Are you forever struggling to keep up with your home? Keep cleaning under control by incorporating these simple tips into your everyday routine.
1. Make Your Bed Every Morning
Sometimes the smallest tasks can make the biggest difference. Making your bed in the morning doesn’t just keep your room looking clean and tidy – it also puts you in a productive mindset for the day ahead. Plus, crawling into a nicely made bed at night sets you up for a more restful sleep.
2. Get Rid of Clutter
Keeping a clean home will be more of a challenge if it’s packed to the brim with stuff. Rather than constantly trying to keep clutter under control, take time to purge on the regular. You may choose to throw away or donate items you’re no longer using, or you may even sell them online to generate a little extra cash.
Check out: 20 Things to Get Rid of When Decluttering Your Home
3. Keep Surfaces Clear
Make a habit of removing excess items from countertops, tables and other large surfaces in your home. Odds and ends such as small kitchen appliances, storage canisters, cleaning products, and electronics will make the space look smaller and disorganized. Not to mention, clutter-free surfaces are much easier to clean.
4. A Place For Everything….
Now that you’ve decluttered, it’s time to find a home for your things and keep them there. Wallets, keys, coats and purses, for example, should all be put away in their designated “homes” every single day. Paperwork is the ultimate clutter creator and should be put in its place immediately (i.e. set aside folders for bills, school information and other important documents).
5. Clean As You Go
While putting your clothes away may be the last thing you want to do at the end of a long day, it really doesn’t take much time when compared to the alternative (cleaning up after the clothing bomb that went off inside your bedroom). Here again, a small thing goes a long way in keeping your home looking its best and preventing unnecessary messes.
6. Make It a Family Affair
Cleaning your home should be a group effort – after all, you’re not the only one living there. Not only will delegating chores be a great learning opportunity for kids, but it will also help you cut down on cleaning time. Allowing children to pick their own tasks and/or handing out fun “rewards” (i.e. extra screen time after dinner) may also create a little extra incentive.
7. Deal With Dishes
In addition to cleaning up every time you cook, be sure to deal with your dishes on the daily. We also recommend turning the dishwasher on every evening and unloading it in the morning (while you wait for your coffee to brew is the perfect time). This will prevent dishes from piling up in the sink over the course of the day.
8. Do Laundry Every Day
Tired of laundry consuming your weekend? Keep on top of the pile by popping in a load every morning when you go to work or by throwing one in every night when you go to bed. Not only will this guarantee a steady stream of clean clothes, but it will also make this necessary chore more manageable.
Note: After folding, be sure to put clothes and other items away immediately to prevent clothing clutter.
9. Wipe It Down
Wiping down surfaces after every use will prevent grime and keep things sparkly clean. Finished in the bathroom? Wipe down your glass shower door and remove toothpaste sputter from the mirror. Done in the kitchen? Give your sink, countertops, and faucet a once-over before moving on.
10. Employ the “One Touch” Rule
Simply put, the one-touch rule prevents you from handling an item more than once before it ends up where it belongs. For instance, instead of throwing your coat on a chair when you get home from work, hang it up. By following this easy rule, you’ll cut down on time spent putting items away and keep clutter to a minimum.
11. Tidy Before Turning In
Take just a few minutes to go through your home’s main living areas, doing a quicky tidy as you go. Ensure the day’s laundry is put away, the dishwasher is loaded and turned on (see above) and put stray items back in their rightful place. Here too, children may take a few minutes to tidy their rooms, get their bags ready and in the right spot for the following day, etc.
See: 10 Things Exceptionally Organised People Do Before Bed
12. Keep It on the Level
Keep upstairs up and downstairs down by establishing a system that allows you to move items easily between the two. For example, instead of piling upstairs items up on or near the stairs (which is both dangerous and often results in multiple trips), utilize a decorative basket or bin that can be transported back and forth as you go.
13. Tools of the Trade
An ultra-clean home starts with having the right tools for the job. For instance, if you have pets at home and/or your home includes plenty of carpeting, a high-performance vacuum will help you keep ahead of fur, dust and other allergens. On the other hand, if your home has a surplus of hard surfaces such as hardwood, tile, or linoleum, a broom, dustpan, and wet mop are a must.
14. Focus On One Room Every Week
Feeling like you have to tackle every room on a weekly basis can quickly lead to overwhelm. Instead, stick to deep cleaning only one or two rooms in your home every week. This approach, combined with the daily tips mentioned above, will ensure your home is always in tip-top shape.
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Posted by Terry Paranych on
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