When we moved into our new townhouse, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We almost doubled our square footage, which sounded like a dream…until it came time to clean. With so much house and so little time, I realized that if I didn’t figure out my cleaning situation, I would probably go mad. So, I decided to put a few simple, but huge things in place immediately and wanted to share them with you.
Clean up right after dinner
After cooking a big meal, the last thing I want to do is clean…but I do it anyway for the peace of mind that I’m not going to bed with a load of dishes to do. No exception. Period. Get it done before you leave the room. If you’re like me, load your dishwasher immediately after dinner.
Pick up as you go
This may be the hardest of all the habits. Believe me. It’s so easy to brush things off and save them for ‘later.’ However, saving things for later ends up piling up, and there’s a good chance that you’ll forget. Once you finish a task, just clean up. It won’t take long at all.
Make your bed
Make your bed every morning. Yes, every morning. I do this right after I wash my face and brush my teeth. It helps set the tone for your day and when you walk in later that evening, your welcomed by a nice and tidy room.
Clean out the fridge weekly
It seems like the night before trash day is the best day to dump all of those leftovers you never ate or that weird can of something that had been sitting in the back of your fridge since you can remember. This happens to be a Monday night for us, which is kind of nice, as it gets us ready for the week. This is also a great time to update your grocery list while you’re at it.
Don’t keep any papers
I’ll admit, this is the hardest thing for me to do, I don’t know what it is. My mother says, I have nice, neat piles everywhere. So, I decided to start limiting the amount of papers and if I can help it, not to keep my paper bills. Paper clutter can easily get out of hand! If anything needs to have a reminder put with it, don’t stack up your papers. That’s the best way to guarantee that you’ll forget all about it. Anything you think you’ll need, just take a snapshot of it for your digital files, or set it in a paper tray and commit to emptying it every week. If it’s a bill, set a reminder in your calendar and shred the paper.
Don’t clean all at once
Growing up, it was instilled in us that Saturday mornings were for cleaning—huge mistake! You’re just wasting an entire day to cleaning, which is not what weekends should be about. Instead, tackle one room a day, or split up your tasks like one day you’ll dust and the next you’ll vacuum. Create a routine that works for you. And, if you’re kids are older, get them to help you. Not only will this help tackle your to-do’s, but it also sets the precedent.
How about you? What are your tips on keeping your house tidy?
