A lot of times, house cleaning gets away from us and starts to pile up (quickly)! Even when you’re doing the bare minimum, there are far too many household chores that need attention sooner or later. As they begin to mount, the need for catch up cleaning becomes more apparent.
What is ‘Catch Up Cleaning’?
The time between regular cleaning and spring cleaning calls for ‘catch up cleaning’; otherwise described as carrying out house cleaning tasks that haven’t been done in a while. In a literal sense, it’s catching up on house cleaning as a whole.
Whether the required cleaning in question comes in the form of small tasks like cleaning the bathroom sink, or bigger chores such as vacuuming the floor and cleaning the ceiling fans; every now and then, something or the other needs a catch up clean.
The Importance of Catch Up Cleaning
There’s a reason why cleaning companies offer catch up cleaning services — they’re important! All too often, homeowners fail to stay on top of their household cleaning needs, leaving parts of the house to accumulate dust, dirt, and bacteria. What’s more, during these trying times of a global pandemic continuing to take the lives of many around the world, it is critically important to keep your home clean and sanitary. In other words, catch up cleaning is a must!
Don’t let a busy schedule keep you from keeping your home in check where cleanliness and tidiness are concerned; especially when catch up cleaning can be pretty easy to schedule in. If you need some useful tips on how to get on top of home cleaning or household chores, Simply Maid has got you covered!
How to Go About DIY Catch Up Cleaning
Knowing where to start is always tricky, particularly if you haven’t caught up on house cleaning in a long time. In fact, this overwhelming thought alone can deter one from going any further. Well, if that’s the case, then you best hire a reputable catch up cleaning service to do the needful. On the other hand, if you’re up for taking on this DIY challenge, let’s take a look at simple ways to make the process easier for you.
1. List Down Cleaning Tasks
Some people prefer not to do this because as the list grows longer, you start to feel more stressed out just looking at it. However, there are multiple benefits of listing down things to do; for starters, it allows you to plan and schedule cleaning tasks more efficiently, and secondly, you don’t end up missing out on anything. Yet another plus point is the satisfaction of ticking off tasks as you catch up with them!
To do this in an organised manner, start with one room at a time by actually visiting each room and listing down cleaning tasks required in that space. Making sub-categories as per each room in your house will also encourage organised cleaning which is always less time-consuming and easier to get through.
2. Prioritise Cleaning Tasks
Surely there are certain areas in your home that require immediate attention while others can wait. For example, think about the last time you scrubbed the toilet seat or gave your microwave a deep clean; in both cases, one way or another, the buildup of nasty bacteria can spread diseases or illnesses.
So, take your list of catch up cleaning tasks and use a red highlighter pen to mark those that are high-priority. If you’d like, you could also use a different colour to highlight low-priority cleaning needs while leaving the rest unmarked. This will allow you to get your home back to a clean and sanitary condition quickly by targeting the important cleaning tasks first.
3. Stock Up on Cleaning Supplies
One of the most frustrating parts of home cleaning is running out of a particular product or realising that you don’t have a specific tool for the job at hand. Getting stalled in this manner wastes valuable time which is why it is advisable to be fully prepared for your DIY catch up cleaning.
To ensure that you have all the cleaners + tools you need, go through the list of cleaning tasks to do, and note down what you will need for each job. Then check your cleaning supplies cabinet and stock up accordingly.
4. Declutter Before You Clean
Attempting to clean before getting rid of clutter is the hardest thing to do because too many things get in your way. On top of this, the results are never satisfactory because clutter = messy! Though it may seem like a lot, the task of decluttering is fairly simple and quick, often taking a few minutes per room (assuming that the entire room isn’t decluttered).
The best way to declutter your home is to do one room at a time. Start by putting things away or back in place, and for items that don’t belong in the room, put them in a basket or bag so that you can carry them out to their designated room or storage space without having to go back and forth.
5. Make a Schedule
In general, house cleaning should be an organised affair if you want to get things done in a timely and efficient manner. Without a cleaning schedule, people often end up ‘skipping’ days that could be used to catch up on some cleaning.
Apart from being a gentle reminder, a cleaning schedule allows you to allot a stipulated amount of time to each task which you can then fit into your day-to-day schedule. This ensures that you are able to complete each task on time rather than miscalculating the time you have and beginning a task that cannot be finished.
6. Get Rid of Distractions
Anything that will detract your attention from the job at hand must be avoided if you are to complete each cleaning task within the allotted time frame. How? Think about the things that tend to take your attention away from cleaning; phones/gadgets, television, other tasks, etc.
When you divide your attention between two things, the results are often unsatisfactory. Even worse, on some occasions, no work gets done at all! Therefore, once you start a catch up cleaning task, it is important to see it through without turning your attention to something else.
7. Use Cleaning Hacks
More often than not, there is an easier and quicker way to clean something and yet, we stick to our old, non-efficient methods. Cleaning hacks are the game-changers every homeowner needs to consider when it comes to home cleaning.
From average cleaning tasks like dusting and mopping to deep cleaning appliances and carpets; you can find a shortcut to cleaning almost anything in your home. More importantly, these cleaning hacks are not just about cutting down on time and effort but getting the job done well.
It’s understandable to let household cleaning get away from you every now and then, however, it’s not okay to neglect a catch up clean as and when it is needed! Fortunately, with the tips above, you’ll never have to! Of course, for those of you who can’t find the time to give your home the TLC it deserves, Simply Maid is happy to do it for you!
Related Posts
A Cleaning Guide to Sparkling Stainless Steel Appliances
Why Vacuuming Carpets Just Isn’t Enough
Carpet Beetles Getting You Down? Then It’s Time to Get ‘Em Out!
Paradise Found: Five Pollution-Free Beaches Across the World
Things to Consider When You Move in Together
Pros & Cons of Hardwood Flooring: Should You Invest in Wooden Floors?
- Teenage Bedroom Cleaning Checklist - 02/01/2024
- Is Hard Water Affecting Your Home & Health? - 09/10/2021
- How to Clean 6 Essential Baking Tools - 09/01/2021