4 Habits That Will Help You Keep Your House Clean

“Motivation gets you started, Habit keeps you going”

I love that quote from James clear because there’s so much truth in it. When it comes to ways to keep your house clean it’s all about the right habits.

While developing habits do take some work (even these simple habits that will keep your house clean), the benefits are so worth it.

It is well documented that decluttering your home significantly lessens stress. The same is true with keeping a clean house. In fact, the act of cleaning your home can actually reduce stress.

So you see, if you want to simplify your life and reduce stress, it starts with implementing a few habits to keep your house clean.

And if you have a basic handle on your clutter, if you don’t start here, these habits are simple and easy to make a part of your daily routine. The best thing is these habits will build on each other. As you practice them, in no time your house will stay clean with minimal effort.

You just might find that these four habits are the game changer you’ve been looking for!

1. Pick Your Daily Must Do’s

A big part of being able to make your house stay clean is having a few tasks that you perform daily. Make these tasks simple, they should only take between 5 and 15 minutes tops.  Think about what makes you feel like you’re on top of your household chores. These are your daily must do’s.

For me, every day I try and make my bed the first thing. I toss in one load of laundry and make sure I wash the dishes. In the evening I do a quick tidy up that takes a max of 15 minutes. The quick tidy up is basically putting things that are out back where they belong.

The daily must do’s take me very little time and create a big impact on ensuring my house stays tidy. The bed is the biggest item in my room, so when it’s made the entire room feels cleaner. By doing one load of laundry each day I avoid monstrous laundry piles.

Of course, having the dishes done makes me feel like I’m on top of the kitchen. And finally, a quick 15 minute tidy up at the end of the day allows me to sit down and relax knowing things are put away.

When you determine your list of daily must do’s look for those things that will help you feel accomplished in your housework. Remember your tasks should take no longer than 5 to 15 minutes tops.

The payoff for committing to these daily tasks is less stress and more peace and contentment.

2. Keep Your House Clean One Room At A Time

Procrastination makes everything harder. But you already know that! However, knowing it and stopping it are two very different things. Yet, the key to keeping your house clean is to stop procrastinating.

If you think about it, you’ll find that you most often procrastinate when you’re feeling overwhelmed. The trick to getting rid of the overwhelm and the procrastination of your cleaning chores are simply breaking them down into manageable pieces.

By doing this you’ll no longer tell yourself that you’ve got to clean the entire house. All you have to do, in addition to your dailies, is to clean one room. That’s totally doable!

When you turn giant cleaning tasks into manageable micro-tasks, there’s no good reason not to do it. It will only take a small investment of time and will save you from all day cleaning marathons.

Regularly cleaning just one room each day will help you keep your house clean and it will stay that way!

The schedule I use is so simple, it allows me to maintain my home, while only cleaning one room each day. Subscribers to the newsletter are sent a free PDF of my exact cleaning schedule. Just click below to sign up.

 

If you’re not interested in joining the newsletter, here’s a rundown of the schedule I’ve used for years. When I stick to this schedule, my house stays consistently clean.

Mondays

This is the bathroom day. I give it a good clean. I clean all the essentials, including the floors and mirrors. After I’m done with the bathroom, I spend about 15 minutes straightening the other rooms. Done!

I always have a container of disinfectant wipes that I keep under the sink. During the remainder of the week, I give the main surfaces a quick wipe down as I’m getting ready in the morning. The bathroom then stays pretty neat and tidy for the whole week.

Tuesdays

I Focus on the bedrooms. This is the day I change the sheets, clean the floors, put away clothes, and clear off the surfaces. Once again, when I’m done, I spend 15 minutes straightening the other rooms and that’s it! During the rest of the week, I just make sure to make the bed and hang up clothing.

Wednesdays

I don’t do much cleaning on Wednesdays other than to spend about 15 minutes straightening up. This is my desk and errands day. I focus on paperwork and take care of any filing and bill paying that needs to be done. I try and run all my errands and appointments on this day as well.

Thursdays

This is actually my busiest cleaning day. I spend a little more time cleaning on Thursdays because I focus on the kitchen and dining room. I clean out the fridge, wipe down the counters, all surface areas, and all small appliances. Sweep and mop the floor.

During the rest of the week, I just make sure to keep up with the dishes and clean up after myself as I cook.

Fridays

This is an easier day as I only clean the living room. I dust, vacuum, and clean mirrors. Done! All I do after is my normal 15 minutes of straightening up the other rooms.

This simple routine has allowed me to effectively manage my time and keep my home clean and tidy.

Of course, there are still those days I find myself behind or falling off schedule, but I simply pick up where I left off and in no time, I am caught up.

3. Schedule a Regular Time For Cleaning Chores

As I mentioned, procrastinating on our cleaning tasks just makes things harder. If the first part of your day is not crazy, do your cleaning chores the first thing. Getting those cleaning tasks done first is the best way to deal with them and get them out of the way.

By doing your cleaning tasks at the beginning of the day you’ll generally keep your house clean and tidy without having to clean constantly throughout the day.

I know that mornings don’t always work and that’s okay. As long as you schedule regular time in your day for your cleaning tasks. It’s about coming up with a schedule and times that will work for you.

Another great way to stick to your cleaning schedule is to set an alarm on your phone to remind you that it’s time for your cleaning tasks. Tell yourself that your daily cleaning tasks are required and when that alarm goes off you need to do those items on your list.

Eventually, your cleaning tasks will become a normal part of your regular routine.

4. Set Reasonable Expectations

Despite all those Pinterest images, no one has an immaculate house all the time. Your home is a place you live in and it’s going to get messy. If you’re expecting a perfectly clean house all the time you’ll be creating just as much stress as if your house was a constant mess.

Have reasonable expectations. Learn to be content with clean enough. Do your best to keep clutter at bay and this will help you keep surfaces clear. Also, put things away when you’re done with them and you will see a big difference in keeping your home clean.

Know that by practicing these simple habits you’ll keep your house clean, simplify your life, and create peace and contentment. What’s not to love about that!