Cleaning your home is an everyday chore. How you go about it is what determines how clean it gets and how much effort you need to put into it. We outline the checklist for a clean house and tips to make the cleaning easier.
Do you know one of those people who don’t get panicked at the thought of visitors, whose home is always clean, seemingly effortlessly? These people manage to keep their homes looking spotless, and that is the way we find them when we drop in unexpectedly. You must be wondering how they manage to pull it off. The truth is, managing to keep your home clean and spotless does not require as much effort as you are probably thinking. Experts in home organization have shared the checklist for a clean house, with the secret lying in developing a habit of keeping your home clutter-free by doing a little bit every day.
Checklist for a clean house: how to make the tasks easier
We have gathered a few tips for you. Read on to know the secret to maintaining a clean and well-organized home, and also see the handy checklist for a clean house.
Store Similar Things Together
You first need to determine where clutter is likely to be hidden. If you store similar things in the same place, it will be easier for you to locate them when you are looking for them later on. So use one space to store your T-shirts but don’t mix the space up by storing your socks or pants. This way your stuff will be more organized, and it will save you time looking for them and help you to get ready faster.
Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Need Anymore
It is a no-brainer on the organization side of the checklist for a clean house that any home that has less stuff in it is easier to clean. Clutter always attracts more clutter, so the less cluttered your home is, the easier it is for you to keep it clean and organized. For this, you need to make a list of the items you no longer need on a regular basis and get rid of them.
Keeping things around and not using them will just add to the piles of stuff in your home and take up space that you need to keep cleaning. Rather, just declutter your home for a clean and organized look that will be far easier for you to maintain.
Don’t Just Shove Things into a Drawer or a Spare Room
Trying to clean quickly sometimes leads you to just shove items into a spare drawer or a closet. This way they are getting out of sight and the place might look clean. But the items that you shoved into a drawer or a spare room will most likely tumble their way back into a pile of clutter as soon as the other members of the house come back. So instead of taking the shortcut to get the clutter out of sight, be sure to organize them well so that they don’t find their way back and get your space messed up again.
Keep Your Bathroom Dry
Keeping your bathroom dry is probably the best way to keep it sparkling clean. You can use absorbent cloths to clean the surfaces and tops once you are done with your shower and use a sponge mop to wipe the floors. A great way to eliminate the growth of mold, odors, and stains is to keep the sink dry by wiping it down each day using microfiber cloths. A dry bathroom is a secret to a clean bathroom.
Keep a Cool Head If Things Go South
You just need to display grace under fire when things go wrong. You need to accept the fact that your home will get untidy at times and that you have a whole lot of priorities to deal with each day. For instance, you should focus more on keeping your home clean rather than tidy, especially when you have kids. The best way to ensure this is to clean as you go; this way you will have more time that you can spend with your family members.
Get Some Help
When you live in a family, it shouldn’t just be your responsibility to keep the home clean. It wasn’t just you who contributed to getting the house messed up, so it shouldn’t be you alone who has to clean it up. You can delegate household tasks to your partner and kids by creating a household chores roster that everyone has to follow. Kids need to be taught to put away their things such as toys after they are done playing with them; this way they will contribute to the clean house goal.
If that isn’t an option, you can consider outsourcing some of the work such as window cleaning, ironing, or lawn-mowing to professionals. You can also hire a cleaner to come in and help with the tasks or acquire smart home products such as a robot vacuum, a robotic lawnmower, or an automatic window cleaner. This way you get to offload some of the cleaning tasks and save time and increase efficiency in the process.
Finish the Cycle for All Tasks
If you leave wet clothes inside the washing machine after cleaning them, you aren’t really finishing the cycle. To finish the task completely, you need to wash, dry, then fold your clothes before putting them away. You need to follow this method for all the tasks that you perform throughout the day. This way, you will be creating a more organized and orderly space around you, and the house will seem much cleaner in the process.
Organize Your Clothes for Washing
You need to rethink your laundry approach if you have dirty clothes strewn all over the room. When the time comes to undress for the night, you need to put your dirty clothes either in a hamper or place them back into the wardrobe rather than having them lying all over the floor or on furniture. You can keep the soiled clothes basket in the bathroom or some corner in the bedroom as these are places where you will use them more likely.
