Tired of cooking in a kitchen overflowing with dirty dishes and crumby counters? Don’t want to fall asleep in a bedroom stacked miles high with laundry? Can’t get a handle on the ocean of toys flooding the living room?
The best way to manage a dirty house is to clean it BEFORE it gets messy.
But how, exactly, are you supposed to do that?
We’ve put together this guide to show you how to keep your house clean before any of the major messes form, so let’s get started!
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Think about the chores that need to get done around the house on a daily or weekly basis. Then come up with a specific time to do them. This will spread out the chores so you don’t have to scramble to get them done over the weekend, which makes the cleaning process a lot easier and less overwhelming.
Not sure what to do when?
Here are a few chores you might want to include in your schedule.
Daily:
- Bring in and sort through the mail
- Sweep the kitchen
- Do the dishes
- Pick up and put away clutter
Weekly:
- Clean out the fridge
- Change bedsheets
- Vacuum bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, stairs, etc.
- Do the Laundry
- Dust
Break down these chores so you’re only doing one or two a day. For example, Monday might be clean out the fridge day while Tuesday is laundry day. Each of these chores doesn’t take too long on their own, so doing them slowly throughout the week will make them feel shorter and keep real messes from forming.
Keep the Right Cleaning Supplies on Hand
Trying to stay on top of household chores can be difficult if you don’t have the right cleaning supplies. While an all purpose cleaner and a rag is a good place to start, that isn’t enough to keep every room in your home sparkling.
Instead, invest in the proper cleaners.
The cleaning supplies you use in your bathtub shouldn’t be the same stuff you’re using on your stove. If you aren’t sure what type of cleaning solutions to buy, do a bit of research. It won’t take long to find what you need.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should stop using an all purpose cleaner for other chores. These types of cleaning solutions can be very helpful if you get the right type, but make sure you know what to look for when buying an all purpose cleaner.
Store Your Cleaning Supplies in the Right Spots
Once you have all the cleaning supplies you need, spread them out around your home. For example, put the bathtub and toilet cleaners in the bathroom, the laundry detergent in the laundry room, the countertop and stove cleaners in the kitchen. This will make it easier to clean up small messes as they form because everything will be right where you need it.
Put Everything Away Right Away
Get into the habit of putting everything you use away right after you finish with it.
Cooking dinner for your family? Put away all the ingredients, clean up any spills, and tidy up the kitchen as you’re cooking. Just played a few board games with the kids? Gather all the pieces and put the boxes away when you’re done.
Putting these items away will keep everything in its place (so you don’t have to search high and low for it the next time you need it!) and keep clutter off the floor. If there are items that don’t have “a place” in your home, spend some time reorganizing so you can find one.
Don’t Try to Do Everything at Once
When you think about all the chores you have to do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Instead of trying to do these chores all at the same time, slow down and come up with a plan first (a cleaning schedule will be a big help).
Set priorities.
If you have guests coming over, you may have a few extra chores added to the normal weekly list, such as cleaning the bathroom. Decide which chores are the most important—a guest might not mind seeing a few shoes piled by the front door, but they might not enjoy using a dirty toilet!
Stick to one room at a time. Otherwise, you might end up running around the house and forgetting small chores along the way.
Do a Quick Cleanup at the End of the Day
Before you head to bed in the evening, spend 10 to 15 minutes tidying up the home. This isn’t the time to focus on big chores, but it’s a good chance to pick up toys on the living room floor, put away any last dishes, or otherwise get yourself ready for the next day.
If your home is looking a little messier than normal, get the whole family involved. Everyone cleaning for 15 minutes can get a lot of small chores taken care of.
Don’t Overlook the Little Things
Small chores, such as making your bed or putting your shoes away when you walk through the front door, are easy to overlook, but they can really make the home look much cleaner (or much messier).
Don’t ignore these types of chores because they’re “no big deal”. Instead, get into the habit of taking care of them right away so you can enjoy a cleaner space.
How to Keep Your House Clean BEFORE It Gets Messy
If you follow the cleaning tips on this guide, you’ll be able to learn how to keep your house clean without having to deal with major messes. And it’s not as hard or time-consuming as it seems. If you do a few quick chores every day, you’ll keep your home tidy without even realizing you’re cleaning.
