06/02/09
Speed Up Your Cleaning
It’s usually a major surprise to clients that once the clutter is removed and order returned, cleaning becomes less of a chore and usually done faster once maintained regularly.
6 key reasons why regular cleaning is important:
1) Dusting: good for maintaining health, especially those who suffer asthma or respiratory problems. It helps treasured items maintain their appearance & function. Why spend heaps of money on an object or medications if you neglect your stuff or yourself?
2) Wiping up spills: again, obviously important to everyone’s health. Clean up spills as soon as they occur and they are easier to remove. Left spills and empty food containers around the house attract vermin, bacteria and odours. Sticky dry messes and build-ups of cooking oil create a bigger chore if left too long.
3) Vacuuming: obviously essential to assist in dust and dirt removal, but also reduces the traffic of things off feet and shoes being transported through the house into areas such as into bed linen. It also protects the life of your carpet. Remember the attachments! Clean under lounge cushions, ceiling fan blades, door tracks, skirting boards and frames.
4) Bathroom hygiene: maintain regular cleaning of toilets and bathroom surfaces to reduce odours, bacteria, mould and stain build-ups. Keep the toilet brush near the toilet, consider others and yourself and scrub accidents straight after they occur. Keep a window squeegee in the shower and do the glass panels after showering to maintain reduction of soap scum build-up.
5) Psychological: Build-ups of dirt, stains and clutter has a psychological impact. You gradually feel overwhelmed, some may even feel a sense of failure or left open to judgment and criticism. When embarrassment sets in, you’re less likely to bring people home, in turn limiting your enjoyment and sharing of your surroundings and the things you have bought with your hard earned cash.
6) Fitness: Cleaning burns calories and keeps you flexible!
So how does removing clutter speed all of this up?
• By removing clutter from floors, dust and dirt can’t accumulate - vacuuming is faster.
• By removing clutter from surfaces, wipe downs (especially in bathrooms) becomes quicker. Try and put groups of cosmetics, bottles etc. into decorative trays, bowls and baskets if you don’t have the drawers or cupboards to put them in.
• Remove less used appliances from kitchen bench tops.
• Have a bowl for spare change, another for keys, have a jewellery box for jewellery.
• Have 2 baskets in the laundry, 1 for collected items out of pockets and another for odd socks.
• Put CD’s, DVD’s into their cases to protect them, that is what they’re for.
• Return all medications to the medicine cabinet. Leaving them around is dangerous. Children and pets may accidentally consume it or you may miss a dose. Medication should be private.
• Handle paperwork once, read, assign, action, put in pending, file or toss.
• Cover unused heaters or portable fans with a cover to reduce dust build-up when stored.
• Lastly, untangle and streamline those electrical cables. Jumbles of cables are not only dangerous but attract dust which grows into ugly balls of fluff that are unsightly and unhealthy.
For more tips and ideas subscribe to the Less Equals More newsletter by logging onto the website below. Want to meet Angela? join her at workshop on June 16th at the Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre. Details at http://www.lessequalsmore.com.au
Angela Miller-Davis is a Professional Organiser who helps people to find solutions for an organised lifestyle through her consultancy Less = More, Brisbane. http://www.lessequalsmore.com.au.
Angela is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers).
1) Dusting: good for maintaining health, especially those who suffer asthma or respiratory problems. It helps treasured items maintain their appearance & function. Why spend heaps of money on an object or medications if you neglect your stuff or yourself?
2) Wiping up spills: again, obviously important to everyone’s health. Clean up spills as soon as they occur and they are easier to remove. Left spills and empty food containers around the house attract vermin, bacteria and odours. Sticky dry messes and build-ups of cooking oil create a bigger chore if left too long.
3) Vacuuming: obviously essential to assist in dust and dirt removal, but also reduces the traffic of things off feet and shoes being transported through the house into areas such as into bed linen. It also protects the life of your carpet. Remember the attachments! Clean under lounge cushions, ceiling fan blades, door tracks, skirting boards and frames.
4) Bathroom hygiene: maintain regular cleaning of toilets and bathroom surfaces to reduce odours, bacteria, mould and stain build-ups. Keep the toilet brush near the toilet, consider others and yourself and scrub accidents straight after they occur. Keep a window squeegee in the shower and do the glass panels after showering to maintain reduction of soap scum build-up.
5) Psychological: Build-ups of dirt, stains and clutter has a psychological impact. You gradually feel overwhelmed, some may even feel a sense of failure or left open to judgment and criticism. When embarrassment sets in, you’re less likely to bring people home, in turn limiting your enjoyment and sharing of your surroundings and the things you have bought with your hard earned cash.
6) Fitness: Cleaning burns calories and keeps you flexible!
So how does removing clutter speed all of this up?
• By removing clutter from floors, dust and dirt can’t accumulate - vacuuming is faster.
• By removing clutter from surfaces, wipe downs (especially in bathrooms) becomes quicker. Try and put groups of cosmetics, bottles etc. into decorative trays, bowls and baskets if you don’t have the drawers or cupboards to put them in.
• Remove less used appliances from kitchen bench tops.
• Have a bowl for spare change, another for keys, have a jewellery box for jewellery.
• Have 2 baskets in the laundry, 1 for collected items out of pockets and another for odd socks.
• Put CD’s, DVD’s into their cases to protect them, that is what they’re for.
• Return all medications to the medicine cabinet. Leaving them around is dangerous. Children and pets may accidentally consume it or you may miss a dose. Medication should be private.
• Handle paperwork once, read, assign, action, put in pending, file or toss.
• Cover unused heaters or portable fans with a cover to reduce dust build-up when stored.
• Lastly, untangle and streamline those electrical cables. Jumbles of cables are not only dangerous but attract dust which grows into ugly balls of fluff that are unsightly and unhealthy.
For more tips and ideas subscribe to the Less Equals More newsletter by logging onto the website below. Want to meet Angela? join her at workshop on June 16th at the Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre. Details at http://www.lessequalsmore.com.au
Angela Miller-Davis is a Professional Organiser who helps people to find solutions for an organised lifestyle through her consultancy Less = More, Brisbane. http://www.lessequalsmore.com.au.
Angela is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers).
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