6 Habits to Keep your House Clean & Tidy
Let's face it, keeping a home organized can be hard if you let it get out of hand. I'm the first to admit that I've been having a hard time keeping up with things around here since becoming pregnant with our second baby. Keeping up with house chores and running after my very active 2 year old is no easy feat when you have a large belly to lug around too! So needless to say I've had to get my behind in gear if I didn't want to spend my days deep cleaning cleaning and organizing my home because I knew that if I let it get too out of hand it would drive me crazy!
These are the 6 habits that I've worked into my everyday routine to make sure that I keep my home clean and tidy so that I spend more time doing more important things, like playing with our sweet boy, Lucas.
Make the Bed as soon as you Wake Up
Getting out of bed lately has been hard as I can always use a little bit more sleep. But since my little one doesn't feel the same way, I'm up early on most days. One of the first things I do when I wake up is make my bed. There's something about seeing my bed made that motivates me to start my day rather than spending the morning in bed. It also makes our bedroom look instantly organized and put together. The act of making the bed sets me up to have a productive morning and encourages me to check more chores off my list.
Clean and Organize as You Go
Cleaning and Organizing as I go about my day is one of the main ways that I maintain my home clean. I try to always clean and put everything away after every meal so that I don't let dishes pile up in the sink. Wipe down the counters and let our Roomba tackle the floors. This rule doesn't just apply to the kitchen, but all other areas in your home. Wipe down your bathroom counters after washing your face and teeth. Give the toilet a quick wipe down every day to help maintain it clean. As you go about your day and notice little messes here and there it's better to tackle them right on the spot rather than waiting. They'll only continue to get bigger making it a much bigger job to fix.
Plan your Laundry Days
Another way that I've managed to remain sane while I'm trying to tackle different chores throughout my home is to plan my laundry days. Lately, laundry day for me is every Monday. There's only 3 of us currently in our home and I wash all of our clothes together. That means that the sorting of dirty clothes happens as we put it in the hamper. I keep two hampers in our bathroom, one for colors and one for whites. I only have one hamper in my little one’s room, so I sort his clothes into ours and then simply do three loads of laundry every Monday: colors, whites, towels/sheets. I find that by tackling all the laundry in one day it forces me to actually fold them and put them away as soon as they are done rather them leaving them in the dryer for days.
Organize incoming Paper as you Receive it
My husband and I have both gotten in a pretty good habit of handling the incoming paper in our home immediately. Whenever we pick up the mail we quickly look through it and determine what stays and what should go in the trash/recycle. With paperwork that does stay, we file away anything that's important but don't need to take any action on and actionable items go on a bin on our desk to tackle when we are paying bills.
Tidy up and Clean before you go to Bed
Before I go to bed, I always make sure to walk around the house and pick any small items that aren't in their place. I fluff and fix the cushions on our couch and give the kitchen one last clean if needed. If you cleaned and organized as you went about your day then this process should only take between 5-10 minutes. It's such a small amount of time to sacrifice in order to wake up to a clean and organized house.
Pick up your Clothes
Lastly, end your day by ensuring to put your worn clothes in it's proper place. Whether they need to go in the laundry or need to be hung back in your closet, take the time to tackle this now. This habit will not only help you keep your bedroom picked up and clean but also help you keep your closet organized. Because there's nothing worse than trying to get dressed in the morning when your closet is a mess and you can't find anything to wear.
I hope these tips help you maintain your home organized and clean just like they’ve helped me. Leave me a comment below and let me know what's a habit you've incorporated into your routine that helps keep your home clean and organized?
