Keeping your home clean and tidy all the time is hard work, and it always feels like a chore after a long day at work – but it doesn’t have to.
A cleaner has recommended five things you can do to keep your house tidy all the time which require hardly any effort at all.
5 tips to keep your home clean
Melissa Caverly says these straightforward tweaks can help you cultivate habits for a tidy home in every season.
1. Make your bed every morning
She says you should always start your day by making the bed as soon as you get up, which will instantly make your home look tidy.
“Making your bed each morning puts you in an organized mindset from the start, influencing the rest of your day.”
It’s one job checked off the list straight away, and also creates an ideal surface for other jobs like folding laundry or sorting belongings.
2. Keep a cleaning bin in every room
Another simple tip is to put a cleaning bin full of all the cloths, sprays and detergents you need in every room, or at least one upstairs and one downstairs.
You probably keep them all in one cupboard in the kitchen or bathroom, but separating will encourage more frequent cleaning as you don’t have to leave the room to fetch supplies.
The box serves as a visual cue to tidy up and minimizes the chance of getting sidetracked while getting supplies, which often results in forgetting to clean altogether.
3. Make monthly donations
The thing that makes your home look most messy is clutter, which you can easily avoid by doing monthly donations.
Put a box in an easily accessible spot in your home and slowly put things inside that you’re not using throughout the month.
“If you find yourself missing or needing something you put in the bin, retrieve it. Anything left in the bin by the end of the month gets donated.”
4. Close down the kitchen
If you’ve ever worked in a kitchen, you’ll know that ‘closing down’ is one of the most important parts of the day.
The cleaning routine ensures the kitchen is ready to go the following day, with no dirty dishes or unwiped counters, and this process can be done at home too.
“Establish a close-down rule, such as ensuring all dishes are either in the dishwasher, drying rack, or cabinets—not left in the sink,” Melissa recommends.
5. Stack your chores
Finally, it’s a great idea to stack your chores together to utilize the time you have and get your tidying momentum going.
“Consider the timer on appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine as your amount of time to tackle other chores,” Melissa says.
While the dishwasher is going, you can use that hour to accomplish additional tasks around the house, like dusting or vacuuming.
Melissa Caverly is the founder of Imagine Maids, a professional cleaning service based in Chicago which serves both residential and commercial clients.
