Who doesn’t want to know how to cut down on cleaning time, yet still maintain a tidy, neat and hygienic home? We believe that you might be overcleaning some things in your home that you don’t necessarily need to wash as often as you do. So keep cleaning and find out which are the things that will spare you time and effort.
Clothes
If you feel like you spend too much time doing laundry, you are probably washing your clothes way too often. Unless you have a very dirty job and those are your working clothes, you don’t need to wash most clothing every day. Anything that is not underwear, socks or other pieces close to the body, can be worn more than once. Instead of putting clothes in the laundry basket, hang them at the end of the day and avoid piling them up with other dirty clothes. By reducing your laundry you will save yourself water, electricity, laundry products, time and money.
Curtains
Curtains in both bedrooms and living rooms don’t need frequent cleaning. Thorough steam or dry cleaning is necessary only once a year. If you are concerned about dust, have pets at home, or suffer from allergies, you can vacuum your curtains once every couple of weeks. You can also throw them in your washing machine, just make sure you use low heat in order to prevent shrinkage. Curtains in kitchens and bathrooms should be washed more often because they easily catch grease and moisture.
Bedspreads & Comforters
Bed coverings are so hard to clean, mainly because of their size. Unless you spend all your time in bed, or have pets that are constantly on it, you don’t need to wash them so often. Washing them at the end of the season must be enough. Before any cleaning attempt make sure to check the fabric care tag. For your convenience, bring your largest pieces to the nearest laundromat or dry cleaner. You will save yourself the hassle of doing this at home.
Winter Outwear
Did you know that most winter coats can make it through the winter with only a wash or two. Unless they are visibly dirty, spot treatment will be enough for your coats and jackets. As long as you treat stains as soon as they occur, you will be able to avoid the dry cleaner. Washing them at home isn’t easy and neither is drying. That’s why you should hang them after each wearing and use a good clothes brush to remove dust and lint.
Dirty Dishes
If you wash your dishes in the dishwasher you probably rinse them before you load them in. The thing you might not know is that dishwashing detergent liquids, tablets and powders contain enzymes that attach themselves to food particles and dissolve the mess. Whenever you pre rinse the dishes, you prevent that from happening. Imagine how much water and time you could save if you skip that part. However, it is important that you scrape off most of the food before loading your dishes in the dishwasher. Never let dirty dishes sit in your dishwasher or sink for days.
Oven
Cleaning your oven doesn’t need to be on your weekly chore list. If you clean spills as soon as they happen, you don’t need to clean your oven more often than 2-3 times a year. Plan a thorough deep cleaning after the holidays (never before).
Bed Pillows
Bed sheets and pillowcases need to be washed weekly because they come in direct contact with our bodies. They are prone to gathering body soil, dead skin, hair, soak up sweat and other body fluids. Pillows and blankets, on the other side, only need to be washed every 3-6 months. Too much washing can damage your bedding.
Bath Toys
Children need daily baths but the toys that keep them company in the shower, dont. As long as you rinse them after every bath and let them dry, you can cut down their washing to once a month. Mix ½ cup white vinegar and 4L of water. Soak the toys in this solution and let them in for 15 minutes. Dry them out.
Furniture Slipcovers
Slipcovers can give your furniture a new look and also protect it from spills and stains. What is more, they are much easier to wash than upholstery. Unless you have a very messy family or pets that are constantly on your furniture, you only have to wash your slipcovers at the end of every season. Otherwise, spot treatment would be enough.
Carpets & Upholstery
Best case scenario, you only need to get your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned once a year. That includes steam cleaning and the use of proper products. However, this doesn’t mean that you can skip on your weekly vacuuming. If you prefer to wash those pieces by yourself, don’t do it too frequently. Use spot treatment when needed and make sure you are using the correct shampoo. Overdoing this may damage their surface. Excess shampooing might attract soil and not drying them properly might cause mould and mildew growth in their padding or furniture cushions.
Kitchen Pantry
Your refrigerator is used for raw or cooked food that easily spoils and you should wash it weekly in order to prevent spoiling. Your kitchen pantry, however, does not need to be cleaned that often. Cleaning it once or twice a year would be enough. Remove everything from the shelves, wipe them and remove all expired or soiled products. Check for insect activity.