Everybody wants to have a clean house, but we all know cleaning can be very time-consuming! The last thing you want to do at the end of a long work day is come home and start cleaning. Have kids? Then you’ll likely have twice the cleaning to do but half the time to do it! That’s why we’ve collected a few of our top tips for house cleaning shortcuts that will save you time:
Wipe down the shower after you use it
You’ll eliminate the risk of mould and mildew by wiping down the shower immediately after you use it. Use a cloth or squeegee to remove all excess water – this will reduce the chance of scum building up and save you the hassle of scrubbing later on!
Clean the bathroom while you wait
Whether you’re waiting for the bathtub to fill before you enjoy a long soak, or you’re watching the kids as they splash about with their toys, it’s a perfect time to get to cleaning the bathroom. Scrub the toilet and sink, wipe down surfaces, and clean out cabinets. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone!
Hang or fold clothes from the dryer
If you’re the type of person that hates ironing, you can eliminate this task by folding or hanging your clothes as you take them out of the dryer. As the clothes will still be warm and malleable, you can flatten them with your hands as you fold them, smoothing out any wrinkles. Shirts and blouses can be hung for any wrinkles to fall out naturally.
Pre-sort your laundry
One simple way to reduce your time sorting laundry is to have a basket for whites, coloureds, and darks and sort items as you go. This way, you can do laundry bit by bit rather than feeling overwhelmed come laundry day.
Clean up spills right away
Don’t let a food spill sit and harden in your microwave or oven – it’ll just be harder to clean up later on. For tough food stains in your microwave use this tried and tested tip: fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and lemon juice and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let it stand for another 5 minutes then give the inside a thorough wipe down with a paper towel!
Multitask!
Hate ironing? Set up your ironing board in front of the TV to watch your favourite show. Not a fan of washing dishes? Do it as you listen to your favourite podcast. You can even throw on your headphones and listen to music as you vacuum the entire house. Find ways to make cleaning fun and it won’t seem like such a chore!
For more useful home tips and tricks, make sure to follow Royal LePage Performance Realty on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. For help buying or selling a home in Ottawa this year, do not hesitate to give our experienced team a call!
