Every now and then, I come across a new online community on YouTube that I didn't know existed. The beauty of the internet and social media, is that there is something for everyone. Recently I came across a community of people dedicated to cleaning. You read that correctly... CLEANING...
Though this was not as strange to me as when I discovered the ASMR community ( a story for another day), I was still baffled. Videos upon videos of people showing their cleaning routines; bathroom cleaning, kitchen cleaning, morning and night routines...
This got me thinking. Does cleaning really play such a large role in people's lives that they need to look to YouTube for inspiration and ideas? Then I started thinking about minimalism and cleaning. Does owning fewer things mean that you clean less? Let's analyze this.
Many of the videos I saw featured women showing how they wipe down surfaces and do laundry, but a large portion of their work consisted of picking up after their families and putting things away. I personally think that most people spend more time organizing than cleaning. Moving the clutter around until it looks acceptable and buying new organizing storage are normal behaviors when you have too many things. I know this because I used to do that too. Minimalism helps you with this, because if you own fewer things, then there are fewer things to organize. It is also harder for your home to look untidy with so few things. Reducing your clutter should directly reduce your time spent cleaning, and free you up for things you actually enjoy doing.
2. Consolidate, consolidate, CONSOLIDATE!
Now there are some tasks that can only be minimized up to a point. Laundry is the perfect example of this. The amount of laundry you have to do depends on your lifestyle. Do you workout daily? What kind of job do you hold? These things determine how much and how often you need to do your laundry. Also, now that you've decluttered your wardrobe you no longer have an infinite number of options and you can actually run out of clothes. For tasks like this, finding the most efficient means of going about it is key. Think about the number of loads you actually need and combine some of them. If you're not washing your clothing by hand, then there's no need to block off 'laundry time'. Do your laundry while you're accomplishing other tasks. I will start a load and head of to get my groceries, or put a load in the drier and head to bed. I also limit the number of things that I buy that are delicates, or need special care.
3. Meal prepping saves lives!
Meal prepping is one of the activities I swear by. Not only is it ridiculously convenient and ensures that you are eating regular healthy meals (and that you save money by not eating out as often), it also reduces the amount of dishes you have to deal with! Every time you cook, there are pots and pans, spoons and plates, and all kinds of dirty dishes that need to be cleaned after. Cooking once a week eliminates the majority of that dishwashing time. Yes you will still have daily dishes, but they will probably be limited to a glass, a mug, and a couple of meal prep containers.
4. Cleaning supplies and tools can be clutter!
Believe it or not, because something serves the purpose of cleaning doesn't mean that it is not clutter. The cleaning supplies for each different type of surface in your home, the broom, mop, Swiffer, vacuum cleaner etc can also clutter up your space. We as humans like to get comfortable with certain ideas and feel like we need certain things, and that we need to do certain tasks because we grew up seeing them done. You do not need wood polish for your one laminate dining table... You can reduce clutter by getting rid of the thousands of cleaning accessories and products, and really fine-tuning your supply cabinet to one that is specific to your space and only has the essentials.
5. Are you cleaning your clutter?
Now... This is a serious question that I don't think people give much thought to. I know I didn't. As you go through your home on cleaning day and you dust your furniture, clean your mirrors, and wipe down your many ornaments, do you realize what you're doing? How many of these ornaments serve any purpose other than to collect dust? What about all that furniture? Do you even need that table in the corner to hold that vase?.... Do you need that vase? If someone broke into your house and stole that little statue of a cat you have on your bookshelf, would you even notice? Some of the things we own are for aesthetic purposes and while that is fine, there is a point at which you have to realize that some of them are clutter. If these thins are lengthening the amount of time you spend cleaning, maybe it's time you let them go.
I hope you find all these points useful as you continue on your journey to simplify your life.
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