We all have at least one friend whose house is always sparkling clean and where every little thing is in its place. And we all wish we were those people that do not blush with embarrassment every time guests drop by unannounced. But what is it that these people have and we don’t when they manage to keep their homes as clean as a pin all the time, while we barely manage to keep things borderline tidy? It’s no secret. They have simply developed certain ‘tidy’ habits. Here they are.
1. Make Your Bed Every Morning
When we say every morning, we mean it. No excuses or procrastinating. This 3-minute task will have a kick-starting effect on your day. It will get you moving and your blood pumping as soon as you wake up, and you will have more energy to deal with other tasks, such as making breakfast, and getting ready for work. Just smooth out the comforter and that’s it. You have already made a huge (psychological) difference. You will thank us later, when you come home from work and find your bed made.
2. Clean As You Go
The worst problem with putting off house cleaning is that, at some point, the mess becomes overwhelming and it does really take a lot of time and energy to get your house in order. The solution is to clean as you go. Avoid too many until-laters and put things back after you are done using them. While your dinner is cooking in the oven, use the time to swipe the countertops, and rinse the dishes that you have just used. Whenever you find 5 minutes to spare, grab a cloth and dust off those surfaces. All those various cleaning products can be confusing, so to make things even more simple, have a multi-purpose cleaner like Koenig Polish at hand. Cleaning up as you go takes up less time overall, which is why it feels much more manageable.
3. Get Your Clothes in Order
Piles of clothes that are lying around the house are every housekeeper’s worst enemy. There are piles of freshly washed clothes waiting to be ironed, dirty clothes that are waiting to be washed, and there is always at least one ‘try on’ pile. The same rule applies to these piles as to the dirty dishes – organize them and put them away or in laundry at least at the end of the day, if not immediately. It takes less time to do this every night than to run around every morning looking for the other sock or your favorite shirt. If you have a house full of people, try to do a load of laundry every day. But if you live alone, then set up a routine of doing the laundry at the same time every week.
4. More Stuff Means More Dusting
This is not a riddle. More knickknacks on the shelves simply mean more dust to clean. If you want to cut down dusting time, get rid of all excess clutter. You do not necessarily need to throw all those things away. Use boxes and organizing containers to put them neatly away. This will make regular housekeeping much easier.
5. Create a Cleaning Schedule
Whether you do a quick 15-minute clean-up daily, and tackle one bigger project once a week, or you choose to be thorough and stick to one bigger daily project, it depends on the rest of your daily schedule and your preferences. As long as you stick to your schedule regularly your house will stay presentable longer.
