by Alex Trudell

When you work full time and then come home to a family and a home that needs a little bit of attention, cleaning can seem like a burden and often gets pushed to the side in favor of more enjoyable tasks. But you do not have to be a homemaker in order to keep your home in order. In fact, simple tricks of the trade can help make cleaning an easier and faster chore whether you work inside or outside the home.

Do one load of laundry every night. By not letting the laundry build up, you can take this difficult chore and include it into your nightly routine with ease. Throw a load into the washer every night during bath time or at bedtime and fold it while you watch television or catch up with your spouse. The key is to do one load a night, every night. This way, laundry becomes more manageable and seems less like a chore.

Clean up from a meal immediately after it happens. Though you might want to sit and relax after dinner, taking a few minutes to clean up the mess right away gives it the illusion of going faster and makes you feel less stressed about getting back to it later. Waiting to clean up until after the kids go to bed can mean that you might not get back to it. Just like the laundry, the key is to keep up with the dishes before they overtake the kitchen.

Find a place for everything.
Though staying organized might not be your strong suit, it helps make cleaning faster and easier. Children who know where their toys go are able to put them away without help. That saves moms and dads precious minutes before bedtime. Similarly, having a place for things and enforcing their return to that place after use means that you will not have to spend hours tidying up the house before bed every evening. Staying organized from the start saves you time and energy.

Keep yourself occupied with conversation, music, or television. Washing dishes while talking to a friend can help any chore go by more quickly. Vacuum to your favorite song or fold laundry as you watch your favorite tv show. These simple additions to a cleaning routine help make chores go by more quickly, or at least less painfully.

Know when to get help. If you and your spouse both work outside the home full time, making time for large chores like cleaning the carpets, washing the windows, or gardening can seem impossible. One of the best ways to accomplish these tasks is to know when to delegate. Consider a once-a-month or bi-weekly cleaning team to help you get on top of things or do the things that seem to burden you the most. The expense can be well worth it, especially if it spares your sanity.

These simple steps can help anyone stay on top of household chores. Whether your time at home is limited or you are a homemaker chasing young children around all day, everyone can benefit from making things a little less stressful and a little more fun!