As a student, you’ll already have a lot on your plate. With all of the assignments you need to finish, nights out you need to go on, and lie-ins you’d like to have, you won’t be left with much time to clean your halls or student house. Fortunately, there are some ways you can cut down the time you need to spend on cleaning, and make the process much less of a chore.
Here, we’ll give you five lazy cleaning hacks that are guaranteed to make your life much easier. Read on to find out more.
Multitask during idle time
You might feel like you never have a spare minute to clean your kitchen or empty your bathroom bin, but that’s not entirely true. There will be times when you’re not really doing much — for example, during TV ad breaks, while you’re waiting for your tea to cook, or while the shower is heating up. Put these moments to good use and complete small tasks you’ve been putting off. If you do this every time you get a spare moment, you’ll have a tidier home that’s much easier to maintain.
Clean burnt pans quickly and easily
It’s surprisingly easy to burn food onto the base of a pan, but cleaning it afterwards can be far more difficult. Luckily, there is a hack that can get your frying pan from charred to sparkling in no time at all.
To clean a burnt pan, you’ll need one cup of vinegar, one cup of water, two tablespoons of baking soda, and a scourer. To begin with, fill the burnt pan with water until the bottom is covered and then add the cup of vinegar. You should bring the pan to the boil and then remove it from the heat. Add the baking soda, let it fizz, and then wash out the pan, scrubbing away any burnt patches with your scourer. If you struggle to remove any stubborn bits, create a paste using baking soda and a few drops of water, then apply it to these areas. Leave it for an hour or so, then wash everything away — your pan should be as good as new.
If your dishwashing problems don’t stop at burnt pans, Buzzfeed has a list of 37 hacks to make dish washing easier, which you’re sure to find helpful. Make sure you read their tips — they’ll save you even more time in the kitchen.
Be savvy with your laundry
Washing your clothes can take a lot of time and effort, especially if you live in student halls with a communal laundry room. If you’re tired of having to wait around for a free washing machine, why not be savvy and arrange for someone else to do your laundry for you?
If you’re tired of having to dry clothes in your room, Laundrapp could be the perfect solution. It’s a mobile app that allows you to arrange for your clothing to be picked up, washed, and delivered back to your halls or student house. And, best of all, they offer £10 off your first order, which is great if you’re curious about the service and would like to try it out.
Have less stuff
It’s simple, but it works: the less stuff you have, the easier you’ll find it to keep your living space tidy. So, if possible, have a big clear out. Get rid of any text books you no longer need; donate, sell, or recycle any clothing you don’t wear anymore; and throw out any unnecessary clutter. You could even take certain things back to your parents’ house, if this is an option. This will give you plenty more space, reduce how much time you have to spend tidying, and generally make your life much easier.
Make cleaning a bit more fun
Tidying and cleaning might not seem like a lot of fun, but there are some things you can do to make the process less boring. For example, you could blast your favourite music, or reward yourself with a couple of drinks or a takeaway once you’ve completed all of your chores. If you know there’s something that has the power to motivate you, treat yourself! If you can afford it, you can always pay for someone to do the cleaning for you, like Cleanzen!
Keeping your student bedroom and living space tidy will become much easier if you find ways to simplify the process and make it more fun. If you take these tips on board, washing your pans, doing your laundry, and emptying your bathroom bin will no longer feel like such a chore.