1.    Break it Up Outline household chores into tasks that need to be done daily, weekly, monthly or seasonally.  Knowing what needs to be cleaned and when it needs to be cleaned will provide the focus needed to get the tasks done.  Spending time only on the necessities makes life a lot easier.

2.    Create a Cleaning Caddy A simple bucket or plastic basket with all the tools needed to get the cleaning jobs done is smart.  This saves time by skipping the task of hunting and gathering supplies.  The caddy also makes toting cleaning tools from room-to-room or floor-to-floor easier.

3.    Delegate Duties with a List Print off a list for your honey and/or your kids.  Make sure everyone knows what their job is and when it needs to be done.  Everyone makes a mess, and everyone should help keep the place clean.  This is also a great way to include the kids and make them more responsible. According to the Housekeeping Channel, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota said that the best predictor of a child's success is the age at which he or she begins helping with household chores.

4.    Establish Zones Divide rooms into zone and divide the tasks for each zone.  Schedule a cleaning day each day for each room, i.e. Monday is the kitchen, Tuesday is the Living Room, Wednesday are the bathrooms, etc. This also implements the “clean-as-you-go” method, instead of spending a ton of time and getting everything clean at once, clean as you go and spend more time doing something fun the rest of the day.

5.    Invest in a Mini-Vacuum Having small, rechargeable, cordless vacuums placed in different areas of the house will make clean up easy.  Spills or dirt can easily be swept up with a mini vacuum instead of lugging out the big vacuum every time you need to clean up.  Save the big vacuum for a specific day of the week and, again, implement the clean-as-you-go method.

6.    Stop Binging and Purge We all tend to buy too many things.  Too many things create clutter and clutter creates mess.  Stop buying things you do not need to skip creating more clutter.  It is also good to go through your “stuff” a couple times a year and get rid of things you no longer need or use.  Create 3 piles:  Trash, Keep, Donate and lose the clutter.

7.    Skip the Laundry Laundry can be a major chore, depending on the size of your family.  Consider using a laundry service to free up more time and get this colossal chore done easily.  There are even options to have the dirty laundry picked up right from your front door and dropped off clean, all you need to do is put it away.  Considering the amount of time spent doing laundry, this service ends up paying for itself. At Soap Opera Laundromats we provide full-service laundry amenities.  We wash, dry and fold your laundry for you.  We also provide pick-up and drop-off services.  Give it a try this month and get free pick-up and drop-off, see for yourself how much time you can save crossing this chore off your list.