Many of my friends ask me how I keep my house clean. When they come over to hang out or just stop by my home is tidy. This got me thinking- what actions do I perform daily that help me to keep my house tidy and organized? I’ve listed out what I feel are my best secrets to keeping your home tidy and organized.
Put things away right away!
This action is so simple but its the biggest way you can keep your home tidy and organized! It applies to any space and room in your home. It also applies to all persons living in your home.
Putting items away after using them will eliminate clutter. For example, after getting ready for the day I will put away my hair brush, put my dirty pajamas in the hamper and hang up my wet towel.
You can train your kids to do this also. From a young age I began training my children to clean up toys after playing with them. Before they brought out a new toy they needed to put away the first toy they had been playing with. This just became routine for them and cleaning up toys wasn’t a fight (mostly).
Taking a few minutes to put things in there place will save you from feeling unorganized.
Make Your Bed
An easy step to make a bedroom feel organized is by making the bed. It may seem like a waste of time to make your bed. You’re just going to sleep in it again tonight. But making your bed is an instant way to make your room feel tidy.
Keep clothes off the floor
Get those dirty clothes into the laundry hamper or washing machine. Don’t leave a pile of dirty clothes lying in your bedroom or bathroom.
Putting the dirty clothes in the hamper right away will also save some hassle when it’s time to do laundry. You won’t be looking around the house to find all the piles of dirty clothes that need to be washed.
Keep food in the kitchen
With tiny humans running around in my home I’ve learned that food and drinks must stay in the kitchen. There has been one to many times that I have had to clean up crumbs from the couch or soak up a beverage from the living room carpet.
Keeping food and drink in the kitchen make for quick clean-up from spills and food crumbs.
Buy Less Stuff
Be mindful of your purchases. When you are shopping and going to buy something new stop to think. Where will this item be used or stored. Do you have space for the item? Will this new item replace an old item?
When you bring something new into your home take something out. Use the “One in One Out Rule”. An example of this would be toys. Birthdays and holidays bring in new toys. With 4 children in our home all those gifts can add up to a big cluttered mess.
I’m consistently throwing away, recycling or donating items. Doing this helps to keep the clutter away.
Do a daily load of laundry
Washing a load a day keeps the laundry away! One load a day is so much more manageable.
Part of my big kids daily chores are to start a load of laundry every morning. When it’s done washing I move it to the dryer. Later that evening my husband will fold the laundry (love him so much for doing completing this task <3). Last I bring the folded clothing to each kids room and they put it away before bed.
Another tip with laundry is to have one laundry hamper. Each member of the house brings their dirty clothes to the hamper at the end of the day or in the morning.
I’ve tried having a laundry hamper in each bedroom. It was not time efficient for me to go into each bedroom in search of all the dirty clothing. Having one location for dirty clothing helps to keep the house tidy.
Keep shoes in a designated location
Our family has a shoe shelf with shoe baskets in the garage. We mostly enter our house through the garage. Keeping the shoes out of the house has helped so much with keeping the floors clean.
Any mud, leaves or dirt is easily swept away off the garage floor.
Wipe down kitchen counters and sweep kitchen
It’s become part of my evening routine to wipe down the kitchen counters and table. All the food crumbs can accumulate throughout the day. This nightly wipe down takes care of that.
I also to a quick sweep in the kitchen after wiping down the counters. Knowing that I’ll be taking care of the floor right after the counters eliminates the need to be super careful when collecting all the counter crumbs.
Have your family help
Don’t do it alone. Make sure to get your family on board with keeping the house tidy.
Each evening after dinner my husband will get the food put away and the dirty dishes into the sink. I will then wash the dishes, wipe down kitchen counters and sweep the kitchen floor.
While we are tidying in the kitchen the kids are putting away their toys and getting homework into backpacks.
Do a nightly tidy
Taking 10-15 minutes each night to tidy the house has become a habit in our home.
Part of our kids bedtime routine is to go through the house and collect any items that belong to them. Next they go into their bedrooms to clean up toys and put away items collected throughout the house.
My husband and I also put any items away we have left out in the living space (shoes, books, electronics).
This nightly tidy resets our space for the next day. It creates a relaxing atmosphere for unwinding at the end of the day.
Invite guests over
I don’t know about you but when someone is coming over to my house I can really get the house tidied up quickly. Knowing that a guest is on their way over to my home really motivates me to tidy fast.
The first place I tidy is the bathroom. A quick wipe down of mirrors, sink and toilet make the bathroom fresh and ready for guests.
Next is the living space. I’ll put away any toys and books and then fluff up the couch pillows.
Lastly I put all dirty dishes into the dishwasher (if need be) and quickly sweep under the kitchen table.
Now my house is tidy and ready for my guests!
Make a cleaning schedule
Having a weekly cleaning schedule in place will help tremendously in having a tidy home.
I have a weekly cleaning schedule posted on the side of my refrigerator. Family members have a daily cleaning task.
Each day of the week has a specific cleaning task. Spacing out the cleaning tasks work very well for our family.
Here’s our cleaning schedule:
- Monday- mopping
- Tuesday- dusting
- Wednesday- vacuum
- Thursday- catch-up day
- Friday- bathrooms
- Saturday/ Sunday- wash bedding and towels
If you would like further details and a free printable cleaning schedule check out this post: How to Make and Conquer Your Cleaning Routine
Listen to music or a podcast
Listening to music or a podcast always makes the job of tidying the house more enjoyable. My kiddos like to turn up the volume on the music while they are getting their chores done or cleaning up their rooms. It can add a smile to a somewhat mundane task.
I hope my secrets will help you to achieve a tidy and organized home also! Let’s recap in list form:
Put Things Away Right Away!
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Make Your Bed
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Keep Clothing Off The Floor
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Keep Food In The Kitchen
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Buy Less Stuff
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Do A Daily Load Of Laundry
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Keep Shoes In A Designated Location
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Wipe Down Kitchen Counters and Sweep Kitchen
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Have Your Family Help
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Do A Nightly Tidy
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Invite Guests Over
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Make A Cleaning Schedule
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Listen To Music or A Podcast
Like a printable of this checklist? Sign up below, head to the Freebie Library and print out this checklist to make tidying your home a breeze.
Want more tips on keeping your home tidy? Check out this post: Daily Tips to Keep Your Home Tidy
