Chores You Can Do On A Quick Commercial Break That Make A Big Difference
Per a Civic Science report, the majority of Americans, an incredible 55%, spend anywhere between one and four hours every day catching up on their favorite shows or movies. And when you watch TV, you're bound to come across commercial breaks. On average, you'll have to survive about 15 minutes of commercials for every hour of TV. Moreover, if you're on Netflix's ad-supported plan, you'll have to bear roughly 4 minutes of advertisements per hour of content. While parking yourself on the couch and watching ads may make the advertisers happy, why not instead spend that time accomplishing some quick chores that will keep your home clean and tidy?
To begin ticking off items on your to-do list, identify the tasks you need to finish and determine the time they'll require. Some commercial break-friendly tasks include watering your houseplants, wiping down electronics with a disinfectant, setting the table for dinner, and tidying up your office desk. However, you probably shouldn't take on tasks that require full attention, like preparing meals.
Chores to tackle during a single commercial break
Some chores become more challenging to do the longer you put them off, but none are quite as annoying as taking out stinky, overflowing garbage that should have been tossed days ago. Thankfully, taking out the trash only takes a minute, so you can prevent dumped food from festering and flies from hovering around your abode without missing your favorite show. If you've got time left, use it to insert a new trash bag inside the can before that annoying insurance commercial mercifully ends.
You could also sort through the piled-up mail covering various surfaces in your house or quickly swap the dirty towels in the kitchen and bathroom with fresh ones. In case the commercial break is on the longer side, pull on a pair of damp gloves to clean visible molding that needs a quick wipe-down. If you keep vodka in your bar, you can concoct a DIY linen spray to banish stinky odors in just a few minutes. If not, consider organizing all the chargers and cords cluttering your living room floor. The possibilities are endless!
Tasks you can cover over multiple breaks
You can also accomplish more time-intensive chores like doing the dishes or laundry during commercial breaks. If you're thinking of tackling the dishes while watching TV, scrape the solid food from plates into the trash and stick them into the dishwasher. Then, let the dishwasher work its magic and return during the following ad break to empty it and let the china air dry before using the next break to put your dishes away.
You can clean the laundry and vacuum your home using the same method. Organizing the items strewn on your tables and chairs and spraying, scrubbing, and disinfecting the surfaces will let you enjoy and appreciate a clean home every day, not just when you're expecting guests. Ticking off the chores around your home one at a time will make a big difference. If the idea doesn't sound palatable, try to make it fun! You can even compete with your partner or housemates to see who can perform more chores while watching TV.