It’s no secret that prevention is better than cure. At work, we use this logic all the time. We develop tactics to pre-empt problems that might arise.
At home, the same goes. A little bit of tactical planning now can save you from unnecessary chaos and disorder down the track. Use these 10 prevention strategies to keep you ahead of the game.
1. Shoes-Off Boot Camp
Shoes and boots traipse all kinds of dirt through the house and graze the surfaces of your floor. Don’t spend half of your waking hours vacuuming up the trail of debris.
A strict shoes-off policy is the best way to keep your floors clean. If you struggle to enforce that rule with the kids, be strategic with your doormats. Leave them at every entrance – inside and out.
2. Don’t Give Mildew A Warm, Wet Welcome
Once mildew sets in, dealing with it becomes an uphill battle. By taking a few simple preventative measures, you won’t have to fight that fight.
Be careful not to overfill your closet and always keep a desiccant (like DampRid) in your wardrobe to absorb moisture. In musty basements, install open shelving to improve ventilation and air circulation. If dampness is a major problem, you may need a dehumidifier.
3. Get A Grip On Your Chopping Board
Nobody likes an unstable chopping board. One heavy-handed chop can be enough to send it hurtling to the kitchen floor, taking your diced onion with it.
Save yourself from lots of mess (and onion tears) with this simple trick. Before you start chopping, place a damp napkin or cloth on your bench top, beneath your chopping board.
4. A Clean Sweep
Food preparation and cooking can be a messy business. Once dinner is served, the kitchen floor often bears evidence of several spills and splatters.
Rather than letting the stubborn dirt and grime build up, give the floor a quick sweep each evening. When you get around to doing your weekly mop, the task will be a piece of cake.
5. Clean-As-You-Go
Let’s face it – after dinner, nobody really wants to tackle a mountain of dirty dishes. If you adopt a clean-as-you-go approach in the kitchen, you will turn that mountain into a molehill.
When you cook, don’t let the dirty pots, pans and utensils pile up in the sink. Rinse them as you go, and pop them straight in the dishwasher. This keeps the kitchen in order and takes the dread out of dishwashing.
6. Wipe Away Spills, Pronto.
Regular spot cleaning minimises the need for heavy-duty deep cleaning. Don’t procrastinate or let the mess build up – clean up minor spills and smudges as they happen.
Whether it’s grease on the stovetop or makeup in the bathroom sink, spills are always faster and easier to remove when you attend to them immediately. Spilt milk is more of a pain once it has congealed and dried onto your benches or floors.
7. Don’t Cut Corners On Product
Some cleaning products are quite versatile but, sadly, there is no magic cleaning product that will satisfy all of your cleaning needs.
Using the wrong cleaning product can leave unwanted residue. If you’re not careful, you will end up creating more mess than you eliminate. So make sure you have all the right cleaning products on hand – something for floor, glass, stainless steel, oven, tiles – and use the right product for the right purpose.
8. For The Sake Of Your Furnishings, Be Shady.
When the sun is shining, we all love to soak in some natural light. But be mindful that direct sun can damage your furniture, carpet and artwork.
When your rooms are not in use, keep the blinds or curtains drawn to protect your interiors from fading and discolouring.
9. Make The Bed Daily
Try not to let your bed become a disheveled mess. At the end of a long day, nothing beats crawling into a freshly made bed.
When you incorporate making the bed into your daily routine, it becomes so habitual that it seems effortless. A tidy bed gives the whole room a sense of order, which deters you from letting things — like clothes and paperwork — pile up around it.
10. Mail? Sorted.
Save yourself from the eyesore of paper clutter by sorting through your daily mail each day, as it arrives.
Set aside a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a recycling bin handy for unwanted junk mail. Divide your other mail into four categories: personal correspondence, bills, catalogues, and filing.
If you want to do away with paper clutter altogether, convert your bills, statements and subscriptions to digital and go paperless.