Today we look at the habits of people who always have clean houses. I’m sure we all know someone who seemingly has their housework under control. You could turn up unannounced at any time of the day, and nothing would be out of place.
How do they do it? I bet you are dying to ask. I also bet that you probably don’t realise how little time they spend cleaning.
Follow these tips, and you can have an effortlessly clean house too.
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People who have clean homes don’t have a set cleaning day
I know that might seem hard to believe, but it’s not necessary to have a set time in the week for cleaning.
If you can spare some time at the weekend for cleaning and you don’t mind trading in your leisure pursuits, then great. But, I think it is far more efficient to clean on an as-needed basis. There is then no danger of over-cleaning anything.
I am an avid fan of microfiber cloths for cleaning cheaply and without chemicals.
Have a few cloths handy for when you have five minutes while the dinner is cooking.
How about doing a quick five-minute dust, or pop into the bathroom and give the sink a quick once-over? That five minutes can make such a difference!
People who have clean homes don’t over-clean
If you don’t have a set cleaning day and do all your cleaning in five to ten-minute intervals instead, there is no danger of over-cleaning anything because you simply don’t have the time.
When tackling a cleaning task, ask yourself this question:
Does it look cleaner than before I started? If yes, then you are good!
Check out this amazing strategy where you can have a clean and tidy house in just 10 minutes.
People who have clean houses delegate
If you have kids, why not give them a job that is only theirs? It depends on the child, of course, but you might find that they love that sense of responsibility. Everyone is a winner.
A broad, undefined task, such as ‘keep your bedroom tidy’ is difficult for children to understand because what is tidy? Their view of tidy may well be very different from yours.
A super defined task such as keeping the bedroom floor clear is much harder to argue about.
People who have clean homes tackle one job at a time
Everyone has one or many messy hotspots in their houses. I certainly do! Choose one area, set the timer on your phone to the minimum time you have, and get it cleaned up. Make sure you stop when the timer goes off.
Again, ask yourself:
Is it less of a mess than when I started? If yes, then you are good!
People who have clean homes don’t have kids or pets
I meant that title as a joke. But seriously, having kids or pets in the house shouldn’t be an excuse.
If you have kids, then give them jobs. If you have pets, get yourself a cordless vacuum, and you can have hair cleaned up in minutes.
Don’t let your pet rule the house. If you can, only let them sleep in one place.
If you have cats get rid of your cat flap. We had three cats once. At the time a cat-flat seemed like a great idea, but in reality, it meant they could bring dirt into the house as and when they felt like it. I was always cleaning up!
People who have clean homes don’t have time to clean
Often people who have clean homes are the busiest people you know, but somehow they still have clean houses? You could turn up unannounced anytime, and you would not catch them out. What gives?
Having no time to clean is actually not a bad thing because it stops you from cleaning things that don’t actually need it, and it prevents you from leaving spring cleaning tasks until Spring because there isn’t any time for those bigger jobs.
They have gadgets for quick cleanups
Having some handy tools for quick cleanups is a great time saver. Why not treat yourself to a cordless vacuum cleaner? Place it in the messiest area of your home so you can grab it quickly where you most need it.
People who constantly have clean homes do little spring cleaning jobs all year round
If you clean on an as-needed basis, then spring cleaning becomes obsolete. If you wait a whole year to clean under the sofa, who knows what you could find there, plus the job becomes a much bigger one if you leave it that long.
Everything has a place
Even a dirty home can ‘look’ clean if it isn’t cluttered, and everything is put away. Try to make a home for all your possessions. Before you buy anything new, consider where you will put it or what it will replace.
People who have clean homes make their beds as soon as they get out
A tidy bed makes a world of difference.
This is odd, I know, but when my bed is made, I somehow feel more in control of the day. It’s the same with the house in general. When it’s messy, I feel irritable, and I’m not much fun to live with at all!
People who always have clean homes wash laundry daily
If you have enough laundry, why not get into the habit of doing a daily wash and having it put away and ironed by the end of the day?
People who have clean homes choose furniture and decorations that don’t show the dirt
Choose a wall paint that can be wiped clean and flooring that doesn’t trap the dirt.
I have a great carpet in my house. It’s kind of a speckled sandy colour, and it hides all sorts of horrors.
By chance, it’s also a similar colour to our dog. I try to keep it vacuumed regularly, but in-between cleans, at least it doesn’t look too bad!
Related post:
People who have clean homes don’t have an ironing pile
People who have clean and tidy homes have a place for everything, but what they don’t have a place for is an ironing mountain!
Don’t iron everything. Only iron things on show. Nightwear and bedclothes never get ironed in our house.
For those items that do need ironing, iron immediately, and don’t spend more time than you need to on ironing. Ask yourself:
Does it look like it just came off the washing line? If no, you’re good to go!
Related reading:
Why Is My Iron Sticking To My Clothes?
I hope I have convinced you that it is possible to have a clean home, even if you think you have no time.
The crucial thing is to stop worrying about how clean your house is. You are very probably your worst critic. Someone coming in from outside will most likely to see things very differently from you. So stop being fussy and get your house clean enough.
If your house is currently a hot mess, put some blinkers on and tackle one small job at a time. Eventually, it will be less of a hot mess as the days go by.
Always ask yourself the question:
Is it clean enough? If yes, then you are good!