We’ve all done it – started out with good intentions and managed to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. You’d think something as essential as cleaning would be a straightforward affair, but that’s far from the truth. There are many ways to mess up tidying up the mess and we’ve probably all made several of them, if not all!
Read the instructions
I don’t mean you should read the instructions on your new sweeping brush and save them for future reference, but cleaning products aren’t one-size-fits-all. One of the most common mistakes that arises from not reading the instructions is wiping a product off the dirty surface before it’s had enough time to work, so:
- Read the instructions
- Follow the instructions
- Let the product do the work
Use the right tools for the job
Remember that time you used a drill to knock in a nail? No, of course you don’t! So why would you use a pan scourer to clean your stainless steel hob or try to clean a mirror with a piece of kitchen roll that will leave flecks all over it?
- A quick internet search will tell you what to use for a job
- Use the right cloth and product for each task
Get yourself organised
When I say “yourself”, I really mean “your family”. Cleaning is a lot easier if people are in the habit of putting things away as they go along, rather than leaving you to do it all. Not only will this save time, but it will stop you from feeling taken for granted. Make this more likely to happen by providing user-friendly storage for all your family’s needs.
By far the most common error is to leave jobs to mount up. Don’t try to do all the work at once; break it down into manageable chunks and it will be less stressful as well as a little easier. Where cleaning is concerned, efficiency rather than effort is the key.