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In the modern world, housekeeping has become an incredible hassle, not only because both mums and dads have entered the work force, but also because consumerism has made a wide array of material items accessible-our homes are usually crammed full with a stunning variety of things from TVs to toothbrush holders. Running a household is a stressful, full-time job, and for working parents it really can be the second shift. If you are a mum or dad and you feel like keeping your house in order is making you want to tear your hair out, here are a few housekeeping tips to lower your stress and make your home a more efficient and comfortable place to be:
1. Enlist your kids: Get your kids involved in cleaning your home-after all, they live, eat, and make messes there too. Giving your kids chores will take a lot of the pressure off of you as a mum and will teach your kids valuable lessons about how to keep a home organized and clean that they can carry into their adult life.
2. Do a little bit of cleaning each day: Instead of saving all the cleaning for one overwhelming chore day, take a few minutes each day to tidy up the house, or at least certain rooms in the house. Little cleaning projects each day will keep the house from getting too messy.
3. One room at a time: When you do embark on larger cleaning projects, take one room at a time and be as thorough as possible before moving on to the next room. Trying to everything all at once can be overwhelming and will likely cause you to miss a lot of the messes that you wanted to clean in the first place.
4. Pick up after yourself: Don’t leave items lying around the house with the attitude that you will pick them up later-leaving items lying around is what leads directly to clutter.
5. Make a cleaning schedule: Make a schedule of cleaning days and cleaning tasks that need to be done. This will help you be more organized and will allow you to optimize your time in a no doubt busy schedule. Make sure the whole family is included in the family cleaning plan.
6. Keep your kitchen and bathroom clean above all else: If you are strapped for time because of a busy week, make sure to pick a few rooms/spaces that you always clean no matter how hectic you schedule has become. Bathrooms and kitchens are good rooms to put on the top of this cleaning priority list because they are bastions of hygiene-good hygiene and bad hygiene. You want to make sure the hygiene in your home is good, no matter what.
7. Don’t be a perfectionist: Cleaning is not about having the immaculate house of a Stepford Wife; it is about making your home comfortable and relaxing to be in. Don’t obsess over every little spot or out of place towel-accept that things can be a little messy and simply have a motto that you clean for comfort and clean to keep messes from getting out of hand.
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