a cleaning kit and create a cleaning routine and method. Follow instructions carefully while letting cleaning solutions do their work and clean up sooner rather than later. And finally, put on some of your favourite music to make it fun.