Keeping a clean and tidy home can be overwhelming. It seems that there is a never ending to do list and sometimes you don’t know where to start. Creating a few daily habits will help with controlling some of the chaos. If you start with these five things each day you will see a significant difference in your home.
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Make the Bed
This does not take too long to do but instantly makes a room look more put together. I also love getting into a made bed at night. You don’t have to worry about straightening up the bunched up sheets and make sure the bedding is even. You just curl in at the end of the night and relax.
Do The Dishes
I know its tempting to leave the clean dishes in the dishwasher or just to put dishes in the sink to get to later. However, all of this piles up and can lead to a bigger mess to clean when you do get to it.
If you have a dishwasher then make sure you start the day with it empty so that you can easily put dishes in it through out the day. I typically run my dishwasher right before bed and then in the morning I will empty it as first priority. Another option is if no one is home during the day, run it in the morning after breakfast dishes and then empty it when you get home from work before starting dinner. You can even run it right after dinner and then put dishes away before bed if you don’t have time in the morning.
If you do not have a dishwasher, then wash as you use it. Dry it right away and put it away. If you don’t have a lot of time but have the counter space to leave things out to dry then you can make sure you have a nice drying rack and do a quick wash and at the end of the night put everything away.
Put Away Clutter
This is the biggest key to keeping a tidy home. If you do this at least once a day it makes a huge difference. Make sure everything has its place. Do a lap around the house and just take everything that’s not in its place and put it away.
This could be picking up dirty laundry, putting out fresh washcloths, and opening and putting the mail away.
I personally do this twice a day, once in the morning and then again after dinner clean up. Doing it more frequently means I have a little less to do each time and only takes a few minutes. If you could only do once a day I would recommend after dinner clean up. You are already tiding the kitchen and putting things away. This will also help make hectic mornings easier.
Keep Cleaning Supplies Where You Need Them
Keep the cleaning supplies as close as you can to where you will use them. Some things may be obvious like the kitchen cleaner and the dishwasher pods under the sink in the kitchen. But also think about other areas of your home. For example, if there is a mess in your bathroom you don’t want to run down stairs to grab a cloth and cleaner. Find a space in your bathroom or maybe a linen closet near by that you can grab a cleaner or cloth to do a quick wipe up.
In each of my bathrooms I have a toilet cleaner, cloth and all purpose cleaner. Then near by I may have dusting spray and glass cleaner.
In an entry way or kitchen you may want to keep an easy grab mop. I have a coat closet that I keep my Bona Mop in with a pad ready to do a quick wipe of spills or wet spots left by shoes.
Wipe Down Counters
This is a common routine in the kitchen after dinner clean up do a quick wipe of the counters. But also, think about your bathrooms. Since I keep a cloth in each bathroom at the end of the day I do a quick wipe of the counters to remove water and toothpaste splatters.
Remember, its ok to not be perfect. Just do start with the basics and it will already be better than it was. As you get into a routine and find quicker easier ways to do things then you will see more and more improvements.
If you need a little more help with getting started check out How to Keep Your House Tidy Part 1: Set Your Home Up For Success.
What are some routines that you may have find that you find works for you?
