The weekend’s almost here! Oh, but it will be kinda hard to kick back and relax in a house that hasn’t been cleaned well in a week or two…or four. Okay, six or seven at the most, but I’ve been busy and don’t judge me! We’ve all been there, right? Clearly you have or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. So, let’s learn some new habits to help you get through the procrastination and quickly on your way to enjoying your weekend in a house that doesn’t bum you out.

1. Kitchen: Your kitchen is the heart of your home, which means the messiest part of your home. If you’re like me, your “heart” at times may need a stent, an electric shock, or even a transplant. Make sure to always have good sponges and antibacterial wipes within easy reach. Also, an effective, all-purpose kitchen spray cleaner, a Swiffer or similar floor cleaner and a good broom. After you cook, hit the stove-top, countertops around the stove and/or oven with a quickie wipe down. Usually a spritz of cleaner and a sponge will do the trick. Rinse your used sponge well. If you use it to wipe up spilled food, rinse and run it through the dishwasher to sterilize it for future use. Try and train your household occupants to rinse and load their glasses and used dishes throughout the day and don’t be shy putting your dishwasher through its paces. Not only does a dishwasher save time, but it’s also more sanitary. Make a quick floor sweep a habit as well. Final habit, when you close the fridge at the end of the day, scan for old items, get rid of them, and wipe as you go. The key is the “as you go” part.

2. Bathrooms: Nobody’s favorite. If the kitchen is the heart, we all know what part the bathroom is. However, if you apply the same “as you go” kitchen strategy, keeping your bathroom clean won’t be a burden. Each day, take a quick cleaning trip through each bath. The ease of this will make up for the frequency. Hit the sinks and countertops with a damp sponge or antibacterial wipe. Have hooks and a convenient hamper to manage towels. Once a week, add a multi-purpose foaming cleaner and a glass cleaner to the mix. Spray those and do some side cleaning as you give them time to work. Hitting the toilet and shower weekly with the same frequency-trumps-a-big-mess approach and is the only way to go!

3. Living Room: Pretty easy. At the end of each day, pick up clutter and return to the owner’s space (usually kids’ rooms). Straighten pillows, refold throws, and ditch that daily clutter (junk mail, newspapers, etc.). Pick one evening a week to dust and vacuum or sweep. Seeing a trend? While these habits are different for each room, they are based on the same avoid-the-painful-cleaning everything all at once approach.

4. Bedrooms: The best tip here is to make sure each room has good storage and a thoughtful closet set up! If these are in place, then picking up each day is a breeze. Closets should be designed for the age of the person using the bedroom. The easier it is to put things where they belong, the more likely you can actually get your children to do it! If you have little ones, make it a game. How fast can you put your toys away where they belong? Think of a small weekly reward they can “win” if they do it in the allotted time. Now, I’m not going to lie to you…if you have teenagers, sometimes the only workable solution is to just keep their bedroom door firmly closed and hope for the best!

5. Upstairs/Downstairs: Divide up your big cleaning days to cover one area one week and the other area another week. This will help you avoid having to deep clean a WHOLE house all at once.

Taking the time to adopt these habits may be a challenge at first, but if you can make yourself stick to them, your deep cleaning days will be far easier, and you’ll spend far less time cleaning overall. Plus, that means more time for relaxing in a place that actually makes you feel relaxed.  

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?