When you work from home, it feels like it should be easy to keep your home clean, tidy, and in good condition, too. You’re there for more hours out of the day than most other people, so surely it’s a dream to whip the vacuum round and make sure nothing’s blocking the guttering!

In reality, things don’t quite work out that way. Because when you’re working from home, you’re still working! There’s something else taking up your time and attention, as it should do, and you’re no better off in terms of ‘free’ time than the average 9-to-5er that has to commute. You might save 20 to 40 minutes on the commute itself, but otherwise, you’re in exactly the same situation. 

However, you are constantly surrounded by your own environment. That means you’re going to be exposed to the state of your home for longer periods throughout the day, and that might drive you insane after a time! 

You know your home is messy, and you can’t stop focusing on the garbage, laundry, and bits all over the floor as you’re typing away at your desk. And if you’re honest with yourself, the idea that you can’t quite manage both homeowner and business owner is starting to grind you down.

But we can stop this feeling in its tracks. Home maintenance and housework are tricky tasks that take time and energy, but we can use your flexibility and proximity to your own advantage. Here’s how!

Have a 20 Minute Morning Clean Up

Every morning, just after you wake up and get ready to work, take 20 minutes to focus on your home. Make sure you have breakfast first, though, as it’s always better to work on a full stomach! In these 20 minutes, do the things that need doing either as soon as possible, or are easy enough to get done in 2 minutes or less. This way, you can stay on top of the immediate cleaning and maintenance demands you have without putting yourself out or making yourself late to your job.

A couple of different types of tasks were mentioned above, but what should your to-do list look like? When you have 20 minutes to clean up, you should focus on tasks such as vacuuming the immediate area around your workstation, washing up anything left out from the night before, or taking care of your pet’s hygiene, such as changing cat litter.

Get Organized With A Home Maintenance Checklist

Even when you’re busy, the home’s maintenance checklist should be one that’s constantly ongoing; otherwise, you’re going to have problems.

Go through the necessary checkups throughout the seasons, whether that’s checking the guttering or roof for problems, as there might be a roof replacement required if you’re not being proactive enough with repairs.

Make sure you’re keeping on top of outdoor maintenance like your garden and its landscaping. Regularly declutter and check all your core appliances to make sure they’re in good working order.

Hire a Cleaner

If you need someone to clean your home for you, it’s ok. 

You don’t need to have a cleaner come round every single day, or wait for someone to take care of your plate after you’re done eating a sandwich at your desk. You just need a bit of help with the bigger tasks, like making sure the kitchen floor has been mopped and that the drains have been bleached. And if you need a cleaner to come round once a week, or once every 2 weeks, or even just once a month, it’s more than ok. However, the longer you put off hiring one, the worse you’re going to make yourself feel about not being able to stay on top of your home maintenance.

Get a Robot to Do it For You

No, this is not about AI. We mean the tried and tested robotics that people use every day around their homes, such as a robot vacuum cleaner. Set your mobile vacuum to start up at the same time every day, let it make its way around the house (but try not to let it tackle stairs), and keep your floors clean with minimal effort. 

And a robot vacuum cleaner isn’t the only robot you can put to work around the house. You can head outside and get the garden cleared, too, with a robotic lawn mower. If you’ve been staring out of your living room window and seeing just how unruly the grass has become, don’t just add another line to your to-do list. Invest in an automatic mower like this and save yourself the need to do anything other than put it out and turn it on.

Invest in Better Tech

Perhaps you overlooked this one, but better tech can be a massive bonus when it comes to work-life balance. For example, something like satellite internet is much more reliable, stable, and faster than some standard connections, especially in remote areas. This means less time waiting for things to load or buffer, boosting productivity and saving time. You then have more time to get things around the house done without having wasted half the day waiting for an internet connection.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Your home is a bit messy…so what? Everyone’s home is! And it doesn’t make you any less of a business owner or a professional to have a bit of clutter and waste around. The idea that it does is something you need to speak over. You’re clearly someone who cares about the state of their home, and you want to be as professional as possible. Both of those things matter more than having a bit of a full garbage can! 

Whatever you do, when you notice your home is a bit messier than you want it to be, don’t beat yourself up about it. Be practical about it instead. Why didn’t you wash the dishes earlier? Because you had a conference call to get to. When can you wash the dishes? In 20 minutes when you’re finished with this email. This sequence of events is nothing to tell yourself off for!

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When you work from home, your home becomes more than just the place you relax at the end of the day. It’s the hub you work from AND relax in, and that means you spend more time within those four walls than most other people. And because of that, you’re going to notice when it gets messy! Staying on top of the mess, however, is easier said than done. You need to get to work, and it’s already hard enough to maintain a boundary between the personal and the professional. 

How are you supposed to fit cleaning the bathroom and changing the bed into the routine as well? It’ll take some time to learn, and you might need a bit of help, but it can be done.