Not everyone is born with a Mary Poppins-style sense of organization and efficiency when it comes to running their home. However, even the untidiest person can improve the state of their home by putting into place some simple habits on a day-to-day basis. Here are a few tips you can employ to make sure your home stays tidy at all times.
1. Make Your Bed
It may seem time-consuming, but making your bed makes your room look instantly tidier, more welcoming, and will encourage you to keep the rest of your room tidy too. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning, setting the tone for the rest of your day. The best part is it only takes a matter of minutes to accomplish.
2. Clean As You Go
Don’t wait until your house looks like a disaster before you decide to take some action. Cleaning as you go throughout your day is one of the best tips to prevent your home from getting messy in the first place. For example, wipe down countertops as you prepare your food, and wash the dishes while waiting for your meal to cook. In the bathroom, give the sink a quick clean after brushing your teeth and ask the kids to put their toys away once they’ve finished playing. Putting things away and cleaning as you go doesn’t take up much time and keeps your home mess-free.
3. Do the Dishes
A sink full of dirty dishes can be a common sight in a messy home. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of washing the dishes after each meal, or loading the dishwasher at the beginning of the day for a cleaning cycle in the evening. This way, dishes don’t pile up and there is no scrubbing that three-day-old grease off the frying pan.
4. Deep Clean
A deep clean is something worth scheduling every week for 30 minutes or so. You can even hire some professional help like All Star Cleaning to get you started. This can be cleaning kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, oven or the bathtub and toilet. In other rooms, cleaning light fixtures, doorknobs, and dusting surfaces will go a long way to making your home look clean and tidy.
5. Less is More
It’s not just your day at work that can be affecting your stress levels. Coming home to a messy house has been proven to have a psychological effect on the mind. A messy environment can make you feel cluttered and disorganized, so it’s important to keep your home as tidy as possible. It’s worth going through your cabinets and closets and decluttering items such as old clothes, shoes and books.
Once you get into the habit of incorporating these simple habits into your daily routine you will find it easier to keep your home looking clean and tidy, and in the words of Ms. Poppins, looking “practically perfect in every way”!