Cheat Sheet - A Few Shortcuts

In her classic book Superwoman, Shirley Conrancleaning every day and you won't end up with the
claimed that housework always expands to fill all thehorror of having all your Saturday taken up with
available time plus half an hour. Hands up everyonehousework.
who has found that one to be true!DON'T get a long-haired pet. They shed everywhere
Now that my hand is down again and touching theand need continual grooming.
keyboard, I can say that it's important to find a fewDO use bubble bath rather than bath oil. It cleans the
"cheats" that will help tame that housework monsterbath and avoids the dreaded bath ring - mostly!
and stop it from devouring you, your relationshipsDO encourage children to do their bit in tidying up. It
and your spare time. Here are mine...makes life easier if you can find your kids chores
DON'T bother sorting the washing into lights andthey enjoy doing. For example, my seven year old
darks or by colours. If you continued this to its logicaldaughter likes washing the dishes because she gets
extreme (and, when you think about it, if you sortto play with all the foamy bubbles. Other popular
by colours or even light and dark, you have to realisechores include cleaning the bathroom (you get to go
that blue could taint red, and pink could taint yellow,in the bath with your clothes on), anything involving a
even though they are equally light/dark/coloured),mixture of baking soda and vinegar (fizz!), anything
you would end up sorting things into 22 or even 24involving spray-on bottles, and feeding pets. They
piles - delicate and ordinary for each of the elevenwon't do a perfect job, but they will do a good job.
basic colours recognized by the English language (orDO restrict kids' toys to one part of the house, or
twelve if you want to separate indigo and light bluedesignate one part as a "no toy room". This saves a
into separate colours, like they do in Spanish andlot of fights and broken treasures (and impaled feet -
Russian. But then, if you speak Welsh, blue, greensome safety organisations say that one of the most
and grey all go in the same pile... Enough semanticcommon injuries in the house involves pieces of
linguistics!). Most things are colourfast these days,broken toys inflicting puncture wounds on bare feet
with the exceptions of ethnic fabrics and one or twoand/or becoming embedded in feet.)
cheap towels. Soak them in a bucket if you're unsureDO use tablecloths. If you have kids who spill things
to find out and only sort into lights and darks if one(and adults spill things too - like the beetroot last
of these items is in the wash for the day.night), it is much easier to whip off a tablecloth and
DON'T bother drying dishes and putting them away.toss it into the machine than it is to try to sponge
Leave them in the draining rack to drip dry, with aand scrub off sticky items from bare wood.
tea towel over the top to keep off the flies. PeopleBreakfast cereals are particular offenders, as they
will probably empty the rack for you, as taking aspill easily and dry solid (and who has time to police
plate, cup or spoon off the rack is easier than gettingand clean up spills in the morning rush out the door
it out of the cupboard.for everyone?). Most stains wash out fairly easily in
DON'T bother ironing unless it is absolutely vital. Ifcold water, but seeing as the most common food
you line-dry items, they don't get very wrinklystains are red (beetroot, tomato ketchup and red
anyway. If you hang things up straight away, theywine), common sense suggest that red tablecloths
won't wrinkle.are the most practical. They look nice, warm and
DON'T put it off for too long. Housework gets worsefriendly, too.
the longer you leave it. Do a little bit of house