Secrets to Keeping a Clean House
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Let’s get one thing clear right away – a clean house does not mean spotless perfection. It’s not the unrealistic homes you see in magazines that have been carefully staged and cleaned. Instead what I’m encouraging you to aim for is to have a house that’s clean enough. With these secrets to keeping a clean house, you’ll be on your way to clean and organized
A Clean Home is Possible Even with Kids
I hate the mom quotes that give you an excuse to have a dirty house. You know the ones:
“Please excuse the mess, our children are making memories.”
“Good moms have sticky floors, piles of laundry, messy kitchens and happy kids.”
I refused to accept those quotes even when I was struggling to keep on top of housework. Yep, having kids does mean more messes. But that doesn’t mean your house can’t be clean every day.
My house isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect. My kids aren’t perfect. My husband isn’t perfect. But I’ve uncovered the secrets to keeping a clean house, whether you are a working mom, a stay at home mom or not a mom. And by following these steps I’m not embarrassed when unexpected visitors show up at my door.
Keeping A Clean House Every Day
1.) Follow a Cleaning Schedule
Haphazardly cleaning whenever you feel motivated or when your home is a total disaster won’t lead to clean home.
To get and keep your house clean and tidy, you need to start with a realistic cleaning schedule. A little bit of cleaning every day is the easy way to a clean home.
2.) Use the Best Products
You are more likely to clean if you have the right products to get the job done quickly and easily. The importance of the best products cannot be understated.
I’ve wasted a lot of time and money on products that just didn’t live up to their claims. I hated to clean. But by using the best cleaning products, my house is cleaner and I’m actually motivated to clean.
3.) Have Less Stuff
A cluttered home never looks really clean and clutter makes it harder to clean. Having less stuff means there is less stuff to pick up and put away. It’s easier to clean when there aren’t as many items.
Imagine dusting your fireplace mantle or bookshelves if there were only a few items instead of lots of knick knacks.
How much easier would it be for your kids to clean up their toys if they didn’t own as many?
Decluttering your house can make a HUGE difference in your efforts to have a tidy home.
4.) A Place for Everything
An organized home makes it easy to put things away. But more than just having a place for everything, you also need a good system for organizing. Overstuffed and over-complicated spaces will end up creating clutter.
Discover the rules to organize any room in your home.
Learn how to control clutter in some of the most likely spaces, such as:
Paper clutter – learn how to eliminate paper clutter and organize paperwork.
Mudroom or Entryway – an easy target for clutter pile ups. Get ideas for organizing your mudroom, entryway or hall closet. There are even ideas if you have a small entryway.
Kitchen Counters or Table – hotspots for attracting all types of clutter. Having clutter-free counters will go a long way to having a neat and clean home.
5.) Ask for Help
If don’t live alone, then you shouldn’t clean alone. Everyone who lives in a house should share in the responsibility of keeping it clean. It’s as simple as that. Well, in a dream world it’s as simple as that.
But in reality it can be really hard to get your family on board. It takes patience. It takes leading by example. And it takes using their personalities to motivate them.
Check out Teaching Your Family to Keep Your Home Clean and Organized and Get Your Family On Board with Decluttering for ideas on how to get them to clean up.
Professional Help
There is no shame in bringing in the experts if your budget allows it.
Not many people can afford a live-in housekeeper. But maybe you can have a cleaning service bi-weekly or monthly. Or even hiring out select chores, such as carpet cleaning or window washing can help lighten your load.
Step-by-Step Guide
Now you know the secrets to
