If you want to reduce as much cleaning as possible, you should take measures to reduce cleaning during your renovation phase and when you are purchasing furniture and decor for your home.
Here are 10 furniture and carpentry tips that have greatly helped me reduce cleaning effort in my home! I hope you find them useful.
1. Integrated Sink Countertop
Ever since I came across an integrated sink in a bathroom in Taiwan, I knew that this was definitely what I wanted for my bathrooms. An integrated sink refers to a sink that also acts as a countertop. The whole integrated sink piece is usually made of glass or ceramic.
Unlike an undermount sink, the seamless integration of the sink and the countertop means that there is zero chance of any dirt getting stuck in between the countertop and the sink. Also unlike a vessel sink, there is zero chance of water getting splashed to the back of the sink.
2. Bookshelf with glass doors
If you have items that you want to display but do not want to go through the hassle of cleaning all the dust that accumulates, consider getting a shelf with glass doors! This way, you can display all your beautiful decor and books proudly, without the burden of needing to clean all the open shelves.
3. Acrylic display box
Another way you can display decor without the use of glass doors is to use acrylic display boxes. These clear acrylic display boxes help showcase your decor and also prevent dust from getting in at the same time.
4. Only keep intentional items
With all the interior design trends constantly popping up in our Instagram or Tik Tok feeds, and with all the lifestyle Youtubers constantly showing off their beautiful antiques, decor and furniture, it can be very tempting to get whatever that looks appealing. Unfortunately, the more items you have = the more cleaning you need to do.
A tip for you to minimise the amount of items you have in your home is to keep items that are intentional. Intentional items are items that have a purpose – e.g. a bowl to hold your remote controls, coaster stands to hold your coasters, baskets to hold candles, and so on.
5. Rounded faucets and other hardware
It is much easier for dust to settle on flat surfaces as compared to round surfaces. On round surfaces, dust will easily slip off, whereas on flat surfaces, dust will just remain on it and accumulate over time.
6. Reduce the amount of carpets
Carpets can easily trap dust which means that you need to clean your carpets at least once or twice a month. By reducing the carpets you have, you reduce the time spent vacuuming and doing laundry. I personally do not want to spend time doing these chores, hence the only carpets I have in my home are bathroom and kitchen mats.
7. Reduce grout
The grout lines in between your tiles are where mold can easily develop, especially in high humidity areas in your home such as the bathrooms and even the kitchen. To prevent mold, you need to frequently clean the grout lines in between your tiles. This means that the more grout lines you have in your home, the more time you need to spend cleaning the grout lines.
To reduce the effort spent cleaning the grout lines, you can take measures to reduce the amount of grout lines you have.
Here are some ways you can minimise the amount of grout lines in your home:
1. Have large tiles instead of small tiles
2. Use customised glass back wall instead of a tiled wall for your kitchen for a seamless glossy aesthetic
3. Use Micro-cement to create a concrete aesthetic and reduce grout line
8. Ceiling lights and fans that have minimised flat surfaces
Dust tends to land and accumulate on flat surfaces, hence the less flat surfaces you have on your ceiling lights and fans, the less you need to clean.
Consider getting ceiling lights that are attached directly to the ceiling to minimize the amount of flat surface above the light. If you really want to have a chandelier here and there in your home but yet want to minimize cleaning, I suggest that you get a simple chandelier that is of a rounder design.
As for ceiling fans, to minimize cleaning, get the ceiling fan type that has minimal top surface area to clean as possible. Here are a few recommendations:
9. Reduce awkward corners
I have spoken to a number of friends who expressed that one of their biggest regrets when it comes to their home renovations are awkward corners. Awkward corners can include the following:
- Corner shelves where you need to climb on the counter top to clean because there is no other way to do so.
- Spaces that are too narrow and deep
- Corner walls that are less than 90degrees
Be sure to take note of potential awkward corners when you design your space! If you do not plan to go with an interior designer, you may consult anyone you know if there are any awkward corners in their home that they do not like.
10. Cover up unused spaces where mold and dirt can accumulate
If there are spaces in your home where mold and dirt can easily accumulate but you do not want to spend time cleaning these spaces, consider covering these spaces up. Such spaces can include the exposed ducts and pipes in your bathroom or your kitchen.
You can either opt to permanently seal these zones up by covering them up with acrylic panels or you can opt to make these spaces useful by covering them up with cabinets instead.