Everyone wants a spotless home, and it can seem impossible until you visit a friend or family member’s home and see how clean it is. The good news is that you can get your house to the same standards. Here are some of the best-kept secrets to help you out in your cleaning journey.
1. Declutter Your Belongings
Decluttering is advice that’s been repeated for so many years now, but there’s a reason why it’s always brought up in conversation. Having fewer belongings means there are less things to maintain day in and day out.
Revisit your possessions. The closet is often a good place to start, as it includes different aspects of cleaning, like getting rid of unused items, tidying up your bedroom and doing laundry. Evaluate which clothes you wear and want to keep to narrow down what you can let go of.
2. Leave Things in the Mudroom
As soon as you enter your home, make a habit of stopping in the mudroom and dropping all your things. Remove your shoes to minimize trekking around outside dirt. You can also leave your coats, bags and other belongings in the space.
If you don’t have a mudroom, create a makeshift space dedicated to the same things. You can place a small shoe organizer and coat rack by the entryway. A bench should suffice for putting on your shoes in the morning.
3. Multitask in Moderation
Cleaning as you go is helpful, as it makes daily maintenance more manageable. However, some people tend to confuse the practice with tidying up while doing another task.
Multitasking can make sense in certain situations, like cleaning up dishes and pots when cooking. However, you may want to regulate this habit and do it in moderation to avoid overwhelming yourself. For example, scrubbing the bathroom floors and fixtures while you shower may feel too tedious at the end of the day.
4. Get Cleaning Supplies You Love
Some people dread the very thought of cleaning because it sounds unpleasant. One way to spark your interest in these activities is to make them fun. Try these suggestions:
- Use effective cleaning agents: Stop skimping on your all-purpose cleaner that does minimal disinfecting. You want to find a more effective formula that shows a difference. Give yourself extra points if it has a good scent that makes your home smell fresh.
- Buy a well-designed broom: Sweeping the floor becomes much more effective when you have a good broom that captures all the dirt in one swift motion. You can try a microfiber dry mop or a rubber broom, depending on your flooring.
- Try a cordless vacuum cleaner: Vacuum cleaners can be rather heavy and clunky to store. Thankfully, innovation has made cordless ones that skip carrying a long electrical cord and changing outlets. They’re also lighter overall, so you can suck all the dirt in a jiffy.
5. Hold Others Responsible
Making the home spotless is much easier when everyone focuses on maintaining cleanliness with you. If you have roommates or other family members in the household, ensure they are doing their part to help.
Remember to get your kids involved early. Only 28% of parents reported that their children do chores regularly. Giving them responsibilities can help them learn to be more independent and become confident in their skills to maintain their space.
6. Wash Your Dishes After Meals
Dishes tend to pile up after every meal, so one way to keep them under control is to ensure they are cleaned immediately afterward. You’d be surprised at what a quick 15 minutes at the sink can do for your plates, bowls, cutlery and drinking glasses.
The dishwasher is also an excellent helper. Some are geared toward handling a half-load of dishes while maintaining water efficiency. You can also make a habit of loading everything throughout the day and running it after dinner. Remember to empty the appliance in the morning.
7. Invest in Drawers Over Open Shelves
Sometimes, making your home look tidy is the key to keeping it clean. Open shelves tend to expose piles of items. Rather than showing the chaos every day, consider keeping things in drawers.
If you still want to keep your open shelves, just be selective about what you place there. You can display more easy-to-organize items like minimalist decor and books. Make sure to arrange them in a pleasing and aesthetic way and dust them as needed.
8. Organize Your Cabinetry
Just because items are behind closed doors doesn’t mean you can leave everything scattered. Take advantage of boxes and cabinets to organize all your belongings. You can categorize them by type and label them.
For example, art supplies should be kept separate from toys. That way, it’ll be easier to find what you or others need. You can also teach the systems to your roommates or family members so they know where to put items after use.
9. Optimize Your Laundry Routine
Make sure you have a working laundry process for your household. For example, you can cut down on sorting light-colored clothes from darker ones if you already have hampers that separate the two.
You might have to run a little trial and error when determining your schedule. Some people prefer dedicating a whole day to their laundry each week, while others think that three days is the sweet spot.
10. Deep Clean Every Two Months
Consider cleaning as a way to prevent your home from getting dirty in the first place. Performing a deep clean is the best way to get it to a pristine state, so all you have to focus on is maintenance.
Dedicate one weekend every other month to completely sweep, wipe, disinfect and cleanse the whole home. You can even go the extra mile and hire experienced cleaning professionals. The more helping hands you have, the more thorough you can be with your cleaning. For the next two months, focus on maintaining a sanitized and immaculate home.
11. Leave Notes for Yourself
Some people will swear to remember to take out the trash or wipe down the counter before forgetting it due to other tasks. Make that mental note real by writing down the chores you want to complete every day. Stick this on the refrigerator or other visible areas. You can add a small box and check it off the list later.
Keep Your Household Clean
Some people think keeping the home clean is some kind of unreplicable sorcery. However, you just need to hold people responsible for their mess and focus on integrating the right cleaning routines into your day. Learn what works for your household, and the results will follow.
