Discover practical tips for a cleaner home with our simple strategies. Make cleaning enjoyable and efficient!
Maintaining a picture-perfect home isn’t easy. If you have kids, pets and other responsibilities, cleaning isn’t always at the top of your to-do list. Whether you’re looking for easier ways to clean every day or simple strategies to keep your house looking nice throughout the week, it may be simpler than you think. Here’s how.
Do One Task at a Time
The key to efficiency for deep cleaning is doing one thing at a time. When you pick a single task and repeat it throughout the house, it feels less like an endless cycle.
Start by picking up trash and returning dishes to the sink. Then, spray cleaner on the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, tub, shower, toilets — all the sprayable areas. Let it sit and sweep the house. Wipe the cleaner off, and you’re done!
Clean From Top to Bottom, Left to Right
Maybe you’ve experienced that moment when you just swept the floor and the slightest movement to open the blinds sends dust cascading onto the floor. Or you mopped yourself into a corner and now you have to trek back on your clean tile.
Cleaning from the top ensures you get all the dust and dirt that needs to be on the floor. Cleaning from left to right means that you only cover a side once, then you move on.
Make It Enjoyable
Try to have fun while you clean. Get yourself a matching broom and dustpan or a cute apron to wear while you do the dishes. Small treats like these will get you into cleaning mode quicker and make it more of a fun activity than a chore.
Invest in items that make your home feel more organized or clean. Maybe you need storage compartments for your sock cupboard or an air purifier. Air purifiers keep your home smelling good and can reduce dust around the house. Just make sure your essential oil is 100% pure without added chemicals to get the best benefits.
Prevent Dirt Buildup
Your problems probably start when the clutter piles up and things go from, “I can clean that tomorrow,” to, “Eww, what is that smell?” in two days. You can slow down the road to “eww” by being proactive about keeping things clean.
Wipe the counters every time you make a meal or spray a shower cleaner right after you shower. It’s an extra step after a task you’re already doing that will prevent buildup. Only eat in a few rooms, like the kitchen and dining or living rooms. You’ll have fewer crumbs and stray bowls lying around the house.
Create Simple Habits Around Cleaning
Make cleaning a preventive issue rather than a game of catch-up. Set some weekly goals with habits you want to develop when it comes to cleaning. The key to creating habits is setting goals. A good goal should be actionable, manageable and specific.
What’s the first step to keeping your house clean? What can you manage in a specific time frame? This could look like only doing laundry on Mondays and dedicating deep cleaning in the bathroom to Fridays.
Maybe you opt for small everyday tasks, like making your bed each morning and refolding the shirt pile in your closet after getting dressed. When you make specific actions a habit, it becomes like clockwork.
Sit Down
You read right. Sit down for tasks that take some time like folding clothes or ironing. Maybe sit on a stool while you iron or catch up on your favorite TV show while folding loads of washing. While standing may feel more productive, you can still get tasks done and be comfortable. Save your energy for tasks that require you to move around, like sweeping and mopping.
Set a Timer
When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself, “What’s the most important task right now?” Then set a timer and start. Tell yourself you only have to do it for 10 minutes before you can move on. You’ll often find yourself resetting the time to finish the task.
Setting a timer takes your mind off getting it perfect and helps you focus on getting it done. Done is better than perfect, and with most chores, half done is better than nothing at all.
Enforce the “No Shoes” Rule
Half of the dust and dirt that enters your home comes from outside. A study by Charles Gerba found that nine out of ten times, bacteria transfer from your shoes to the floor. Leave your shoes at the door when you enter your house to reduce dust and bacteria. It’s good for your health and also extends the life of your rugs and floors. When you have visitors, ask them to take off their shoes or give them slippers or shoe covers.
If It’s in Your Hand, Clean It or Put It Away
Whether it’s the bowl you just used for granola or your hairbrush, if you have something in your hand after doing a task, put it away. It’s an extra step in your daily movements to prevent the “stuff pile” from forming again.
Keep Cleaning Supplies in Every Room
Maybe the last time you used the furniture spray you took it downstairs to your living room, but now you need it to wipe your bedroom vanity. When you finally find it, you’re over the task and want to move on to something new.
Make it easier to clean by keeping supplies where you need them. Keep a second dustpan upstairs or a microfibre cloth in your home office to wipe off dust. It will make your chores seem like less work.
Or, Get a Cleaning Caddy
Put every cleaning supply in a caddy or a bucket and lug it around with you when it’s time to clean. You’ll have everything right by your side when you need it, and on the next chore day, you know where all your tools and supplies are without question.
Keep Your Home Clean With These Simple Tips
Cleaning can be fun, quick and easy when you employ creative yet simple strategies. Remember to do it task by task, working slowly but consistently to keep things neat.
Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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