Cleaning your home is a drag, right? If you’re anything like me, then you probably want to spend as little time scrubbing as possible...but still have a clean house. But how the heck does one achieve THAT? For lazy girls like me, I’ve curated 7 simple hacks that ensure your home stays in a state of cleanliness without breaking a sweat. Let’s dive into these practical ways to clean as you go, making housekeeping a breeze.
7 Practical Ways to Keep Your House Clean
As I mentioned in this article about the Characteristics of an Effective Homemaker, one of the habits of a Highly Effective Homemaker is to Clean As You Go.
I hear you –and as I said, I do not like cleaning either. So, if I am cleaning, I don’t really want to KNOW that I’m cleaning, yannow? I do not want to have sore muscles from scrubbing the floors or moving everything out of the cupboards. I do not want to make a HUGE EFFORT.
And so, I have taught myself to clean as I go. To mitigate the mess. To minimise the scale of cleaning.
Cleaning as you go is basically doing something small, all the time. It requires minimum effort and means that your house always looks clean. I have discovered that when you are in the habit of doing these things, you do not even realise that you are “cleaning”. It’s just…what you do at the end of that particular task…and it keeps your house from getting dirty.
I have isolated 7 activities that, for my house, are the messiest. These are the things that would make my house really dirty if I didn’t make any attempt to eliminate the mess.
Cleaning doesn’t have to be a big production. With these 7 hacks, you can clean as you go, seamlessly fitting tidying into your daily routine. Trust me, it’s a game-changer for busy households like ours.
1. Bathroom Bliss
Now, aside from the kitchen, the bathroom is probably the most used room in the house (and gets the worst kind of dirt).
Since I shower every day, I utilise the moisture that is released from showering, to wipe over the bathroom. I simply use my towel to wipe and polish all surfaces. Since the shower makes the bathroom a little bit damp, it needs drying, and the dampness loosens the filth.
Therefore, my bathroom is polished every day.
The beauty of cleaning your bathroom this way is that a)you are going to throw the towel in the wash anyway, AND b) if you do it sans clothing (wink), you do not have to worry about getting your clothes dirty. Win!
2. Laundry Logic
Take advantage of putting away fresh laundry by straightening out your linen cupboard. This is a 10-minute task that, when done consistently, keeps your linen cupboard perfectly ordered all the time.
Re-stack and re-fold towels, sheets, pillowcases, and blankets, and you will have a perfectly ordered cupboard, all the time. I just did mine this morning and it was not a big job at all. And it will only ever be a 10 minute job if I do it consistently every time I notice it is looking a bit scruffy.
3. Wardrobe Magic
Keep your wardrobe in check by giving it a mini makeover whenever you put clothes away. It’s like shopping your closet without the stress. Who knew organizing could be this easy? Re-fold, re-hang, and organize your wardrobe as you put clothes away. This not only keeps your wardrobe up to date but also ensures you’re not holding onto unnecessary clothing items.
4. Kitchen Queen
The kitchen is probably the room in the house that always needs attention, simply because we are constantly using it. With cooking, baking, eating, and dishwashing, the kitchen is forever in use, so drawers can easily get out of kilter.
The easiest way to keep your kitchen clean is to have a radar for disorder and nip it in the bud. When you are unloading the dishwasher, put the utensils in the correct categories and wipe the crumbs out. Regularly doing this prevents disorder from accumulating, making the task quick and easy.
5. Hubbard in the Cupboard
Similar to the utensils, ensure everything is stacked correctly in the cupboard and wipe away crumbs or water marks. Consistent upkeep keeps your kitchen cupboards well-organized and easy to navigate.
6. Fridge Freshness
I might be a little obsessed, but a clean fridge equals a happy me. Wipe it down regularly, and you’ll have a fridge that’s as fresh as your grocery haul – double win!
I am CONSTANTLY wiping out my fridge. Foods tend to release moisture or sometimes leak so this is a thing I do every time I access the fridge. It’s a high-transaction appliance, so it needs it!
My suggestion is t make wiping out the fridge a regular habit. As a high-transaction appliance, the fridge benefits from constant attention to ensure a tidy and clean environment for your food.
7. Pantry Power
When you have just arrived home from the grocery store, tired, and wanting to just sit down with a cuppa, avoid the temptation to bung everything on the closest shelf. Instead, transform unloading groceries into an opportunity to organize your pantry. Ensuring everything is on the right shelf during this weekly task helps maintain order in this high-transaction area of the kitchen.
If you sort it out every time you put your groceries away, or ANYTHING away, then it will never get to the point where sorting it is a big job.
In a Nutshell:
Cleaning as you go isn’t about adding more to your plate; it’s about making life simpler. These habits have been a game-changer for me, saving time and sanity in my bustling household.
So, here’s to being the boss mamas we are – keeping our homes clean without the stress. What are your favorite cleaning hacks? Let’s swap stories and make this cleaning journey a joyous one!
Cheers to a clean and happy home,
Steph x
