Are you completely overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do to keep your home clean? I understand. I’ve been there too. But the reality is, we can’t do it all. However, we can keep our home clean on a daily basis by following through with 6 simple tips each day.
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A messy home will inevitably lead to overwhelm and frustration. I can promise you that if you don’t take action, it will only get worst and as this happens you will just want to give up.
Have you ever felt like just throwing in the towel because your home is such a mess?
I’ve been there too. But there are some steps I’ve learned to take that help me keep my house clean on a daily basis. {At least most of the time!} I do try to follow these tips most days. On the days that I do follow through with this system, my home truly does stay clean and I feel much less anxious and overwhelmed by all I have to do!
If you follow these steps, I think you will find that you will be able to keep a cleaner home. Let me know if it works for you in the comments below!
1. Follow a Schedule
Creating a routine is one of the best ways you can keep you home for the long haul. Sticking to both a morning and evening routine and keeping up with a weekly cleaning schedule will do wonders for your home.
If you struggle to stick with a schedule, creating a home management binder would be helpful. This is a place you can organize all of your papers, schedules, tasks, to-do list, and trackers. It’s what has really helped me bring order to my home which was once very chaotic and messy! Head over and grab Simply Organized: 50+ Printables to Help You Get and Stay Organized so that you can get your binder set up today!
If you are more of a techie person, you might find that organizing your to-do lists, schedules, and routines in an app would be helpful. My favorite is the Cozi app. My entire family can sink their schedules and I can create simple to-do lists for each day. My phone always reminds me what needs to get done! It’s fantastic! 🙂 You can download the Cozi app to your phone for free here!
2. Do It Now
Rather than putting tasks off for a later time, just push through and get it over with now. This is also a great way to increase your productivity each day!
The “Do it Now” principle is something I learned about 2 years ago and it’s really been a great reminder for me to stop procrastinating!
I try to start off my day with this principle by using my mornings well. I used to feel like my day would get away from me. I would wake up and hit the ground running, but still feel like I hadn’t accomplished anything by the middle of the afternoon. But recently, I’ve begun to wake up an hour before my kids and it has been life changing.
I’m not a morning person at all so this was a major shift for me. I learned some strategies that have really helped me from Crystal Paine’s course Make Over Mornings. {Get the first day of the 14-day course here for FREE!}
Here are a few more examples of how I try to implement the “Do It Now” mentality throughout my day at home:
- When I bring in the mail, I sort out the junk, put magazines in their designated basket, pay any bills, and file any papers that need to be kept.
- When the washer is finished, I transfer laundry to the dryer, then sort, fold, and put away.
- When dinner is over, I put away leftovers, load the dishwasher, wash larger pots and pans by hand, and wipe down the counters.
- When we come home, I put away the baby carseat, hang up coats, put gloves, hats, and scarves in their baskets, and place shoes by the front door on the mat.
By following the “Do It Now” principle, I’m able to keep clutter to a minimum and keep my home looking and feeling just a little bit tidier. This is the first step to keeping your home clean.
3. Pick up as you go
I know picking up as you go is so hard when you have little ones. Diaper changes, bottles, snacks, and just general tasks can take over your day. It’s so hard to get anything done when there is a little one creating an even bigger mess in the next room.
However, if you can try to put things back when you are finished, you will find that your house stays cleaner. Try to implement this strategy for a week if you aren’t currently following through with it.
Here are a few examples of how we try to implement this strategy to keep our home cleaner:
- When Caleb is done playing with his legos, he picks them up and puts them away in the tub before getting out any more toys.
- When I’m finished baking cookies, I put away all the ingredients I used and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
- When we make crafts at the kitchen table, we put away crayons, markers, paints, and paper when finished.
- When I’m done getting ready in the morning, I put away my makeup caddy, straightening iron, and contact solution. (Okay, my husband may tell you differently! But I’m trying, I promise!)
4. Keep All of the Laundry in One Location
If you have multiple laundry baskets or hampers in multiple rooms, try keeping all of your laundry in one central location. Maybe you could put it all in a bathroom or one bedroom. Our laundry room is right in the middle of our bedrooms so we just sort it there.
This keeps things simple. Everyone knows to take their dirty laundry to the laundry room and we have labeled hampers to sort as we go.
Since the laundry is already presorted for me, I can just throw in a load each morning, hang it up or throw it in the dryer in the afternoon and put it all away at night.
I know laundry can be a real struggle for some families, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding a very simple system that works for you is the best way to keep it under control.
