Can you really love cleaning? Meet the micro changes redefining everyday joy

Between rising economic pressures and global anxiety, it’s never been more important to find joy wherever and whenever you can. Because of this, a growing number of Australians are choosing to celebrate the glimmers of happiness within their daily routines rather than waiting for larger, bucket-list milestones. Here, five everyday Aussies share their zero-effort life hacks for turning tedious tasks into moments of genuine delight.

Tired of spending every afternoon hovering over the stove? Catherine, a mum of three and childcare director, says to cook meals in advance. “Once or twice a week, I set aside time to make or prep dinners for the days I know we’ll be busy with work or after-school activities,” she explains.

“This way, when we get home, all that’s left to do is pop one thing in the oven or simply heat and eat our food.” Whenever guests come to stay, Catherine pre-makes meals, such as soups, casseroles or pasta bakes, so that she can spend more time with them. “Even on a Friday, I’ll make use of the slow cooker or have something pre-planned so when my husband gets home from work, we can clock off and relax with a glass of wine by the fire.”

According to Jessica, one of the easiest ways to reclaim your spare time is to invest in smart appliances. “We have kids and a dog, so keeping on top of the floors is a never-ending task,” the former sales manager explains. “Instead of vacuuming multiple times a day, I now leave the cleaning to our robot vacuum.

Being able to schedule cleans while I read to my kids or relax on the lounge has honestly been a game-changer.” If you’d rather spend more time enjoying life than worrying about crumbs and pet hair, welcome the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 Pro into your home. This robot vacuum and mop is designed for thorough, whole-home cleaning, and boasts next-level suction and the ability to glide seamlessly between uneven surfaces.

It also offers superior object detection and a more hygienic clean thanks to its multifunctional dock. It’s also certified safe for homes with pets and infants, so you can clean with peace of mind. Complete with heated self-cleaning cycles, warm air-drying and intelligent dirt detection, the dock takes care of device maintenance so you can focus on the things that matter most.

After a long day at work, the last thing Will, a graphic designer, wants to do is swing by the local supermarket. To prevent shopping from eating into his family time, he orders groceries online and takes advantage of recurring orders. “Most supermarket apps allow you to add favourites or build a recurring list, which makes ordering weekly staples easier,” he says.

“We also use smart home assistants to update our personal shopping list with anything extra we need.” As well as saving time, Will notes that recurring orders also help save money. “Even if you’ve got two things on your grocery list, you often leave with a lot more when shopping in-store,” he says.

“By ordering online, we get what we need and nothing else, which is a nice money win.” “I can be a real procrastinator, so if I’m not looking forward to a job, I’ll often put it off until it’s a bigger issue, which then makes it even more time-consuming,” says Emily, an account manager and mum-of-two. “My friend is quite similar, so we decided to spend one day a month ‘body doubling’ our most boring jobs.”

The productivity strategy involves completing tasks alongside someone else, which she says helps keep her focused and accountable. “Sometimes we’ll sit in a cafe with our laptops, other times we’ll visit each other at home and tackle a maintenance chore,” Emily says. “Not only does it help keep life admin under control, it’s also a great way to catch up and spend time with a friend,” she adds.

With three kids aged between eight months and seven years, Lisa, a client services manager, has no shortage of clothes to clean. “I used to feel so overwhelmed by the amount of washing and folding I had to do that I’d put it off until it became an actual mountain in my laundry,” she admits. Fed up with spending half her weekend putting clothes away, Lisa now washes every day to keep things more manageable.

“Breaking up the washing and drying into smaller loads really helped remove the mental barrier for me,” she says. “I’ve also paired folding with something I enjoy, like listening to podcasts, music or catching up on my favourite TV series, so it’s not something I dread or try to avoid.” Qrevo Edge 2 Pro: pet- and family-friendly robot vacuum.

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