I believe it is safe to say that for most people, cleaning is a chore and can be tiering to have to do regularly. I have been doing cleaning for a living for close to 30 years and one reason I got into it was because I do like to clean. I like that satisfying feeling you get seeing something transform from dirty to clean. However, cleaning can be hard on the body and take its toll. Over the years, I have seen there are a few habits that it seems most people have that can make the chore of cleaning harder than it needs to be. And if all of us (yes, I need to continue to work on doing this too) can put a few organizational tips into practice, we could make cleaning easier for ourselves or that excellent cleaner you have hired and don't ever want to have quite because they just can't physically do it any longer.
PLANNING stage
Organizing to optimize cleaning really begins in the planning stage. So, if you are planning to build or remodeling, this is the perfect time to begin thinking about how your design is going to affect the cleaning.
Tip 1: The less cleaning products you have to use, the less time it takes to clean. What do I mean by this? Well, when you have multiple products to use to clean different surfaces, it takes time to change between cleaning products. And you can only carry so much which means the more time it takes to walk back and forth to get the different products.
For instance, if you have stainless steel frig, stove, and dishwasher, since your appliances are most likely spread out, you have to walk around the room to clean all the counter space then walk around again to clean all the stainless steel. Plus, the other things you have to use a different product for such as dusting. So having more of your surfaces that use the same products to clean, saves time and use less space to store products. This may seem like a little thing, but it adds up over the square footage of the home. So, get to know what will be required to clean that surface before you order it.
Tip 2: Keep easy to use products for quick clean up, handy, so you can clean up any mess soon after it was made. Such as when you leave anything wet on your counters like food, it dries out and hardens to the counter like a rock! So, if you leave it there to dry for a couple of days, a week, 2 weeks till your house cleaner comes, it has to be moistened and let sit to reabsorb the moister before it will come off. That takes time. So, find a nice-looking basket. Organize a container of compostable wet cleaning cloths, your dish soap, sponge, and hand soap in the basket.
This way anyone who just made a mess can just pop the lid and use a cloth to wipe down the counters and sink to push the food down the garbage disposal or throw the food into the composting machine.
Tip 3: Use baskets to organize the items you have in your cupboards and drawers. This not only helps keep thing that are similar together, but it makes cleaning the cupboards and drawers quicker. Have you ever noticed how dirty the inside of cupboards gets? Especially the lower ones. This way you can pull out the baskets and use the vacuum wand or a long handle duster and get all that loose dirt out. Around the garbage bin is usually a lot of dried on food. So, if you can install a garbage disposal or get a composting machine, those things can really handle a lot of different kinds of foods. So read up on the one you want and see what you can put in it, this will help a lot with keeping that grime away.
SUMMERY - organize to optimize cleaning
So, to sum up, if you are in the planning stage consider what it is going to take to clean each of the surfaces you want. Keep a basket or tray on your counter of essentials, including a container of quick wipes, to wipe the counters and sink down right after making a mess. And use baskets to organize things in cupboards and drawers to keep them organized and easier to clean.
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