Less Time Cleaning, More Time Relaxing

The house up for grabs in the Mater Prize Home Lottery has five bedrooms, a study, a games room, Conservatorium and a stunning outdoor area including a pool and private pontoon. If you were to win this home, you would have your own resort!

Cleaning up on Bribie

The stunning views of the Pumicestone Passage and Glass House Mountain, white sand beaches, wildlife viewing opportunities, and beautiful nature reserves of Bribie Island all come with easy access to the amenities of the mainland via the Bribie Island Bridge. If you were to win a house in the Mater Prize Home Lottery this could all be right on the doorstep of your immaculate brand new home. It is hard to think of any downsides to winning this stunning house, but if we wanted to be picky we can think of just one… keeping it all clean! Never fear though – we have pulled together some of our best tips and gadgets to make sure you have more time to enjoy life on Bribie and less time feeling like you are single handedly cleaning up a resort!

Pool Cleaning

The pool at this property is just stunning and we are quite certain that your family and friends will practically live out here. It is important to regularly clean the pool to ensure that it is ready whenever anyone wants to take a dip – what could be more off putting than having to clean it before you can jump in? Cleaning a pool sounds quite daunting but it really doesn’t have to be. The key is to do a little bit of maintenance often so it doesn’t become a bigger job and stop you enjoying the water.

First, it is essential that you keep chemical levels in the correct range – just a quick check every couple of days could save you a mountain of time cleaning! Secondly you should brush the walls and base of your pool every week to make sure nothing gets a chance to settle in, and thirdly it is important to make sure you have a working flow meter and can regularly check that the right amount of water is flowing through your pool. Other than that you just need to keep debris out of the pool so make sure it is covered when you aren’t using it and if necessary, grab yourself a skimmer to make sure you can fish out anything that doesn’t belong in the pool. Skimming the pool with a cold drink in hand doesn’t sound too arduous now does it?

Windows 

It is going to be important to keep the windows of your new home in pristine condition so the views of your own private resort and the fantastic views of Bribie aren’t blocked out! Cleaning the windows can definitely be high up most of our lists of household chores we can’t stand but we have a few tips that will give you a professional looking result without the cost and saving you some time along the way!

Did you know that adding a little bit of rinse aid to your glass cleaner can make a huge difference? Forget streaks – the rinse aid will take care of that! It is also a good idea to pick the ideal weather to clean windows. A cloudy day, not that there are too many of those on Bribie, is the best as the direct sunlight can cause the window cleaner to dry before you get a chance to rinse it off, leaving a residue rather than a sparkling clean window! Another important thing to remember is to start on the highest windows and work down to make sure that no dirty water drips down on to windows you have already cleaned.

There are also a couple of great gadgets for window cleaning that you need to know about – the first is an extension pole. You can get all sorts of lengths of pole and it makes window cleaning safer (no more wobbling ladders!) and faster as you don’t have to keep getting up and down to get the job done. Another fantastic tool that you will never regret investing in is a window vac. These devices ensure a drip free, streak free finish and they are very quick and easy to operate.

Bathrooms

With six bathrooms there is no doubt that bathroom cleaning is going to take up some time at this beautiful Bribie mansion. That doesn’t mean you should have to spend all day in there though! A few minutes every day can stop this being a big chore and keep those beautiful bathrooms looking brand new for years to come. Our first suggestion is to invest in a squeegee for each bathroom – you can get some really cute designs or plain and discrete, whatever suits your style. If you have a squeegee in each shower, all you need is a quick spray of shower cleaner and a wipe down before you get out of the shower and you should never need to scrub the tiles. The squeegee can also be run over the mirrors to make sure there is no build up of toothpaste.

It is also a great idea to keep separate cloths in your laundry for bathrooms and make sure everyone knows what they are for. This means you can grab one quickly and give the surfaces a wipe down without worrying about contamination. We also think it’s a great idea to use toilet blocks in the toilets – these are small cleaning tablets that stick to the side of the bowl and gradually dissolve each time the toilet is flushed. Using these means toilets that aren’t getting used regularly stay fresh – no need for last minute cleaning frenzies when you hear that guests are on their way!

Flooring

A large house like this stunner on Bribie Island inevitably has a lot of floor space to keep clean and with all the fabulous outdoor living, it is inevitable that some unwanted outdoor debris might make it indoors. It is no secret that vacuuming and mopping are not particularly exciting tasks but cleaning the floors regularly will make the job less painful. We also happen to know a gadget or two that can speed things up and make life easier!

Ever fancied a robot to come in and do your housework for you? Well robotic vacuum cleaners (or robovacs) are a real thing and they are fantastic! These autonomous devices drive themselves around your home vacuuming as they go. You can switch them on when you head out for the day and come home to find everything all cleaned up. Robovacs can be programmed specifically to meet your needs and have in built sensors to make sure they navigate the whole space they are supposed to be cleaning.

Another great gadget that you will never regret buying is a steam mop. Steam mops use steam rather than chemicals to clean carpets and hard flooring and when you are done you simply detach the microfibre pad from the mop and pop it through the wash. Beautifully clean floors in no time at all!

Be in it to win it!

So if you had any lingering concerns about maintaining a house this size, we hope we have managed to reassure you that it is more than worth the effort. Purchase tickets today and you could not only win a house that is gorgeous, spacious and an absolute dream to entertain in, but you are also helping out Mater in its care for patients and research. Making a positive change in the lives of some of our most vulnerable patients and winning something very special for your own friends and families at the same time – what are you waiting for? Buy tickets today and you could win a home to be proud of.