There’s a productivity rule that says if a task is going to take less than 2 minutes, do it immediately and save the longer jobs once the little tasks are complete. If it seems like keeping your home clean is a never-ending job, then you’re not alone. That is what many people tell us when they become customers of Maid Zen Cleaning Service. While we’re here to help with the bigger cleaning jobs, there are many things you can do between professional home cleaning sessions to stay on top of it all.
Best of all, these tips don’t take long to complete. Here are 5 daily hacks that will help you keep your home cleaner.
Start Making Your Bed EVERY DAY
There’s a reason the military put so much emphasis on a finely made bed. Not only does it reduce the clutter caused by blankets, sheets, and pillows laying around, it also sets you up for success for the rest of your day. Starting your day off by making your bed puts you in a positive mind set to get things done and not let them linger. That attitude will translate into an overall cleaner home throughout the date. On top of that, it is a great example for your family or roommates to follow.
Maintain Your Surfaces
Over time – especially in high use areas like the kitchen and bathroom – surfaces can quickly collect scum and clutter without you even knowing it. To keep bathrooms cleaner overall, wipe and dry the bathroom sink immediately after using it. This helps to remove spots and stains that could set in and become more difficult to remove later. We recommend keeping an extra roll of paper towels right in the bathroom to make that easy. In the kitchen, you simply just have to add wiping down surfaces to your daily process. If you’re actively cooking, keep a hand towel with you and wipe as you go. Bonus tip: get a shower spray and use it every couple showers to keep mold and scum growth down in your grout and tub.
Clear the Dishwasher
Unload the dishwasher first thing in the morning. You might not feel like doing this if you’re pressed for time but taking just a few minutes in your morning routine to empty the dishwasher prevents dishes from piling up in the sink. At the most, a completely full dishwasher takes about 5 minutes to empty, so by putting the time in first thing, you make way to keep your kitchen cleaner throughout the day. It allows you to put recently used dishes into an empty dishwasher instead of on the countertop or in the sink
Put Things Back Where You Got Them
This is probably the most obvious and easiest daily hack to implement. If you can just make it a personal promise to put away things from where you got them, you’ll reduce 90% of the clutter around your house. If it’s too daunting of a task, start off by doing it in a single room until it’s a solid part of your day, then move that effort into another room.
Set Your Own Laundry Schedule
Dirty laundry can definitely cause an issue, especially for those of us that are procrastinators when it comes to the wash. Our advice is to set a schedule – bi-weekly or more if you need it – and do laundry regardless of how much you have. If you have less than a full load, then you’re laundry will be done quick and easy. If you’ve got more laundry than you can handle, sort it out into a single bin and just do that one load on the scheduled day. Keep your schedule and you will eventually catch up.
Additional Tips to Reduce Clutter and Maintain a Cleaner Home on a Daily Basis
There are a lot of different ways to do this so we’ve given you a few options here.
- Get yourself off junk mailing lists. You would be surprised at how quickly unwanted mail piles up and makes your home look cluttered. To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by up to 80 percent, contact the Free Mail Preference Service managed by the Direct Marketing Association and request to have your name removed.
- Reduce closet clutter. Shoes, old outfits, and more can quickly fill up your closet and eventually spill out into other areas of your room. If you see an outfit or pair of shoes that you know you’re never going to wear again, put it into a shopping bag and set it aside for donation. Next time you’re going by a donation drop off point, take the bag. Over time, you’ll get a lean wardrobe full of only clothes that you love.
- If you can afford it, get an autonomous vacuum. They will help keep your floors clean, especially if you have pets.
If all else fails, you can always hire a cleaning company for recurring home cleanings.
Even when you keep up with the day-to-day straightening and light cleaning, any home can benefit from regular professional cleaning. Please contact Maid Zen today to request a home cleaning estimate and learn more about our green home cleaning services.
