OK, chores is actually six letters, but it sure feels like a four letter word to me. I finally get to the weekend and most of it seems to be filled up with chores. I keep trying to find more efficient ways to keep my house clean and organized. I want my weekend filled with relaxation, play and fun! Not chores!
I’m constantly searching for tips on how to speed up my chores and help me run a better household. Below are some of the things I’ve found that have worked.
Washing Dishes
I’m pretty good about cleaning dishes and not having them sit in the sink. The invention of the dishwasher surely helped us wash dishes faster. Load and go became a household dream come true.
Not every item fits or some items are not dishwasher safe. I love cooking in cast iron pots and pans, but they’re definitely not dishwasher safe. One wash in a dishwasher can ruin months or (like mine) years of seasoning a cast iron pan.
I found the items that couldn’t go in the dishwasher seemed to take forever to wash, hand dry and put away. I decided I was being too meticulous with this chore. I now wash any item not cast iron first. I then rinse them and place them in a drying rack I located on the other side of my kitchen sink. Once those are done, I properly wash the cast iron since that has to be dried right away. Then in a few hours or even the next morning I quickly put the items in the drying rack away. This has saved me time and I’m still keeping my kitchen clean.
Trash
I learned a great trick when I volunteered for U.S Fish & Wildlife. They put an entire roll of bags in their trash cans. I decided to start doing this in my home. It also saves me storage space.
Grocery Shopping
I hate grocery shopping. Even with self-check out it seems like the store is always crowded. I always try to find a time when hardly anyone shops a store and now there’s a tool for that! Use Google to search your local store and it will now show you peak shopping times. Please don’t ask me how they know that – I don’t know!
I’m Keeping My Weekends Free
I work all week and I refuse to work all weekend doing chores. I make time doing one chore a day during the week. I clean bathrooms on Monday, vacuum on Tuesday, mow the lawn on Wednesday, and laundry is on Thursday. I try to keep these tasks to under an hour except laundry. I can watch TV or read while doing laundry. Since I’m in a new house to me, I have a lot of projects. I don’t work on Fridays so I keep that day for projects. I hope to reduce those after my first year freeing up more time.
By not putting off for tomorrow what you can get done today, you will have a chore free weekend!
Clean As You Go
The fastest way to keep your house clean is clean as you go. When I’m cooking, I clean. As I said earlier I hate doing dishes. I figured out if I clean pots, utensils, measuring spoons and cups as soon as I’m done using them, it makes cleaning the kitchen a lot easier and faster. It is no fun walking into a messy kitchen after you have just enjoyed a great meal.
Same goes for my bathroom. I keep cleaning wipes in my bathroom and take a few seconds to wipe my sink, shower and toilet on occasion. When it comes time to do a deep clean on Monday, it never takes me too long. Another bathroom tip is to use your bathroom vent fan when showering. This cuts moisture which in turn reduces mildew and mold.
The most amount of time cleaning a house can be putting away clutter. My number one rule in my house is put it back where it belongs when you are done using it. Chores become a lot faster when there isn’t junk lying around the house.
I hope you picked up some tips on how to reduce the time it takes you to complete your chores.
