When work gets busy, sometimes it means the household chores get a little bit left behind…especially the cleaning. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a few hacks to help busy professionals keep on top of cleaning while maintaining a busy work life.

1. Create a cleaning schedule

This is our number one tip in this article for a reason. As a busy professional, you probably already know the value of having procedures and processes in place, whether you run a business, manage a roster or work within a busy team. The same value can be applied to a household cleaning roster. It’ll help keep you accountable and keep things organised.

2. Don’t let the laundry get out of control

Look, wiping tables down, cleaning showers and the usual cleaning tasks are all important BUT one of the most overlooked cleaning tasks, when you live a busy day-to-day lifestyle, is keeping on top of the laundry. Definitely aim to keep it under control, if you don’t already. For one, you don’t want to check your closet and find you’ve run out of work outfits at the last minute. Secondly, looking at a huge pile of laundry is suuuuuper stressful.

3. Invest in baskets and other means of storage and organisation

Rather than throwing your belongings into a cupboard or scattering them on a table and hoping for the best, pick up some boxes and baskets that have been made specifically for household storage. Not only will they help you keep things neat and tidy, but they’ll also help you easily find your things when you need them.

4. Clean smaller messes as you go

There are things you can do that really don’t take too much time or effort at all, but they will absolutely help ease the pain of cleaning day. Clean the sink while you brush your teeth. Wipe down the shower glass while you’re washing. Pack the dishwasher while you wait for the kettle to boil. If you see something small that needs to be done, get to it before it grows into something big.

5. Set a timer

Breaking up cleaning periods into short, focused bursts can be really helpful. Rather than thinking of the cleaning as a massive task that’s going to take hours, set a timer for 15 minutes where you clean non-stop, then take a break for half an hour, then set another 15-minute cleaning timer, and so on. Soon, you’ll find you’ll have done a few hours of cleaning without feeling like you’ve spent any time on it at all.

Hopefully, these cleaning hacks can help you maintain a clean, organised and stress-free living space, even with a busy schedule.