A clean space is a heart-warming space. Housekeeping can be a tiring chore that you have little time to complete but keeping your home tidy doesn’t have to be difficult. The key is to develop small, regular habits that keep your home organized and clean without a lot of extra effort. You’ll feel more relaxed in your home once you learn these simple tips.
5 Simple Tasks To Get Started
Organization is key before you clean. Start with these tasks first:
- Create a Checklist
List out what needs to be cleaned and how often for each room. For example, in the kitchen, sweeping, cleaning dishes and scrubbing counters are daily chores. You can mop and clean the microwave weekly and clean cabinets and the refrigerator monthly. - Schedule Your Cleaning
Pick a time of day for each cleaning project. Other than after-dinner cleanup, most simple chores can be done whenever you have a few spare minutes. If you have kids, this is a perfect opportunity to schedule regular chores for them. - Easy Daily Habits
Create regular daily tidying habits. Quickly fix your bed in the morning. Hang up your coat when you get home. Clean the shower before using it. What other simple tasks can you tack on with the things you already do around your home? - Use Organizers
Bins, containers and draw separators are excellent tools to organize your home but don’t be afraid to get creative. For example, old canvas lunch bags work great as containers for lids or cookie cutters. Use a pretty pitcher to hold your spatulas and large utensils. If you don’t have a coat closet, your entryway should have a coat rack or hooks, umbrella stand and a box for shoes. - Keep Multiple Tools On Hand
This is especially important if you have an area of your home that is problematic. For example, if your toilets easily clog, keep a plunger and toilet brush stationed in each bathroom. Messy mudroom? Have a dedicated mop and cleaning gear. If you have it on hand nearby, you won’t need to run back and forth for cleaning supplies.
Need more hacks? Try multitasking your cleaning with related downtime tasks, such as unloading your dishwasher while making coffee. Learn more great cleaning hacks at Food52.
Helpful Tools
Cleaning can also be made easier with the right tool. Keep a variety of these on hand:
- Old toothbrushes can be disinfected and used to scour grout.
- Buy bulk food items to use when you run out of brand name cleaner. These include coarse salt, lemon, baking soda and white vinegar, all of which are great DIY cleaning hacks.
- Microfiber cloths provide an effortless way to clean everything from tubs to countertops to dishes. Some brands don’t even require soap or cleaning fluid.
- Buy a steam cleaner. There are plenty of options, from low to high end. These come in handy for “unexpected messes” such as spilling red wine on your carpet.
Cleaning Day
When it’s cleaning day, these hacks can make your life easier.
- Kitchen Cabinets: BHG recommends using your vacuum attachment when cleaning the interior of your the cabinets. Their article on cleaning hacks has more tips for every room of the house.
- Hard to Reach Areas: Use a cleaning wand to attack hard-to-reach places, including behind appliances and ceiling fans.
- Baseboards: Save the backache of bending by using your vacuum attachment to clean dusty baseboards.
- Pet odors: Remove pet stains and odors from your home using these tips.
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