Cleaning Tips After 60: 10 Chores I Quit Doing Every Week

Every Saturday, the bucket came out. Vacuum, dust, mop, polish. Living alone after 60, I was cleaning rooms nobody had used and polishing furniture that never looked better for it. These ten cleaning tips show what I changed: vacuuming the paths I walk, putting away the mop bucket, keeping fewer things on display and taking water off the shower glass. The first nine changes gave me back four hours a week. The last one gave me back my Saturdays. Nancy also cooks for one at our sister channel, Senior Kitchen Club. IN THIS VIDEO: 0:29 1. Vacuum only the paths you use 2:25 2. Put away the mop bucket 4:10 3. Keep fewer things on display 6:27 4. Stop cleaning an unused guest room 8:21 5. Stop polishing furniture every week 10:07 6. Wash windows in spring and fall 12:00 7. Squeegee the shower after use 13:34 8. Catch dirt at the front door 15:08 9. Dust closed blinds as flat panels 16:49 10. Trade cleaning Saturday for ten-minute jobs MY TEN CHANGES: 1. VACUUM THE PATHS. I vacuum the routes I walk every day twice a week, about ten minutes at a time. Rooms I rarely use get a monthly pass instead of a weekly clean. 2. MOP THE SPOTS. A flat mop with a washable pad handles drips and muddy marks when they happen. I save the full-floor wash for one day a month. 3. DISPLAY LESS. I kept three favorite china birds and boxed the rest with tissue paper. Fewer objects to lift make dusting the shelf every other week a two-minute job. 4. LET THE GUEST ROOM WAIT. I cover the bedspread with an old flat sheet and keep the door closed. Before a visit, I remove the cover, air the room and vacuum. 5. SKIP THE WEEKLY POLISH. For my furniture, a barely damp cloth followed by a dry one replaced the weekly spray-and-buff routine. I use polish only twice a year. 6. GIVE WINDOWS A SEASON. I wash the windows and glass doors in spring and fall. Between those washes, I wipe the handprint where I push the patio door open. 7. REMOVE THE WATER. After a shower, I spend about thirty seconds with a squeegee on the glass and tile. I still do a deeper clean once a month. 8. STOP DIRT AT THE DOOR. A rough mat outside, a soft mat inside, a low shoe basket and waiting slippers help keep outdoor dirt out of the hallway. 9. CLOSE THE BLINDS. I tilt the slats shut and wipe the flat surface, then tilt them the other way and repeat. In my routine, this is a monthly job. 10. RECLAIM SATURDAY. I set a ten-minute timer, choose one small job and stop when it rings. Spreading those jobs through the week leaves Saturday for coffee and a library book. These are changes to my own routine and the time I saved at home. Your home and cleaning schedule may be different. What is the one chore you would happily never do again? Tell me in the comments, and subscribe to Senior Household Club for a comfortable home with less work. ❤️ #LivingAloneAfter60 #HouseholdTips #CleaningTips