Uggghh, I hear you say. Everyone hates housework. (I don’t for the record.) It’s just one of those things that need doing and I do it for the people in my home but here’s the thing. I try to do as little as possible. Here’s how to do housework in no time with this one hack.
Housework is just one of those things that needs doing. There’s no escaping it if you live in a house, apartment or even a tent. You need to keep your living spaces clean and organised. There are so many benefits for doing this.
You can find things when you need to and it makes your home feel like a home.
If I was to tell you that you could basically do NO housework with this one hack, would you believe me? I call this the CAYG Method – Clean As You Go. Here’s what I mean.
The CAYG Method means that while you’re going about your normal day, you clean as you go. You don’t leave a mess after you’re finished. Pick up after yourself. Wipe up a spill immediately. Complete the task from start to finish. Here are a few examples.
Doing the dishes
Whether you have a dishwasher or do the dishes by hand, the CAYG Method involves doing a few extra little chores which completes the whole washing the dishes task.
After you’ve washed the dishes (or loaded the dishwasher), you can either wipe them or leave them to drain but you get into the habit of doing these chores as part of the whole process:
- wipe down the counter tops
- clean the stove top
- wipe out any spills in the microwave and wipe down the front of the microwave
- wipe any dirty finger marks from the fridge
- sweep the floor
And that’s it! You don’t have to do those things if they don’t need doing but it alleviates the problem of having to do them at another time when you’d rather be relaxing.
Doing the laundry
Some of us have big families so doing a few loads of laundry on a daily basis might be the norm for you. I’m lucky in that I don’t have a big family and can keep on top of my laundry in just 2 days (if not 1 some weeks).
But doing the laundry for me isn’t just throwing it into the washing machine. I look at the whole process and here’s what I do:
- hang out the washing or put into the clothes dryer
- wipe out and wipe down the washing machine and laundry tub after the last load
- wipe up any spills on laundry floor and/or sweep, wipe down other areas
- hang good shirts and collared shirts on clothes hangers so they can be hung straight into the closet once dry
- fold and pack away the laundry that same day (so important to be able to keep on top of it)
- TIP: Folding the laundry really doesn’t take any time at all. You might only think it does. Fold it while dinner is cooking or while you’re watching TV. Fold it straight from the clothesline or the drier if you like.
Cleaning the bathroom
Cleaning the bathroom is one of those chores people feel needs to be done a lot. If you’ve got children, you’ll know it’s one of those rooms in the house that can get so messy so easily. Here’s how I stay on top of it with a simple microfibre cloth and just water.
- Wipe out the vanity basin after brushing my teeth (I try to be the last one in the morning and at night that does this but am trying to teach the children to do the same)
- Wipe down the shower after each use
- If water spills out of the bath tub, use an old towel or mop to wipe it up, cleaning the rest of the floor while you’re at it.
- Scrub the toilet bowl as required (you really only need a good stiff toilet bowl brush and the water in the bowl)
- After you’ve wiped out the vanity basin at the end of the day, give the outside of the toilet a wipe over and put that cloth in the dirty wash basket.
Kid’s bedrooms and the toy room
I honestly think my children were better at this when they were younger but now as teenagers it’s like they’ve lost any memory they had of keeping their rooms clean. I try to turn a blind eye to it and can handle it being a bit messy during the week but Saturdays are ‘tidy up day’ and they need to give it a good clean and tidy up then.
But in the meantime, I try to get them to do these things. You’ll have better luck when they’re younger (trust me):
- Pick up all toys at the end of the day, just before the evening bath. (I tried to get them to tidy up after each play time but that’s exhausting for everyone. It worked well enough to do it just once at the end of the day.)
- Keep a dirty laundry basket in their rooms to put dirty laundry in as soon as they take their clothes off.
- Keep good storage options for toys, books, Lego etc
- Mark shelves with pictures or words of what needs to go where, eg shirts, shorts, jeans, socks, underwear, swimmers etc.
Main bedroom
I make the bed every day but every couple of days I make the bed with a dust mitt and wipe down the bed head and bedside tables as I go from side to side plus any other furniture in the bedroom.
This isn’t a big deal because I know it’s going to get done in my regular Saturday morning clean but as long as the bed is made each day, I’m happy.
It’s all about creating habits instead of strict and rigid cleaning schedules. You’re better off spending an extra 5 to 10 minutes on a designated chore and complete the whole process as the one chore. You’ll find that in your regular weekly or fortnightly whole house clean you won’t have too much to do other than vacuum/sweep and wash the floors plus doing any dusting that needs doing.
This method works for me which allows me to have all the time in the world do be doing other things I’d rather be doing than housework and my house is cosy, comfortable, clean and tidy.
What chores are you going to turn into the CAYG Method?