5. Never Go to Bed with a Dirty Kitchen
I can’t think of many things I dislike more than waking up to a dirty kitchen. When I’m still half asleep, my kids are fussing for breakfast, and all I want is coffee, walking into my clean kitchen is really what can turn a rough morning into a productive day.
A clean kitchen sets you off on the right foot. When your counters are cleared of dirty dishes, you are more apt to keep them that way. I tend to get my dishwasher unloaded immediately after breakfast, which in turn gives me a place to put all those dirty dishes.
Try to implement a rule that you don’t go to bed if the kitchen isn’t cleaned, dinner dishes aren’t done, and dishwasher isn’t running. It will make a huge difference for you the next day!
6. Make Your Bed
A made bed will immediately make a messy bedroom look cleaner. I try to get my bed made as soon as everyone is out of it. 🙂 (Note: My husband currently works second shift so he sleeps in a few hours later than I do.)
Caleb is currently learning to make his bed himself. We usually help him with tucking the blankets in, but he can pretty much do the rest. While it’s probably not exactly how I would make it, he is learning and that’s the most important thing. Right!? 🙂 I promise this doesn’t bother my type-A personality at all. Nope. Never. 🙂
Even though his bed may not be made perfectly, just getting the blankets and stuffed animals off the floor and semi-neatly on the bed makes his room go from a mess to a tidy bedroom.
Try to implement the rule that the bed should be made as soon as you wake up. It will keep the bedrooms from getting out of control!
Looking for more posts on how to keep a cleaner home? You may also like:
- 2 Hours to a Clean Home {FREE printable!}
- Creating a Morning Routine for Busy Moms
- Creating an Evening Routine for Busy Moms
- How to Create a Cleaning Schedule for the Overwhelmed Mom
- 3 Cleaning Tips to Simplify Your Life
- 5 Things Brilliant Moms Do to Get More Done
What are some tips you have that keep your home clean?
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Meagan Cooper says
Great List!
I struggle with going to bed with a messy kitchen sometimes, but when I do wake up to a clean kitchen it makes the day begin so much better!
Kaitlin says
I agree Megan! Walking into a clean kitchen in the morning can really start the day off great!
Kaitlin says
I agree Meagan! Walking into a clean kitchen in the morning can really start the day off great!
Denise says
Whenever I walk from one room to another I quickly look around to see if there is anything out of place. For example, when I get up from the couch to get a drink I take all the empty glasses to the kitchen. When I’m done folding laundry in the bedroom I take the dirty laundry with me straight away. It doesn’t seem like much but it has helped me save lots of time and there’s no stuff lying around getting on my nerves anymore! 🙂 Also this makes it so much easier to do small cleaning tasks inbetween!
Ashley H says
Love the list. I also have my son put away toys before get others out (1 & 1/2 yrs old). My niece (4 yrs old) comes over twice a week and gets so frustrated with this rule. 🙂
I also try to do a load of dishes every day. As a stay at home mom I use a lot more than I did when I worked. If I don’t do a load everyday I find that the next day results in a pile in the sink. This also means that I have to remember to put away the clean dishes or once again there is a pile.
Kaitlin says
Thanks Ashley! I’m pretty good about running my dishwasher at night, but not always great about getting it unloaded first thing in the morning to avoid the dirty dish pile in the sink! It’s a constant struggle! But with little ones, our schedules are not always set in stone, right!? 🙂
Jayme Campbell says
We started using cloth napkins and cloths for cleaning instead of paper products and that seems to help with the amount of trash. Love all your tips…thanks;)
Kaitlin says
Thanks Jayme! We also switched to cloth napkins (about 80% of the time) about 2 years ago! It has definitely cut down on trash and I haven’t had an increase in laundry since I just throw them in with our towels. Plus, it saves some money and every little bit helps! 🙂
Starla says
What I struggle with most is, throwing away magazines when I’m done with them. I really need to have a specific bag to put them in so I can just grab it on the way our the door, to donate to the waiting room at our local VA.
I’ve been married over 40yrs and we have always had 2 laundry hampers. (I like being able to shut the lid,; to hide what’s in there). My family thought everyone sorted their laundry.
Also, in the kitchen, we don’t ever put the dirty dishes in the sink. You rinse your plate or glass and set it on the counter top. No dishwasher, so I wash dishes twice a day, takes almost no time.
Kaitlin says
Starla, that’s a wonderful idea to put a bag by your front door for the magazines! I love that! I think putting systems in place that work for us is the key.
Paul Seefeld says
I sort laudry 1 step more that you. Under garments need hot water to kill bacteria.
L. B says
Hi Kaitlin,
Thanks for your tips, you are not only making your life easier, your children’s lives will be more productive and far less stressful by keeping things tidy and simple.
