Different people have different reasons for hating household chores. Parents who balance full-time jobs with child-rearing are too exhausted to do the laundry. Fur parents with three dogs find it useless to keep sweeping dog hair when it’s shedding season. And then there are the lazy bunch, who see their clutter as a “creative mess” they can live with for the rest of their lives—what a great excuse to avoid chores.
Perhaps one of the reasons it’s overwhelming for you to clean is because you think that to achieve a sparkling house, you need to exert Herculean effort. Do away with that traditional mindset because household chores no longer have to be as difficult or complex as they used to be.
It’s All About the Material
If your floor is carpeted and your couch is made of cotton, then you’ve set yourself up for a lot of trouble. Your furniture upholstery, curtains, and bedsheets are some of the most difficult and time-consuming items you’ll clean. Switching to fabrics that don’t wrinkle and soil easily can do a lot to lessen your burden, primarily because they won’t have to be cleaned that often.
Among the top options for upholstery is leather, as it’s durable and can withstand most stains. Looking for a more affordable option? Vinyl, also known as faux leather, is a more flexible imitation that boasts the same qualities. To maximize their benefits, choose dark colors like black, gray, and brown so that any damage will be easier to hide. All these materials need are a little wipe down, and they’re good to go.
Easy-to-clean alternatives for curtains and linens are available in the market. Consider polyester for curtains and bedsheets, and go for the hyper-allergenic kind, too, so it’s safer for everyone at home.
It’s All About Maintenance
Reducing the number of chores you do (which is the closest you’ll come to your dream of eliminating them) boils down to how well you can maintain many of your household fixtures. Any DIY effort to clean nooks like your air duct may prove costly when you end up causing damage. Sometimes, leaving the complicated stuff to the professionals is the cheaper option in maintaining your household’s integrity and quality. After all, when one thing doesn’t work well, you end up dealing with more tasks and nursing a worse headache.
The next time you’re tempted to drop by the nearest hardware store for DIY maintenance, drop your car keys and pick up your phone instead. Calling a duct cleaning service will ensure that the work gets done and won’t need further poking for a long time.
The same goes for your appliances. You don’t want the additional work anyway, so listen to the lazy person within and spend on professional fees. It’s always worth the investment.
It’s All About the Gadget
Speaking of investments, it’s probably high time for you to level up your cleaning supplies. The traditional broom and duster involve a physicality that you’d rather avoid, which is all the more reason to shop their modern alternatives.
On top of your list should be a lightweight wireless vacuum. These products usually come with accessories that can help you tackle difficult spaces and surfaces. You’ll also want an electric scrubber to save yourself from working out your bicep by trying to remove stains on your stove. Those blinds that take you forever to dust? There are blind brushes that you can swipe across their surface to make them spotless in under five minutes. Technology truly is a wonderful thing.
Do It Smarter
Household chores don’t have to be difficult when you’re smart about how you tackle them. The more ways you can come up with to lighten the load of cleaning, the easier it will be to maintain a home that’s not perpetually covered in dust.