Cleaning Tips: Basic Housekeeping - 10 Tips to Keep Housework from Ruling Your Life

Basic Housekeeping - 10 Tips to Keep Housework from Ruling Your Life

Here are 1o basic ways to make housekeeping simpler:

1. If it isn't begging for attention, don't clean it. If dirt and dust aren't obvious, leave them for later.

2. Make the most of every minute. Find tasks that you can do simultaneously.

3. Head off housework. Use a doormat to keep dirt outside; eat only in the kitchen or dining room.

Voracious Vacuuming Tips

There really is more to vacuuming than just plugging in the machine and giving your rug or carpet the once-over. Here are basic tips for making your cleaning routine time-efficient but thorough.

To suck up the most dirt and dust hidden between the fibers, you need to spend about 20 seconds or so going back and forth over each area of the rug.

For those neat carpet or rug patterns that announce, "I've just been cleaned!" pretend you're mowing the lawn. (This is a great job for the kids, by the way).

Divide the area into strips and tackle each strip in sections using a back-and-forth motion.

4. Avoid interruptions. Let voicemail take the calls until you've finished the task at hand.

5. Set realistic standards. If you lack the time to buff your home thoroughly, adjust your expectations.

6. Call in the troops. A family that works together has more time to play together.

7. Keep household germs in check. Make time for bathroom and kitchen disinfecting, if nothing else.

8. Say adieu to allergens. Vacuum frequently and wash bed linens in hot water to remove dust mite debris.

9. Thin your houseplant collection. If you enjoy indoor greenery but spend too much time maintaining it, choose a few easy-care plants and weed out the rest.

10. Make your home safe, and less dusty. A clutter-free home helps prevent accidents from happening, reduces surfaces that collect dust and the time you'll spend dusting.

Basic Housekeeping - 10 Tips to Keep Housework from Ruling Your Life: Created on May 27th, 2009. Last Modified on May 27th, 2009

About Tara Aronson

Tara Aronson is author of Housekeeping With Kids. Her San Francisco Chronicle column entitled "Coming Clean" — focusing on household cleaning and maintenance — reaches 1.5 million readers. Aronson is an expert in home cleaning and organizing. Her advice has appeared in numerous national and regional publications, including Ladies' Home Journal, The Washington Post and Woman's World. Visit Tara's Web site.

Aronson is fast becoming a familiar face on national television (Living It Up with Ali & Jack, Soap Talk, The Other Half, CNNfn, etc.) and is also a much sought-after lifestyle expert for local television news and radio programs nationwide.