Moving out to be on your own is indeed comforting, with only your own rules to follow, until housekeeping lurks at your door. Dealing with the mess, laundry, cooking, and cleaning all by ourselves can easily drain our energy, considering we already spend the whole day working.
Doing the laundry is an important chore you can’t delay because you’d surely be in trouble once you realize that you no longer have any clean clothes to wear at work. Fortunately, modern washer and dryers now allow for faster cleaning, but if you’d rather spend your free time doing something more fun, you can just hire reliable same-day laundry services. It’s convenient and your clothes will be handled with expert care.
That said, here are other tips to overcome housekeeping when you live alone:
1. Establish a Routine
The best way to manage cleaning is to set a schedule for it that you can follow. Assign certain days of the week for specific tasks, for example, dedicate your Sundays for laundry, and Monday evenings for vacuuming. Perform deep-cleaning at least once a month, or whenever it is needed.
2. Learn Home Remedies
You don’t always have to spend money on special cleaning agents. If your washbasin and/or bathtub gets dirty, for example, grapefruit and salt can help you. Simply sprinkle some salt and put drops of grapefruit juice into the washbasin or bathtub. Use the grapefruit itself to scrub away the dirt. Rinse with water afterwards, and you’re done.
White vinegar and baking soda also come in handy when you need to clean bathroom tiles, so always keep a supply of those.
3. De-Clutter From Time to Time
No matter how much we try to live low-key, our stuff just piles up for some reason, forcing us to use more space than what we actually need. According to Nancy Haworth of On Task Organizing, a one in, one out rule can help us minimize clutter. This means letting go of something every time we buy something new. So, the next time you go home from shopping, inspect your things and decide which ones you no longer need, so you can donate or sell them before they eat up your space.
4. Avoid Wearing Shoes Inside the House
Our shoes gather a lot of dirt from the ground outside, which we bring onto our floors if we keep them on while inside the house. Leave your shoes outside or put them in a shoe rack by the doorway to maintain your floor’s cleanliness. That way, you’d no longer have to mop as much.
5. Keep Pests at Bay
One of the most horrible things that can happen to your house is a pest infestation. If you live alone, chances are inspecting the little crevices of your home doesn’t cross your mind often. Prevent this from happening by keeping insecticides and traps, so you can get rid of cockroaches and other destructive pests the moment you spot them.
6. Learn simple repairs and crafts
Keeping a toolbox and knowing how to use its contents will be helpful. Screwdrivers, screws, hooks, and hammers are some easy-to-use tools that are all handy when you need to perform minor repairs. They’re also useful when you need to assemble a furniture piece, such as a bookshelf.
7. Cook Enough for Days
Learning how to cook will save you a lot of money for dining out and ordering take-out food. You don’t have to be a skilled cook to be able to prepare a decent meal, as there are many simple recipes you can find on the internet. Pasta dishes are an example; they’re healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare.
Adopting all of these habits will rid you of the stress of housekeeping. You can enjoy your own space better and never complain about arduous household chores again.
