Here are my top 13 cleaning habits that I use to keep my home tidy the easy way! Cleaning can be a lot of work, but it’s a lot easier when we keep up with little tasks daily.
I have been able to make all of these tasks into cleaning habits that I work into my day.
13 Cleaning Habits:
Habits are made over time! I have been able to get these cleaning habits to stick by adding them slowly throughout the year.
It may seem as if I am cleaning all day, but by working these into my everyday activities I don’t feel like I am ever really cleaning.
Tidy During the Day
As my day is going I will tidy. So when I wake up I make sure to put my pajamas in the drawer or the dirty clothes bin. I don’t leave them out to deal with later.
When I get dressed for the day I try to make sure my clothes are all put away and the closet is orderly.
So as I am going through the motions of my day I am not leaving things out to deal with later.
Make The Bed
Every morning I make my bed. When I was younger I didn’t really understand the benefit of this, but now that I am older I get it.
As soon as I wake up I throw the covers up on my bed and set my pillows at the top. Since I got rid of all the throw pillows and extra decorative blankets this takes me under 3 minutes.
Why is making the bed important? Making the bed sets the tone for my whole day. It allows me to do one productive thing the moment I wake up. If I don’t get anything else done I can say, well at least I made the bed.
Another benefit is it makes me feel good any time I pass my room or get a glimpse of my bedroom. Just seeing a pretty space makes me smile.
It also feels great to get into a bed that is made and it is less likely that spiders or any sort of bug will make it into your sheets!
Lean into The Cleaning Motivation
If you feel motivated to clean then lean into that feeling! I am going to be really honest, I don’t always FEEL like cleaning.
But we still have to do things that we don’t FEEL like doing.
When I get that motivation to clean I try to get as many things done as I can.
Reframing the way we think about cleaning can also help with getting motivated. For instance, if I think wow I am getting a good workout cleaning then I feel like I am getting 2 things done at once.
A clean home and a workout.
Watch Cleaning Habits to Transform your Home:
Put Things Away
As soon as I am done with a project I like to put everything away right away.
Whenever I leave things out thinking I will come back to the project later, I never do.
What I come back to is a mess that I now have to clean up. Putting the project away or item away as soon as I stop working on it has helped my home to stay orderly.
Wipe Surfaces
Kitchen counters get sticky and flat surfaces become dusty over time. One easy cleaning habit is to wipe down counters often and when I am in that moment.
If I am already in the kitchen I will just wipe down the counters. As I see a dusty shelf I will grab a towel and give it a wipe.
This makes my home cleaner with little effort.
Keep Surfaces Clear
Keeping all flat surfaces clear makes cleaning really easy. This way I don’t have to shift things around to dust and clean.
By avoiding all the visual clutter that can accumulate on flat surfaces our home looks tidier all the time.
Cleaning Clothes
I cut down on the amount of laundry we have to do by wearing things more than one time. As long as I am not sweating a lot or getting dirty I will usually wear my jeans 4 times before washing them.
My kids are also encouraged to wear pajamas several times before washing them. Over sweaters are also a great thing to wear many times before washing.
My rule of thumb is if it doesn’t smell or have any visible spills or stains I wear it again.
This saves us a lot of time and money. We are using less soap, water, and gas by re-wearing our clothes. Here is a great post all about Re-Wearing Clothes!
Doing Laundry
This cleaning habit has helped cut down on all the clothes sitting all over the house. Do the laundry until it is complete!
What does this mean? I will only do a load of laundry when I know that I can:
- wash it
- hang it or put it in the dryer
- fold it
- put it away
If I start a load of laundry then at the very least it must make it to the second step of going into the dryer. There it will sit until I have the time to finish it. I hate when there are baskets and piles of laundry all over our home.
We don’t have a laundry room so taking the dirty baskets of laundry one at a time to our washer and then completing each load before starting the next has worked wonders.
I used to do a load a day, but then I got sick of doing laundry every day of my life so I went to do as much laundry as I can in one day.
Either way, you schedule your laundry making sure it’s complete is a great cleaning habit to implement.
Cleaning The Bathroom
I like to organize my cleaning supplies and store them under the bathroom sink.
This way when I am in the bathroom and I notice it is looking dirty it is very easy for me to grab some of the supplies and get to work.
Wiping down the counters often cuts down on the amount of cleaning that has to be done in one day.
Store Cleaning Stuff
There are so many great ways to organize cleaning supplies under the sink. I like to keep all of my spray bottles in plastic bins.
This is great in case something leaks or spills.
Here are some other great ways to store cleaning supplies
- Use a lazy susan.
- Pull-out drawers are great if you have the space.
- Command hooks are awesome for hanging towels and gloves.
- A portable caddy works for going from room to room.
- Clear acrylic drawers are amazing for seeing everything you have.
- Use a tension rod to hang spray bottles.
The Most Common Bathroom Cleaning supplies are:
- Trash Bags
- Dish Soap
- All-purpose Spray
- Paper Towels
- Microfiber cloths
- Toilet Cleaner
Get your Cabinet Ready
Give your cabinet a good wipe and use shelf liners to keep everything protected. You don’t need a professional organizer to get things in order.
A great organization project can be done with supplies from the dollar store. Put similar items together and make sure there is enough room before you pick your cabinet.
The Best Way to Organize Cleaning Stuff
Think about the amount of space you have for sink storage. Sometimes it is not possible to use the entire cabinet. Decide how much you want to store before you start organizing.
A great option is to put all of the taller items at the back of the cabinet and make use of the vertical space.
The good news is this gives you easier access to all the smaller items at the front of the cabinet. Getting creative is sometimes necessary like using hooks on the inside of the cabinet door. This is a great place to hang towels or gloves.
Once everything is organized make sure you tell your family member where everything is and that everything must go in the right place.
If you live in an older home there might not be a lot of extra storage under the sink. Using a bottom drawer can be a great idea.
Reset Main Living Spaces
Throughout the day pick up anything that is out of place. This could be a blanket on the floor or a cup left out on the coffee table. By resetting the main living areas your home will always feel tidy.
Vacuum Often
I like to vacuum several times a week. This is the easiest way to make my home feel clean.
The more people that live in your home the more spills and messes are made. It takes a few minutes to vacuum and that saves a lot of dirt from getting tracked through our home.
End Of Day Reset
Of course, the best way to keep your home tidy is an end-of-the-day reset.
This doesn’t have to take a lot of time or energy. I simply run through my home and put everything that is obviously in the wrong place into the correct location.
Put shoes away, throw toys into the kid’s rooms, and put dishes away. Just a general reset of our home so we are ready to go in the morning.
Read More Posts:
20 Cleaning Habits to Get the Job Done Fast
30 Spring Cleaning Ideas to Try
How to Organize your Time to Get more done
Hi Shannon,
Can you please share what cleaning products/tools you use and also organizing items you use or recommend. Love watching you and your Mom, you are both so motivating and helpful.
Thank you,
Linda in New Hampshire