I did note that one of your readers mentioned rinsing dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher:( might I suggest to wipe them off into the food scraps bin or bin, why wash twice ? I also noted that you are washing your nappies with your towels ? I beg you not to do this, I won’t go into the science/ germ factor other than to say unless your washing machine is able to boil and I mean boil your towels and nappies as well as a significant amount of disinfectant you are risking your families health. For the sake of an extra load of washing and the time involved I’d seriously think about it and don’t take my word for. It, ask your Dr or health care nurse. Cheers from DU.
Kaitlin says
Thanks, L.B.
I’m assuming when you say nappies, you are referring to cloth diapers? 🙂 I know that’s what most people outside of the U.S. refer to them as. We most definitely do NOT wash the cloth diapers with our towels or sheets! You are very right! That would be very disgusting and not sanitary in so many ways! 🙂 We do wash towels and sheets together on occasion. However, our cloth diapers are washed every other day. I just don’t really consider that normal laundry that most people have to deal with since the majority of people don’t cloth diaper. This is why I didn’t mention in this post my laundry schedule for washing cloth diapers. We wash our cloth diapers on hot water separately. So no worries! 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I hope you have a very blessed day!
Madfishmonger says
My rule of thumb is a place for everything, but putting them in a sensible place. For example, when you walk in the door with your keys, where does your hand want to go and put the keys away? Put a key holder in that place. I realised having a small dish (re-use sentimental items) near the door was great for keys and change. You can even use a magnetic bar used for knives to store keys, and Lego makes keychains that snap to blocks you hang on the wall. I am only allowed one junk drawer, that rule helps a lot. I re-use sentimental things like glasses or mugs as storage for pencils or bathroom items. I found it handy to have one closed display case for.my delicate trinkets. I am not allowed more than one so I had better think hard about getting more breakable stuff!
This is a great list, I had started doing some of these but you gave me some other good ideas too. Thanks!
Kaitlin says
I’m so glad that some of these are new ideas for you! It seems like you already have a really good system in place for staying organized! 🙂
Dianna says
My husband put up brackets for shelving the same distance apart and four deep. We put up a basket in each hole and then a large hamper in front. We sort our clothes as we take them off at night. The hamper is for towels and wash clothes. The sheets go into the washer as soon as I take them off the beds to keep up with out overload. This system works great. It has simplified doing the laundry.
We have been married for 42 years and I always can trust that he will make a solution for streamlining a problem. Some of his ideas don’t work as well as others.
Kaitlin says
Dianna, I love this idea! I think that putting systems into place that work for us is the key to streamlining home management! 🙂 Thanks for your comment. I hope you will stick around!
Margie says
I really like your post on keeping your house clean but your print is so light that it is very hard to read. Could you darken it a bit. Thanks
Kaitlin says
Hi Margie! I’m so sorry you were having trouble reading it! My theme came with a very light colored font and I just never thought to darken it. I think I’ve taken care of it and made it a little darker! Let me know if it helps!
I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!
~Kaitlin
Gayle says
I tend to put off chores because I ‘don’t have time’. Then I started timing each job. It always seemed like it took an hour to clean the bathroom. It turns out I can do it in just 6 minutes! Now I don’t mind doing it as much. In fact, I do I everyday so it’s always ‘company ready’.
Kaitlin says
That’s a great idea Gayle! I’ve done this as well and it’s really amazing how much you can get done in such a short time!
Nessa E. says
My husband and I do a system I came up with called “15 and 15”. Every night, and once or twice throughout the day (usually around nap time for our children), we spend 15 minutes picking up the mess that was just made, and another 15 minutes deep cleaning something or organizing something. With this system, you’re constantly staying on top of yourself, but you’re also going above and beyond to make the next 15 and 15 even easier (because it’s deep cleaned or organized). Setting a timer to 15 minutes also makes it feel like a race. lol “How much can I get done in 15 minutes??!” Quite often, we’re done with our first 15 early because there just isn’t a big mess, so we start on the second part of the 15 and 15 early and get more accomplished there. Fifteen minutes is a nice manageable time that doesn’t feel like you’re just slaving away, but it keeps the house together. I also do all of the tips that you suggested, which helps a lot with a husband who is a typical male and not very tidy. lol Thanks for helping everyone keep their houses bearable! A clean atmosphere helps calm stress and anxiety. 😀
Kaitlin says
I love this idea, Nessa! Thanks so much for sharing! I’m going to try to get my husband on board and see if we can try this out, too! It’s really amazing how much you can get done in a short amount of time.
