“Perfection is an unattainable myth.” 5 ways to ease the day-to-day mental load of running a house.

If life is busy, then life with children can feel extra busy. 

Which means things at home can get a little... chaotic.

But like most people, I find that I can’t concentrate or work in a house that is an absolute mess. I’m the type of person who likes to stay on top of my housework, but being time poor can make achieving this especially difficult. 

While you're here, watch these 4 cleaning hacks that will make your life easier. Post continues after video.

To make life a bit easier at home, I’ve come up with a few small ways to ease the day-to-day mental load. So, if you're looking for a way to get some time back, here are my top tips to make your life at home a little less... chaotic. 

1. Use a quality disinfectant.

First up, I think it’s important to use a good quality disinfectant that I know will effectively kill germs. I’m particularly fussy about making sure our floors are clean, especially when we have three small children and a dog. 

Those who have lived in the UK will already be familiar with the multipurpose household grade disinfectant Zoflora. It’s the UK’s number one household disinfectant and has just been launched in Australia.

Zoflora has been lab tested and proven to kill 99.9 per cent of household bacteria such as E.Coli and salmonella, as well as those other grubby bugs that are headlining this winter: COVID-19 and Influenza A.

Image: Supplied.

As well as killing germs, Zoflora offers an all-day freshness and beautiful long-lasting fragrance, as well as being suitable for use in homes with pets. It also comes in six fragrances, so you can choose which will best suit your mood: lemon zing, summer breeze, coconut and lime, mandarin and lime, midnight blooms, and linen fresh. And you can't deny, there's nothing — I repeat, nothing — better than coming home to a beautiful-smelling house.

2. Clean up the clutter.

Once the floors are clean, I make sure that I stay on top of the clutter that accumulates in the living areas of a family home. 

I get the kids to clean up their toys at the end of the day before bath time, and once they’re in bed, I take twenty minutes to have a quick tidy of loose items. The less clutter you have, the tidier your house will look, even if it’s not necessarily spotlessly clean. 

Before I go to bed, I always wipe down the kitchen benches and sink, and turn the dishwasher on. It makes a huge difference to my day to wake up to a clean kitchen. 

3. Have household cleaning rhythms.

I like to have ‘rhythms’ when approaching how I clean my house. This means that I have a schedule for the cleaning and do a bit each day, rather than panic-cleaning the whole house on a Saturday morning before we have friends around. 

I use weekends for washing sheets and towels, as well as doing the online grocery order. I vacuum and mop on a Monday, then on Tuesday I’ll give the bathrooms a thorough clean. On Wednesday, I try to dust and clear up excess surface clutter, then on Thursday I do a kitchen clean, making sure I wipe the cupboards, fridge, dishwasher and cooktop down. On Friday, I vacuum again before the weekend if needed, and tidy anything else up that is lying around needlessly. 

I'll spot clean the outside of our appliances, like our washing machine, with Zoflora when they need it. Probably around the monthly mark I run a hot cycle to keep the inside of the washing machine fresh too (I don't love that stale washing machine smell!), where 2 capfuls added to the drum does the trick. 

With the floor cleaning at the start of every week, our high foot traffic (plus the dog!) means they definitely need disinfecting – so I'll add Zoflora diluted with water to mop our hard surfaces. 

Tackling the bathrooms then on Tuesdays (where all the bacteria loves to thrive), I take Zoflora to basically to every surface when wiping it down. The trigger spray filled with diluted Zoflora is also a helpful way to keep it hygienic throughout the rest of the week.

When these tasks are broken down into categories, they don’t take up much of my day. 

I find I don’t stress about getting everything done all at the same time, which takes a significant amount of pressure off. 

It also helps to find a way of working together with your partner with everyday chores: my husband enjoys cooking and is much better at it than I am, so he mainly prepares the evening meals. I don’t mind cleaning and am happy to wash up afterwards. Win-win.

Image: Supplied.

4. Delegate appropriate chores for the family.

It’s helpful to delegate age-appropriate chores to children, as this lightens my load, as well as teaching them to work as part of the family. 

My older daughter unloads the dishwasher and makes her bed, while the little ones are good at packing up toys, and cleaning windows and mirrors. 

They all know that clothes must go into the laundry basket when they’re taken off at the end of the day, and schoolbags and lunchboxes must be put away where they belong. 

Image: Supplied.

5. Let some things go.

We’re all a work in progress, and one thing I’m currently working on is trying to let the little things go. For me, letting go of the idea that my house will always be spotlessly clean is a big one.

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The reality of life is a home should (and will) look lived in, particularly if you have children and pets. Perfection is an unattainable myth. My children won’t remember how clean our home was, rather, they’ll think of the happy times and special memories they had here: the movie nights, the games and laughter, the homework done on the kitchen bench.

My family and friends won’t walk in the front door judging me on the cleanliness of the mirrors. They’re in our home to see us — to celebrate, laugh, cry, eat, drink, and talk with us. And isn’t that what life’s all about?

Get your hands on Zoflora, the UK's number one disinfectant, exclusively at Woolworths. 

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.