If you took time over the holiday season to clean up, you know the satisfaction of having an organized home. Cleaning is only really manageable if its consistent, but who has time (or energy) to clean with our busy lifestyles? Here are some habits that will help you to a tidier home.
Multitasking
You don’t need to take time out to clean—just make it part of your daily routine. That means you clean the shower when you’re showering, scrub the sink while you’re brushing your teeth and dust while you’re on the phone.
Never Leave a Room Empty Handed
Every time you go to the kitchen, or walk up the stairs, take something with you that needs to be put away. This really helps prevent clutter and will make your home more organized.
Handy Supplies
It makes sense to keep the cleaning products downstairs under the sink where you can find them, but if you spill toothpaste in the sink, you’re unlikely to go down and get the surface cleaner. Instead, keep cleaners where you use them. Keep a cleaner and some sponges in every bathroom, shower cleaner in the shower and a duster in your bedroom. If you have the space, move your washing machine into the bathroom. Your family members are more likely to toss their dirty clothes in the washing machine as they step into the shower.
Clean when you Cook
Fill a sink with soapy water when you start to cook. Wash dirty dishes as you cook and leave the pots to soak while you enjoy dinner. Cleaning while you cook means you don’t have to face a mountain of dishes for a far more manageable cleanup.
This trick also works well if you have a dish washer. Simply rinse the dishes off and stack them straight in the dishwasher. If its full, run it at night so you have clean dishes first thing in the morning.
10 Minutes a Day
Every day, just before you go to bed, do a ten minute clean up. Use five minutes for tidying up and five to clean a different area each day. Ten minutes is really manageable, but you will be surprised at how much you get accomplished!
Keep it Simple
One of the most common reasons people put off cleaning the house is that they take on too much in each session. Just clean one room at a time, or wipe off a counter, or dust one shelf. Breaking your cleaning up into small manageable tasks will mean you are more likely to keep up and clean regularly.
Clean your Fridge
Reschedule your weekly shopping so it falls on garbage day. Clean out everything in your fridge that isn’t fresh. That way you get to throw it out before it smells, and you get to see what’s in your fridge so you can plan your shopping better. Less waste and fewer smelly fridge days!
Kill the Clutter
Try to keep your surfaces clean. Make a space for everything that normally ends up on your kitchen counter or your coffee table. If you have a place for papers, mail, gloves and scarves and other junk, your home will be more organized, and you won’t collect clutter. Have hooks and baskets and bins for everything you own so that you cut down on tidying up.
Purge
This is a great long-term solution. Fewer possessions means less to dust and organize! Donate unwanted items to a charity so they don’t end up in the landfill. Once you’ve simplified your life, have a one-in-one-out policy to keep your clutter under control.