The 9-to-5ers guide to housekeeping

Clutter be gone

If clutter bombards you the minute you walk into the house after a gruelling work day, you’re immediately going to feel stressed. To ease the pressure, take 10 minutes every Sunday evening to clear away some clutter – mail, papers, shopping dockets, pens, jumpers, magazines, shoes or any items that you, your flatmates or family members regularly leave around the house.

If most of the clutter consists of important papers and other odds and ends that you’ll “get to eventually”, keep a paper-sized basket on the kitchen benchtop and place them in there. Set aside some time at the end of every fortnight to sort through the basket, then begin the cycle again.

Take advantage of technology

You habitually use tech every day in the office, so why not make it work for you at home? Switching all of your paper bills to online statements is an excellent way to stay organised, be more eco-friendly and reduce the amount of paper cluttering up your home.

Clean as you go

It sounds simple enough, but you’d be amazed by how much cleaning time you can save yourself by cleaning as you go. Whether you’re cooking dinner, doing the laundry, having a shower or watching TV, making an effort to rinse down the shower screen, put dirty utensils in the dishwasher, fold all the towels and put the remotes back where they belong will save you a lot of tidying time later.

A place for everything – and everything in its place

You may think it’s only families with kids who need over-sized storage baskets around the house to store toys and other bits and pieces. Big storage containers and boxes are ideal for storing those items that don’t have a dedicated spot in the house. Better yet, attractive ones can add a decorative element to your home. Place decorative storage boxes in the front entryway, in the living room and near the kitchen to store odds and ends instead of throwing them on the benchtop. And again, take some time out every week or month to sort through the boxes.

With these tips comes the knowledge that when it comes to housekeeping, a little bit goes a long way.