68 UHeart Organizing: Zero-Effort Cleaning Tips for An Easier Evening Routine

OK friends.  We are all busy and all looking for ways to spend less time doing housework and more time doing things we love.  Am I right or am I right?

Casey from Pretty Organized is stopping by today to share with us a few of her favorite around-the-home tips that require very little effort, yet make a big impact.  Here she is now!

Evening routines are a great way to keep things tidy & give yourself a head start for a smooth morning, but when you're tired at the end of the day, it can sometimes be a little tough to summon the self-discipline. I'm not saying this post should be called "cleaning tips for lazy people" or "the easiest cleaning shortcuts in the history of the universe." I don't have to. Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite tricks for staying on track!

Shortcut #1:  Clean It While You Use It

After I brush my teeth, I usually use a face wipe to take off my makeup. When I'm finished, I just flip it over to the clean side & wipe out the bathroom sink. Boom. It takes ten seconds, I'm already in there, and it doesn't give those little globs of toothpaste a chance to harden into the world's strongest cement bond. If you don't use face wipes, you can do the same thing with a wash cloth or even grab a little wad of toilet paper and give it a quick wipe-down. {Bonus: wiping out the sink right then also helps me remember to clear the counters & put stuff away!}

I thought that everyone did this until one night when my hubby actually stopped what he was doing to watch me wipe the sink down and was like, "You just flipped over your face wipe and cleaned everything that quickly? We need to tell the world!" So here you go, world -- an almost effortless way to avoid the impossible-to-remove toothpaste gunk! Sing it with me: No chisel, no cry. 

Shortcut #2:  Clean While You Sleep

As part of my evening routine, I set my timer for ten minutes, rinse and load everything into the dishwasher, and start my Roomba if the floors look a little rough {love. that. robot.}.  In the morning, I have a sparkling kitchen, and I can put my dishes away in two minutes while my coffee brews.

Shortcut #3:  Transcend Space and Time

Let me preface this by saying that about half of you will read this and go, "oh yeah, duh, totally" and the other half will probably be  more like,"holy crap, you just blew my mind!" {I am in the "mind = blown" category and I can't believe that I JUST started using this feature!}

Go check your washing machine right now. There is a good chance that you might have a handy little button or knob that says "delayed start."  YOU GUYS.  It is amazing.  Especially for those of us who have experienced the woes of everything-smells-like-mildew-and-we-need-to-rewash-this-five-times-or-burn-it, the delayed start feature is a lifesaver.  I can throw my laundry in at night, set it for a 7 hour delay, and then everything is fresh & ready to go into the dryer or out on the line first thing in the morning!  No competing for hot water when we shower, no worries about whether it will finish washing at a convenient time -- in a word, it is just glorious.

Ok, I shared my shortcuts -- how do you save time with everyday chores? Share your favorite cleaning hacks in the comments below!

"My name is Casey, and I live in a sweet, tiny little house in Delaware with my hubby & our two adorable rescue dogs. As a longtime fan of Jen's phenomenal organizing skills, I am absolutely THRILLED to be a contributor for IHeart Organizing!  I used to be a total mess, but after I let go of the idea of “perfect,” I found freedom. I stopped trying to fit the mold & learned how to make organization work with my natural habits, and I have become obsessed with creative organizing solutions ever since! When I'm not drooling over the latest amazing project features over here, you can find me happily tinkering away on my own blog, Pretty Organized, where I share my addiction to aesthetics, small space storage ideas, DIY projects, and all things aqua!"