(Family Features) It's no surprise that mothers make compromises every day. A recent survey of 1,000 American moms by Green Works naturally derived cleaners revealed that 57 percent admit to turning down bedroom time with their mate to clean the house. This number soars to 74 percent for new moms.
In addition, the survey found that moms don't get to take breaks for special occasions. In fact, half of all moms reported cleaning the kitchen after a special meal on their own birthday and even Mother's Day. Thirty-six percent of new moms reported cleaning up the mess on their first Mother's Day.
When it comes to keeping a clean home, moms will also compromise plans with friends. Half of the moms surveyed admitted to turning down time with pals to do laundry, and 64 percent responded that they have cancelled fun activities in order to clean. Even with all of these cleaning compromises, 90 percent still admit to feeling guilty for taking time for themselves.
"The truth is that moms have a house full of cleaning priorities and not enough time to get it done," says Amanda Mahan, blogger for Green Mommy in a Plastic World and creative director for Green Works. "The logical solution becomes compromising personal time. But there are easy ways to cut down on time spent cleaning without compromising yourself or the clean."
To help busy moms keep the house cleaning manageable, while making time for the people and activities they most enjoy, Mahan offers the following tips:
Five minutes to clean laundry
- Take a few seconds to spot treat tough stains.
- Don't sort laundry before throwing it into the washer. Simply leave out garments that are likely to bleed and use the coldest water setting on the rest.
- Use the shortest wash cycle, then treat your load to an extra spin cycle. This will wick away extra moisture and cut down on drying time.
- If you have kids old enough to hit the mall, it's time for them to start pitching in. Assign specific tasks, such as sorting or folding.
Five minutes to a clean bathroom
- Stash stray items in cupboard organizers for easy sorting.
- Use a gentle cleaning wipe that is naturally derived, yet packs a punch, such as the compostable Green Works wipes, to quickly give the mirror, countertop, faucet and sink a good once-over.
- Shake out the bathmat and use a few squares of toilet paper to wipe the floor.
- Use a disinfecting wipe to clean the toilet seat. Spray the inside with cleaner, and flush.
- Lastly, throw out the trash.
Five minutes to a clean kitchen
- Stow away bulky appliances, pots and pans.
- Recycle old newspapers and take out smelly trash.
- Stick dirty dishes in the dishwasher or fill the sink with soapy water and submerge dishes into hiding.
- Hit hot spots with an old T-shirt and all-purpose cleaner, wiping down fridge door, counter, stove top and sink.
- Do a quick sweep of the floor.
For more time-saving housecleaning tips, check out Mahan's blog: www.GreenWorksCleaners.com/blog.