Barbm1712 says
I ALWAYS make my bed as soon as I go back to the bedroom to get dressed for the day Icoffee first). It’s just a routine that, once developed over a few weeks, becomes a habit. Our former home had problems, I think they built it on an ant hill and so if any speck or crumb was left in the sink or on the counter, we had a colony trying to feast on it before morning, so I HAD to wash up after dinner every night and make sure there were no little bits to attract the ants. In our present home we don’t have that issue so I’m not always that fastidious, but I prefer washing up tough baked on stuff in the morning after they’ve had a chance to soak all night. It depends on YOUR morning. In the chaos of normal family life, trying to get kids fed before leaving for school and facing bumper to bumper traffic if you just 5 minutes behind, a messy kitchen would start my day in a gloomy mood and set the tone for the whole day. Straightening up just a little before bed, though tired, helps me greet the day in a better frame of mind and I still sort the mail immediately after retrieval with a file system of ‘asap’, review’ and ‘file’. The ASAP file I go through every other day and deal with, the ‘review’ file I check up on every Saturday morning, and I tackle the ‘file’ basket once a week.No bills come to our home since we are on electronic billing with just about everything, so these would be renewals and/or invitations (Auto Club, Baby showers, etc). If you go through the mail and trash the ‘junk mail’ it cuts the leftovers down by more than half and keeps the worthless stuff from overwhelming our desk.Wiping down the bathroom counter every morning after shower/makeup/hair helps keep the bathroom from looking tired and in need of a makeiver. I try to follow the principle of ‘handle it once’ when possible.
Kaitlin says
Those are great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Kelly Dosch says
Have you ever seen those canvas things that turn 5gal buckets into tool caddies?
One is called the Bucket Boss. (about $20 at any big home improvement “depot”)
I can cram nearly every cleaning potion and device in my artillery into a single pickle bucket with mine.
Cleaners, polishes, goo removers/scrapers, trash bags, steel wool, scissors, sponges, rubber gloves, toothbrushes, paper towels, even a hand-held steam cleaner, and much more.
You wouldn’t believe the time and energy it saves me simply by having everything I could possibly need in one easily portable container.
You can even buy a bucket dolly (wheels that fit 5g buckets) in case it’s too heavy for you to carry.
When it’s time to attack a messy room, just grab The Bucket and you’re fully armed for anything it can throw at you.
Kaitlin says
Kelly, that’s a great idea! My husband does that with his tools, but I’ve never thought to use it for cleaning supplies! 🙂 Thanks for the great tip!
Cheryl says
Great tips ! Thank you.
Jemma Dee says
When my kids were younger I called for a “GLAD” patrol time every evening. More often if needed. At that time they would pick up any Garbage, Laundry And Dishes that were laying around. My goal was to create a habit where they would pick up after themselves. Can’t say that it worked 100% but by constant repetition they were at least aware that they had to pick up after themselves.
Kaitlin says
This is such a great idea, Jemma! Thanks so much for sharing! I will have to try this out with my family.
Tracy says
I love your home philosophy, Kaitlin! You’re ideas are relaxed and realistic and what you’re sharing here is more about changing our habits, the way we think and feel about our homes and what we need to do in them to keep them functioning, rather than completing a checklist of tasks every day, month, and year. I’m naturally inclined to procrastinate, so number 1: do it now, is the advice that resonates most with me. It works best if I don’t even think about what I need to do, otherwise I might negotiate my way out of it!
Kaitlin says
Tracy, thank you so much for your sweet comment! That is exactly what I’m trying to do and I’m so glad it came across that way to you. It’s definitely not about a checklist, but rather about how we make our home a happy place for us!
Liz says
I have a 3 yo & a 9 mo & I understand the challenge of keeping up with cleaning!. For Mother’s Day my husband hired a very nice cleaning lady to do a one-time deep clean to give me a break! The tip I learned is to use a damp rag-type mop to clean baseboards instead of scrubbing them on hands & knees. I don’t clean baseboards that often, but it will be so much easier & faster now with this method!
Thanks for your tips & gracious words 😊
Gayle says
Great article! I use the “do it now” idea & it works, it’s a bit like handle it once, I put things where they go straight away. I have a symplified list system, I do a dark load & a light load of washing on Monday, Wednesday & Friday & everyday I make beds, put the dishwasher on, empty bins & fill the water filter. If nothing else gets done these things keep the household going & I can catch up on extras when time allows. I do small cleaning jobs when I see them, a mark on a wall, fingerprints on a cabinet etc. I used to think what’s the point but if I do it that way then when the main cleaning needs doing there are not as many little things to do.