Keeping a clean home takes a lot of work, there’s no doubt about it. Add children, pets, etc., and it becomes even more difficult. However, through all of my trials and tribulations, I have found that there are 5 essential ingredients to keeping a clean home.
1 – Never Go To Sleep With Dirty Dishes
There’s nothing like starting off your day with a sink full of dishes. It’s frustrating and stressful, and certainly not the tone you want to set for the day. Making sure the dishes are done very night before bed really makes a world of difference. I have even gotten to the point where the dishes are done after every meal, but trust me, it took quite a while to get there. I would start off by making sure they are all just done every night. While the kids are brushing and flossing or even after everyone is all tucked in, make sure you either wash the dishes or get them into the dishwasher. They don’t have to be put away, that can be done in the morning. Just make sure they are cleaned!
2 – Make Your Bed Every Morning
This is a great way to start off your morning, making your bed! It gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps get our organized and ready to start the day. Once your bed is made, your bedroom instantly looks so much better and put together. Along with all of these reasons, there have actually been studies done showing that making your bed every morning can actually impact your life in an extremely positive way!
3 – Stay On Top Of The Laundry
I admit, this is the one I struggle with the most. But once I was able to get my terrible laundry habits under control, it made an enormous difference. I think most of us can agree that laundry is the most unpleasant chore, the one we all dread the most. For me, it has nothing to do with gathering the clothes and putting them in the washer and moving them to the dryer. I absolutely loathe putting laundry away. I can’t explain it! 90% of my clothes are hung up, so it is not like I’m spending enormous amounts of time folding. I probably have it easier then many, but I still can’t stand it. But trust me, having control of your laundry is life changing! I’ll share my secret with you. I do the laundry once the hamper is just over half full. I know this may seem wasteful as far as water, utilities, etc., but it is worth it for my sanity. I can’t even tell you how much easier and less dreadful it is to put away half a load of laundry rather than a full one. I’ve found if I do this, I really don’t mind the laundry much at all!
4 – Leave The Dirt At The Door
Take your shoes off at the door! My goodness what a world of difference when you’re not dragging whatever you and your children may have stepped throughout the day all around the house. Carpets and tile stay cleaner and fresher longer for obvious reasons. I also notice a difference in the amount of dust throughout the house. Once we made that a rule, I noticed a significant difference. Of course, when guests are over, different story. It is not polite to ask them to remove their shoes.
5 – Stick To Your Schedule
A cleaning schedule is without a doubt the most important part of keeping your home clean. You have got to stick to a schedule and a routine, or things will never get done. I highly recommend figuring out what type of schedule works best for you and your household. You can choose to do all your major cleaning one day of the week, maintaining in between. You can choose to do a different part of the house each day, like I do. Or maybe you come up with your own routine. Whatever it is, you must have a clear, set cleaning schedule, and you must stick to it. It also must allow for life to happen. If your child gets sick and has to stay home from school or there is some type of emergent situation, you need to be able to adjust your schedule accordingly. I have two videos I’ve made about creating a cleaning schedule, feel free to watch them if you need some guidance.
