Let’s face it, there are very few people who wake up and say “Yeah, I get to clean the house today. Whoohoo!” Those that do, usually end up in our line of work. Given cleaning can be more of a chore than a fun pastime, it’s easy to get distracted throughout the day. The best thing to do is avoid these pitfalls entirely, so here is an examination of the biggest distractions that can happen when you’re cleaning.

Social Media

If there is one societal distraction, it’s social media. It can be Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any of the many others available these days. The reason they’re so distracting is because you think you’re going there for only a few minutes and next thing you know two hours have gone by and you’re knee deep in cat videos.

The easiest way to eliminate this distraction is to not go on them. Silence your phone and stay off the computer until you’re done. If you scheduled yourself reward time, visit them then, but stick to your time budget.

Television Shows

In today’s world, we’re not limited to just the television in the living room. We can watch our favorite shows streaming on television, computers, phone and tablets. You can be anywhere and watch the season of Arrow you didn’t have a chance to watch. The worst part isn’t the opportunity to watch, but the duration. Movies last an hour and a half minimum and most television shows are 45-minutes to an hour.

Nothing derails cleaning faster than binge watching. The best thing to do is stay away and put that phone on silent so Netflix can’t send you notifications.

Friends

We love our friends. They deserve to be more important than cleaning, but unless they’re going through a crisis or an emergency, you should get the work done first. We love it when out bestie texts us that it’s Starbucks time or they’re heading to Target and ask if you want to go, but cleaning doesn’t do itself…unless you call us.

When friends call or text, politely tell them what you’re doing and ask to reschedule. Do it in the afternoon or clean in the early morning.

Children

Children are a blessing in every way, but they can make things difficult. Toddlers and babies always take priority, that’s a given, but if you’ve got older children, then get them involved. Want to cut down on them asking a million questions or asking for everything while you’re trying to get things done? Tell them to go clean their room or give them specific tasks like picking up the clothes or doing dishes. The cleaning will get done faster and you eliminate a distraction.

Online Shopping

Online shopping these days is a lot like social media. With apps like Amazon and Wish, you can literally sit for hours and peruse cool, weird and unique products. You may think you’re going there to check out prices for a new toaster and end up 45 minutes later looking at steampunk Christmas lights.

It’s best to wait until after cleaning to look at these apps or at the very least set a timer and stick to it.

If you get distracted easily or need someone to come clean your home to you can go shopping, then contact the area’s leading home cleaning service, Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. Call for a free quote today.