Ways to make cleaning up more fun, during and after lockdown.

lockdown cleaning

 

A clean, tidy environment makes it easier on everyone to stay at home.

 

You can use the effort it takes to keep your home looking ship-shape to release some of the pent-up energy accumulated during lockdown.

 

When you incorporate team work and creativity, you may even find that cleaning can be therapeutic and fun.

 

Here are seven ways to make household chores more enjoyable and to help create a culture of tidiness at home.

 

1. Transform cleaning into a gym workout 

Instead of viewing cleaning as an unavoidable chore, transform it into a strenuous gym workout.

 

Allocate a time limit to each task and try to meet – or beat – that time.

 

Push harder as the week progresses. This will get the job done faster and increase your fitness levels.

 

2. Adopt a number-and-colour scavenger hunt 

The best way to rope in younger kids is to make a game of cleaning and tidying up. A scavenger hunt is one engaging way to pique their interest. 

 

Ask your kids to collect a certain number of green, red, yellow or blue items that are lying around the home. Challenge them to store each item away in the correct place.

 

Once all the colour-coded clutter is packed away, hand out rewards.

 

3. Hit the playlist

There’s no better way of getting into the rhythm of sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing and cleaning than with dance tunes as a motivating accompaniment.

 

Two-step your way around the kitchen, boogie through the bedrooms and do the rumba as you wipe down the shelves and surfaces.

 

4. Embrace essentials-only shopping  

The key to a well-organised home is to avoid accumulating clutter. Cut down on waste by buying essential items only – food, cleaning supplies and clothing items that you really need.

 

Challenge your partner to a lockdown layoff from luxury purchases.

 

5. Snap before and after pics  

Maintain the motivation required to clean and organise your home by taking before and after pics of your living space.

 

You’ll find the results can be quite dramatic. This applies especially if you’ve recruited a team of family members to tackle a decluttering deep dive.

 

6. Create a family decluttering challenge

If you’re battling to keep your kids entertained, consider a family decluttering challenge.

 

The first step is to agree on a prize. Then set up three large cardboard boxes – one for trash, one for recycling and one for donating.

 

Give the family 60 minutes to collect as many of their own items as possible to deposit in the boxes. The winner is the person who collects the most items.

 

7. Plan a post-cleaning reward

Before you allocate tasks, agree with the kids exactly what they can expect as a reward.

 

Have a discussion about what they think is suitable compensation for their efforts. Some ideas are airtime, a movie or a particular food treat.

 

Whether or not you have kids, you can reward yourself too. A bath with plenty of bubbles, a movie or time out with a book are some good ideas.

 

Clear the clutter with XtraSpace

At XtraSpace, we offer clean, secure self-storage units that are ideal for organising and clearing your home of clutter.

 

For example, store unwanted furniture and appliances, clothes and toys that kids have outgrown, redundant CD or DVD collections and other items until you’re able to sell or donate them.

 

Contact us for more information or browse to find a branch near you.

 

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