How to Design Your Home to Clean Less and Save Time

Everyone wants to have more time to relax! To sit down with your feet up, a book on your lap, and a cup of tea or coffee in your hand.

Sounds peaceful, yes?

If only you could spend less time cleaning and organising everything on your free days!

The good news is that it’s definitely possible if you plan the design of your home in such a way that it saves you time to clean.

Read on to find out all about it!

Choose something different than carpets

Vacuuming the carpets and rugs every week is the bane of the existence of a busy person.

We might be over-exaggerating, but you have to agree it’s not your preferred way to spend your free time. It’s so time-consuming to clean your carpet every week and vacuum it every day to keep everything in order.

We’re sure you’d love the softness of your carpet, especially if you tend to walk barefoot at home, but ask yourself if it’s worth the constant upkeep.

You should consider laying the floor with a different material – laminate or hardwood. They’re easier to sweep and mop and the last to get dirty.

In our opinion, the easiest to clean flooring materials are:

• Tile
• Vinyl
• Linoleum
• Concrete

They don’t require much maintenance, can last a long time, and are affordable. Compared to hardwood flooring, these materials are on the budget-friendly side.

Additionally, you can choose from various colours and designs to match the style of your home.

Use rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting

While a wall-to-wall carpet doesn’t have a fast cleaning alternative other than vacuuming (maybe except for a vacuum cleaner robot), having a few small rugs can cut this time in half.

Most modern rugs can be machine washed with a mild detergent. Just throw them all in the washing machine and let it do its job.

However, you must always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions when available!

And, of course, if the rugs get stained, you can hire a cleaning company to steam-clean them.

Instal a central vacuum system

Central vacuum system, what’s that?

Glad you asked! It’s a built-in ducted system that turns the walls of your home into a giant fancy vacuum cleaner! If you don’t shy away from investing, this automatic central vacuum system can be used for sweeping and dusting around your house.

How does it save time compared to conventional vacuuming? Well, it’s not so much about saving time but more about convenience. It’s proven to keep the air clean from allergens, and people with dust-related allergies can lead healthier lives.

You also don’t have to carry around a bulky vacuum cleaner, which can be exhausting.

Choose the right kind of upholstery

For a quick clean of the house, you’ll need upholstery fabrics, which are stain-resistant and durable, not to mention easy to dust off. One material that covers all of this is leather.

However, don’t be quick to choose light-coloured leather if quick and easy cleaning is your priority. White and ivory, especially. Somehow they’re magnets for red wine, mustard, and all kinds of mysterious stains that’d make you wish you didn’t have a genuine leather couch.

Go for darker colours, such as grey, black, or brown. They also tend to provoke less regret.

However, leather’s not your only option

If leather isn’t your thing, first of all — that’s completely understandable.

Second, there are lovely fabric couches with removable seat covers that can be washed in your washing machine. What better way to lessen the time spent on cleaning furniture? You can even treat the fabric with a stain-repellent spray.

Just a note on the slipcovers — make sure they’re suitable to wash in a washing machine, or you have to dry-clean them.

Choose easy-to-move furniture

When buying furniture, pay attention if you can move it around yourself. Chances are, at some point, you have to slide them on one side or the other to clean behind the piece.

Another option is to put wheels on some or all pieces of furniture. Nothing like an easy to push and pull furniture when it comes to cleaning the entire floor. Especially in dining areas, where most of the food falls under the table, wheels on its legs will be a perfect addition.

However, choose ones with a locking mechanism, so your table doesn’t slide away during dinner.

Plan your storage

It’s essential to use every single corner of your storage areas. Of course, the best way to avoid clutter is to store each item in its designated place.

Think about where the items are used. For example, don’t stuff the kid’s toys in a closet on the opposite side of the house – arrange them around the kid’s corner. Find an easy-to-reach place for storage.

You might consider tall ceiling cabinets to save space, but if you have to pull a chair to reach its top when, they’re probably more trouble.

What’s more, you can use furniture with storage slots here. Beds, ottomans, and other furnishings can make a perfect place for stashing your books, blankets or your kid’s toys.

Consider a smaller size of your home

While some people chase infinite growth, others might realise a downsizing is sometimes the better option.

Now, whether you are building, buying or renting a new place, first consider how much space you need. Decluttering your belongings first will help you decide with better clarity.

Making your home more functional will help you decrease how much space you’ll take up. Remember, the larger the home, the longer it will take to clean it.

Final thoughts and advice

Regularly cleaning your home is not only time-consuming but energy-draining. There are just times when we can’t get on top of our domestic tasks and need a little bit of additional help. Hiring domestic house cleaners in Guildford is a life-saver for many people.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve already downsized and made all the right choices about the design of your home; we understand you just might not feel like cleaning. Treat yourself to the luxury of letting someone else do the chores instead of you.