Cleaning hacks for hardworking South Africans

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the average South African worked 43 hours a week in 2017. That makes us the sixth hardest working nations in the world, just four hours away from the number one spot shared by Colombia and Turkey, reports Pretoria North Rekord.

Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of South Africa, said: “Contrary to popular opinion, South Africa is one of the hardest working nations. After long office hours, day-to-day errands, grocery shopping, attending class, and many other tasks you do in a day, most people simply don’t have the time to clean their homes.”

He suggested people stick to a ten-minute rule.

“It’s difficult to find the time and motivation to spend a few hours in any day cleaning the house. But, it is comparatively easy to find just ten minutes a day to get to a few chores.”

ALSO READ: Cleaning products can affect lung health in women but not men

Goslett gives the following tips on how to spring clean under 10 minutes:

1. Tackle one cleaning task daily.

For example, choose to focus on one room daily. Spend just 10 minutes to clean that room daily.

2. Share the chores with your roommate

When sharing the workload, clean the house for 20 minutes every day. Tackle separate tasks and spend 10 minutes on each.

According to Delphis Eco South Africa, a supplier of eco-friendly cleaning products, you might want to try out a few simple cleaning hacks, that are sure to make your life easier.

1. Invest in tin foil

Be sure to put a piece of foil at the bottom of your oven for any spillage, crumbs or spatter from the foods cooking on the top shelves.

The foil will prevent your oven from being covered in grease, making the cleaning up process a walk in the park.

2. Clean your microwave with vinegar

An easy way to clean your microwave is to steam a few drops of vinegar in a bowl for a few minutes.

The strong steam and vapour will loosen the grease and food splatters on the sides, making it easy for you to wipe clean.

3. Keep your fridge fresh

This can be one of the most mundane and tiresome chores but it has to be done.

Be sure to check your fridge regularly and dispose of any expired foods to prevent any bad odours from rotten goods.

Lining your fridge shelves with cling film so when any spillage occurs, all you have to do is peel off the film, discard of it and re-line the shelf again.

Cleaning in the bedroom:

4. Cleaning your mattress

Use baking soda and oil to keep your mattress clean. You’d be surprised to learn how easily bedbugs and other bacteria can ruin your idea of a restful night’s sleep.

Use a sifter or fine mesh strainer to sprinkle about a cup of baking soda directly onto your mattress. Let it sit for an hour to soak up the odours, then vacuum it up. And if you like, you can even add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the baking soda.

5. Cleaning your carpet

Consider cleaning your carpet with baking soda. Much like cleaning your mattress, you just apply a proper layer of baking soda to your carpet, let it soak up all the dirt and vacuum everything up.

For your bathroom:

6. How to clean your shower head

Use water and vinegar to clean your shower head.

You can easily clean your shower head by mixing the same amount of vinegar and water in a plastic bag and wrapping it around the shower head. Once it has stayed there for a while, you may remove the bag, run your shower and enjoy a clean shower.

7. Properly ventilate your bathroom

To prevent your bathroom walls and ceiling from the mould, you may need to keep it well ventilated.

A bathroom fan may be helpful in this regard, but if you don’t have one, leaving your bathroom door open after you’ve showered to let the air in would do just the trick.

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