While not expecting anyone to become a cleanaholic overnight, some degree of house chores must get done so you can live in a civil manner in a clean and healthy environment that will boost your mental health as well.

Here are five tips that can help save time and energy and make life a whole lot easier.

1. Clean up right away

Procrastination kills productivity. Period. Make it a simple routine to do the dishes and wipe down the dining table after every meal.

If there are other family members around, divide the chores and conquer. Assign washing dishes to one person, cleaning the table to another and storing leftovers in the fridge to a third.

The same goes with scrubbing your dirty pots and pans immediately after prepping, cooking, or baking in the oven.

Cleaning up along the way prevents food residue from hardening, makes better use of your time, and also prevents your dirty utensils, tableware, and cookware from turning into the proverbially daunting pile of dishes in the sink.

2. Use good cleaning tools

Invest in proper cleaning tools and good detergents. Have baking soda, vinegar, and latex gloves handy as well to tackle cleaning messes of any size.

Whether paper towels or reusable cloths are preferred, having more of them than needed and within reach will ensure that they are used as soon as any spills occur.

A robotic vacuum can run around automatically saving time and energy. A solid hand vacuum can help clean every corner of any space and keep homes spick and span for days.

A good air purifier is highly recommended if air quality is important, especially post-pandemic. A clean, comfortable, and clutter-free space leads to a better quality of life and the enjoyment of being home more often.

3. Always put things back in their original place

This routine forms by starting the day by making the bed. Put all pillows, bolsters, and duvets back into their original position.

Before breakfast, head to the kitchen and place everything used for dinner the night before back in their original cupboards, drawers, and shelves.

Do not leave anything laying around creating clutter and appreciate the clean, minimalist environment you’ve created.

Putting things back in their original places also helps prevent losing items. Always putting keys back on an entryway tray or the TV remote on the coffee table will greatly minimise the chances of losing these daily use items ever again.

4. Fight winning battles

Although cleaning up right away is recommended, some battles can take a back seat. Dirty pans with baked-in food are best left to soak in warm soapy water before tackling them.

Instead of fighting the uphill battle of scrubbing them immediately, soaking these pans overnight will save you time cleaning clumps of burnt rice that should easily slide off the next morning.

By choosing every battle wisely, cleaning slowly becomes less of a chore.

5. Hire a cleaner

This is definitely the easiest cleaning hack anyone can do. And although this may not be the most economical of hacks, finding a good and affordable cleaner is possible.

Using a helping set of hands once a week or even once a month will depend on one’s budget, but a trustworthy cleaner will help kick the cleanliness of any home up a notch.

From retirees to homemakers, there’s an uncle or aunty out there who is just waiting for the opportunity to showcase their cleaning skills.

Don’t overthink things and just get started by following these easy tips… or simply skip to step 5, sit back, and let someone else do the work for you instead.