Managing the cleaning of your home during lockdown

With more of us working from home or being furloughed, it is fair to say our homes have never seen as much traffic as they are currently experiencing.

Inevitably, this can take its toll on our homes which can add to the stress of different generations all spending extra time together under one roof.

To keep on top of your home’s cleanliness – and promote harmony in the home – here at Bright & Beautiful our expert team of professional cleaners has put together a few handy tips for you:

• Focus on one area each day – when cleanliness and tidiness start to slide in a home it can seem a daunting challenge to bring things back under control. The question of ‘where to begin’ can quickly become overwhelming and lead to no action at all. To tackle this be kind to yourself and realistic by focusing on just one area a day. If you reduce a challenge into bitesize chunks it quickly feels a lot more manageable
• Everyone has a part to play – there is no reason that everyone cannot spend just 10 minutes a day tidying and cleaning a particular area. Many hands make light work! Even children can help to tidy away toys or assist with things like vacuuming – you might find they enjoy the extra responsibility
• Cleaning doesn’t have to be boring – make your cleaning fun! Have competitions to see who can clean a room the fastest or see if you can complete a cleaning or tidying job before your favourite song comes to an end. Find out who can complete the most cleaning tasks in a week
• Clean up after meals – it is so easy to leave cleaning up after meals but if you do this the work will soon add up. Take the time after a meal to spend 15 minutes or so stacking the dishwasher or doing the washing up and cleaning down the kitchen surfaces and dining table. You will be surprised what a difference it makes
• Clean as you go – if you’re passing through a room and see something needs putting away do it there and then. If you finish a toilet roll take it to the bin. When you’ve finished a drink make sure you take the empty cup with you on your next visit to the kitchen. When you neglect to do this and things are left lying around it doesn’t take long for your home to look untidy and for things to begin to feel unmanageable
• Keep on top of the washing – come up with a schedule so you do your washing at regular intervals throughout the week. You don’t want any precious free time you have at the weekend to be taken up with dealing with mounds of laundry
• Regularly take out the rubbish and recycling – don’t be tempted to leave this when you can see it needs doing. All of a sudden, you’ll find things starting to pile up around your bins and then what should be a quick job can seem much bigger and off-putting
• Make your bed every morning – it’s such a simple job and so quick to do if you do it every morning
• Ask for help if you need it – even during lockdown you are still able to have professional cleaners come into your home as long as you are not self-isolating

Throughout the current lockdown cleaners in England have been allowed to work in workplaces and homes, in line with Government guidelines. Cleaners and householders are advised to communicate with one another about social distancing arrangements in advance. All household waste generated by cleaning should be disposed of and if cleaning products are being used in more than one household they should be cleaned thoroughly after each use.

Face masks should be worn and the amount of time working in confined spaces should be kept to a minimum if it cannot be avoided. If more than one cleaner is working in a property they should work side-to-side or back-to-back rather than face-to-face.

Extra care should also be taken when cleaners are entering a vulnerable person’s house – they should avoid face-to-face contact where possible such as answering the door or receiving payment.

At Bright & Beautiful we are doing everything we can to ensure our clients feel comfortable about us visiting their homes during lockdown. As a result, one of the services that we are currently offering is a single room clean. For example, we will visit a home and clean a bathroom whilst the homeowner stays in a different part of their house. This is proving very popular with clients looking for extra peace of mind and it can be very cost effective, making it particularly attractive to clients who have been furloughed.

To find out how Bright & Beautiful can help to keep your home clean and tidy during lockdown, visit www.brightandbeautifulhome.com or call 01604 561200.