What makes a Clean House?
“My idea of a superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors.” …No one said it better than Bette Midler on keeping the home clean. It feels good to always step into and be in a tidy and organized space. This however takes some effort to achieve particularly for those that lead a busy lifestyle.
For most of us, the familiar drill begins with a new week of spotless and impeccable home space, with literally no litters on the floor, thanks to a weekend spent cleaning. By mid-week however, the furniture begins to gather some dust, the laundry begins to pile up, other kinds of mess and clutter can be found lying around in corners and its beginning to feel like…here we go again! (rolls eyes).
How do we ensure our space is free of untidiness and disorganization all week long? The tips below give us some ideas.
Home Cleaning Tips
- Make Your Bed: An unmade bed projects your room as disorderly. This is because the bed is the focal point of the room and when it is unmade, the entire space looks messy. Making your bed in the mornings has also been linked to higher productivity and energy levels, required to keep you in a positive mindset throughout the day.
- Clear Tables of Clutter: Dressers, bedside tables, countertops, etc. are visible surfaces that are typically utilized in the home when getting ready for the day in the mornings. Make sure you put away every item that was used safely in its place and wipe the surfaces clean before setting out as clutters like these accumulate and generate dust over time.
- Daily Laundry: At first, this may not seem as easy as it sounds but it is definitely a great habit to develop, where possible. You can have a daily wash routine either in the mornings or evenings, depending on what your schedule allows. Also make sure you fold/iron and arrange neatly in wardrobes afterwards.
4. Clean/Clear as you Cook: Develop the habit of cleaning and clearing as you cook. Do not allow the dishes pile as this not only creates a messy kitchen, but also makes the process of cleaning afterwards overwhelming and exhausting. Appliances such as microwaves and blenders should be cleaned and returned immediately. Yes, it is tempting to dump them for later but this is for your own good, trust me!
5. Hang Clothes and Return Shoes: Do not throw your clothes on the chair and toss your shoes away when you return home. Hang your clothes back and place your shoes in the rack neatly after they must have been cleaned of loose dust and soil. You can sun dry your clothes before hanging them if they are not going to the dry cleaners; else put them either in a distinct section of your wardrobe or into a dedicated laundry basket.
6. Sweep and Mop: Sweep and mop high foot traffic areas like the kitchen and bedroom daily. These are spaces where you will most likely create little messes and spills from time to time and you will need to quickly clean up after you so they don’t turn to bigger problems before end of the week.
7. Take out Trash: Do this daily, especially kitchen generated garbage so as not to have a pile in your home.
8. Use Door Mats: Door mats help to trap soil from outside. Use at your entrances to ensure most of the soil/sand caught by foot wears are trapped in the door mats. Remember to also shake the mats outside every few days to release dirt collected over time.
9. Night time Routine – Bathroom: Take a few minutes at night to scrub your toilet bowl, clean the toilet seat, sinks and counter tops with disinfecting wipes and generally take care of spills in and around the bath/toilet area. Doing this regularly, in between extensive weekly washes, keeps your bathroom clean at all times!
10. Night time Routine – Kitchen: Before retiring for the night, clean your gas/cooker and counter tops, return food and other items back to their allocated spots, sweep out dirt and take out that trash we mentioned earlier. (if you hadn’t already done so). You will absolutely love waking up to a tidy kitchen!
Cleaning As You Go!
The secret to keeping a clean house always is in doing simple daily tasks and having a routine that ensures messes and clutters never get the better of you. Get into the habit of cleaning as you go and combine with a schedule, whether it is daily or weekly, so as to sustain the ‘on the go’ momentum.
If your home care arrangement includes a house cleaner or nanny, then agree a practical plan and incorporate these tips into his/her responsibilities.
Else, work out a convenient program possibly by splitting the tasks between morning and evening periods. Remember, being consistent is key in whatever arrangement you end up with.
About Arteriors By Ella
Hi! I’m Stella, Director, Arteriors By Ella. I am an interior decorator by passion and a picture perfect planner & organizer. Arteriors By Ella is the vehicle through which I feed my penchant for delivering elegant, sophisticated and inspiring interiors with memorable experiences.
Arteriors By Ella is an Interior Design and Decoration outfit primarily focused on helping clients create lasting impressions in their home spaces. We aim to consistently deliver innovative and impactful interiors by infusing our touch of originality and innovation into every project, whilst upholding our commitment to quality operations and exceptional service to our clients.
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Contact us on 0803 305 2919 or [email protected].