Cleaning is easily one of the most boring and monotonous task of the year. And the worse things get, the less productive you become. If this isn’t your first time, you’ll know just how tedious things can become.
But you don’t need to suffer in silence this time around. In fact, you can make cleaning enjoyable… with a few exciting changes to your routine.
Here are eight simple ways you can make cleaning more fun for everyone in your home.
1. Play some cleaning games
Give everyone in your house a specific item or area to clean, but tell them not to begin until your say “go”. The first person to complete the job to your satisfaction gets a prize — such as some chocolate or the opportunity to give one of their jobs to someone else.
You could even have a “Mastercleaner” competition. Similar to BBC’s Masterchef programme, you or someone in your family has to judge the quality of each person’s cleaning habits. People are awarded points, or the opportunity to go through to the next round.
2. Add some vodka to your cleaning supplies
When you have some vodka in your cleaning caddy, you always have an effective stain remover by your side. But not only that, you can reward yourself for making deadlines and hitting your cleaning targets by making yourself a celebratory cocktail. Just don’t overdo things, as effective cleaning requires a clear head!
3. Listen to your favourite author
If you’re cleaning alone, the process can become pretty soul destroying. Rather than suffer in silence, download an audiobook from your favourite author, and play it through headphones while you scrub, polish and vacuum. If you’re not a reader, take a look at the millions of podcasts that are available for free.
4. Throw a cleaning party
They say that many hands make light work, so why not enlist the help of friends and family? Of course, people aren’t going to spend their free time cleaning your home for nothing. So give them an incentive by putting on some food and drinks. Play some music, and make cleaning a social event. Keep your drinks non-alcoholic at first, but tempt everyone with promises of cocktails and a fully stocked bar when the hard work is done.
Top tip: Get all your friends to take turns hosting their own cleaning party, so everyone gets the help they need. Who knows? You might all start looking forward to cleaning season.
5. Feel the burn
If you like to exercise regularly, why not turn cleaning into a home-based workout. You can burn up to 600 calories per hour doing some rigorous vacuuming or scrubbing, so treat your cleaning days as extended sessions at the gym. Play your favourite music (loudly), and scrub, polish and vacuum to the beat. If you want to turn things up a notch, perform squats, bicep curls and stretches while cleaning.
6. Perform your own scientific experiments
There are several natural cleaning agents you can make yourself at home. Using substances such as baking powder, lemon juice and vinegar, you can test your homemade cleaning products on various surfaces throughout your home. Record your results, and play around with measurements and recipes until you find a winner.
7. Reward yourself
Give yourself the motivation to work harder and faster by attaching rewards to certain jobs. For example, once you’ve thoroughly cleaned all of your kitchen appliances, give yourself a hot soak in the bath. Once you’ve steam cleaned the carpets, sit down with your favourite chocolate bar. And create job sandwiches by treating yourself, performing an essential cleaning task, then rewarding yourself again.
8. Use cleaning as a way to make money
Cleaning involves organising clothes, furniture and possessions, so why not take the opportunity to purge your home of the things you don’t need? Make an inventory as you go, and attach a price to each item. You can either sell these items online or at markets and car boot sales once you’ve finished. Alternatively, you can think about ways to upcycle your old things while you’re performing mundane cleaning jobs.
Don’t get disheartened about cleaning before it’s begun. Follow these tips, and make the process more fun than ever before.