It doesn’t matter if you love cleaning your house, everyone has a household chore they absolutely loathe. It could be scrubbing mould off the bottom of the shower screen, or ironing a stack of clothing.
We asked you, our fabulous Better Homes and Gardens readers, to name the chores you can’t stand, and here are the 10 that cropped up the most often.
1. Cleaning the bathroom
A recent study found staphylococcus bacteria in 26% of the bathtubs tested. Whilst staph bacteria is common and in most cases doesn’t cause any problems, if it enters the body, the bacteria might multiply, which could lead to an infection. So it pays to give your bathroom a good scrub!
2. Cleaning the toilet
How germy is the toilet? According to a study conducted by the University of Arizona on household bacteria – it’s very germy. So unfortunately, it just has to be done! The study revealed that when flushing a toilet, it resembles a fireworks display. Bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella then goes flying through the air, landing on items such as the seat, the handle, and other surfaces nearby.
Been a while since you last scrubbed the loo? Banish black stains in the toilet bowl with a product containing citric acid.
3. Washing the dishes
Dirty plates left in the sink can serve as a breeding ground for illness-causing bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. Additionally, this bacteria can spread from your hands to food!
Stack the dishwasher as you go or, if you’re washing dishes by hand, make sure you follow the correct order of washing up: start with anything that touches the lips, including cutlery and glassware, followed by plates, bowls and medium-sized objects before tackling the most-soiled items including pans, pots and oven racks.
4. Ironing clothes
According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey, Australian women still spend 5.8 times as much time on laundry and clothes tasks as men do. Blokes of Australia, it’s time to step up!
Luckily, there are plenty of ironing hacks to try that will save you time and allow you to iron less – if at all!
5. Laundry
Putting washing into the machine and pressing start is the easy part. Hanging the washing on the line, folding everything and putting it away is where the hard work begins. Create a laundry schedule that works for your family, or if you find your laundry basket is regularly overflowing, give yourself permission to upgrade your laundry hamper or buy a second one to contain the overflow.
Larger-capacity washing machines can also help you tackle more laundry at once, allowing you to stay on top of the laundry pile.
6. Cleaning the windows
Ugh! There’s nothing worse than spending all that time cleaning your windows, only to go back inside to look out through those freshly cleaned windows and all you see is….streaks. What’s the secret to a streak-free window? According to some cleaning experts, it’s a 50/50 vinegar-water solution, as it doesn’t contain soap, which contributes to streaking. The other solution is to finish up using a chamois or a microfiber cloth to minimise streaking.
7. Cleaning the stovetop and oven
The Department of Health suggests cleaning the oven and stovetop once a month. When was the last time you gave your stovetop and oven a good clean?
8. Mopping
One of the biggest mistakes people make when mopping, is not giving the floor a quick vacuum or sweep beforehand. By mopping without a quick sweep first, simply spreads dust and hair over the floor surface as you mop. And more so if you have pets inside the house.
9. Dusting
Okay. This is gross, but the simple truth is, dust is a combination of human skin cells, dust mite excrement, fabric fibers, dirt and debris from outside that has made its way inside. So that’s why it’s important to keep up the dusting. Regular dusting also reduces the chance of allergy and breathing problems.
10. Vacuuming
Are you guilty of pressing the rewind button for the cord on your vacuum cleaner with your foot and watching it reel in at the speed of sound? As satisfying as it is, by doing this, you could be damaging the cord, sending it off its track, resulting in unnecessary fees to fix it. To avoid this, hold the cord in your hand as you retract it.
And just for good measure, we also had ‘pairing socks’, ‘grocery shopping’, ‘cleaning out the kitty litter’ and ‘being an adult’.