Have a Particular Place for All Your Things
It really pays off having a dedicated place to keep your possessions. That way your things are designated in proper spots, and you know exactly where to find them. If you aren’t using something for a while, just put it away instead of having it lying around and adding to the clutter. Also, the best way to accomplish non-clutter is to put things away immediately after use instead of having them lying around. Not only can you make the house look a lot cleaner and clutter-free, but you also will save a lot of time not having to shuffle through piles of stuff to find what you are looking for, enabling you to be on time for work or other appointments.
Sort Things Out Before Bed
If you can develop a habit of tidying up the house before you go to bed at night, you will get a feeling of being on top of things and totally in control of the situation. This can be in the kitchen when you need to sweep the floors, stack the dishwasher, and get the countertops wiped down. In your bedroom, you can neatly hang up your clothes in the closet and put your shoes away. You will be waking up to a clean room, and this will make you feel accomplished and fresh, ready to take on the next day at full speed. Start the day by making up your bed as soon as you get up instead of leaving it till you get back home.
Watch What You Buy
A great way to keep your home tidy and uncluttered is to bring in only the things you require. Although we tend to overbuy in this age of consumerism, we need to keep in mind that we don’t really need to buy something just because we are getting it at a cheap price. Just remember, whatever things you are bringing into your home needs to be properly dusted and maintained, or it is just going to turn into more clutter. So buy intelligently and save the hassle of having to clean it later on. Having things organized in the bedroom is also a great way to make a small space seem larger.
Checklist for a clean house
Checklist for a clean house: Bathroom
- First knock briefly (because who knows?)
- Hang up towels and a bath mat
- Put away toiletries like shampoos and shower products
- Clean and disinfect the toilet, sink, shower and bathtub
- Clean and dust off the cabinets and surfaces
- First vacuum the floor, then wipe it with a damp cloth
- If necessary, replace empty care products
Checklist for a clean house: Bedroom
- To be on the safe side, knock first
- Collect all clothes and fold or hang them up
- Wipe the dust off the furniture
- First vacuum the floor, then wipe it with a damp cloth
- Make the beds
- Last but not least, wipe the door latches and window handles
- Tip: Cover items stowed under the bed or on the closets to prevent them from gathering dust.
Checklist for a clean house: Dining and living room
- Use a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust from the furniture
- Clean the furniture with a rag
- Wipe the floor with a damp cloth
- Tip: A bouquet of flowers not only looks beautiful, but also spreads a wonderful scent in the room.
Checklist for a clean house: Windows
- Remove the curtains if possible
- Dust the windowsill
- Clean the window surface
- Rub this dry with a microfiber cloth
- Tip: no glass cleaner on hand? A mixture of hot water, white wine vinegar and detergent works wonders.
Checklist for a clean house: Closets & drawers
- Clear out all of the content
- Clean the cabinet with a damp cloth
- Before you put everything away again, dust and clean the contents
- Tip: A fabric softener in your closet will keep your clothes fresh
Checklist for a clean house: Kitchen
- Wash the dishes and / or put them away
- Clean the sink, countertops and all surfaces
- Wipe the outside and inside of your microwave oven
- Clean the kitchen cabinets
- Clean door latches, storage containers and the refrigerator
- First vacuum the floor, then wipe it with a damp cloth
- Clean light switches and sockets with a dry cloth
- Kitchen cleaning tip: Put a cotton ball soaked in lavender or eucalyptus oil in a cup for a pleasant scent in your kitchen.
Checklist for a clean house: Oven
- Take the baking tray and wire shelf out of the oven to clean them separately
- Rub the side walls with a damp rag
- Let the appropriate cleaning product soak in before scrubbing, cleaning, and wiping the oven
- Tip: Take a quick look at the operating instructions for your stove
- Oven Cleaning Tip: Unpleasant odors can be removed by placing a container of hot water and lemon juice in the oven.
Checklist for a clean house: Refrigerator
- Remove all food from the refrigerator (and discard what is necessary)
- Clean the inside of the refrigerator with hot water and vinegar
- Wipe and dry
- Put the groceries back, the freshest at the bottom
- Tip: Unpleasant odors disappear when you put a bowl of white wine vinegar, ground coffee or half a lemon in the refrigerator
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a non-cluttered home is not as much work as you think it might be. A few simple steps along the way can ensure that you can keep your home clean and tidy with minimum effort. So follow the checklist for a clean house and the steps mentioned above to have a clean and clutter-free home. Happy cleaning!
