It happens to all of us: you hurry through each day trying to get everything done, and by Saturday, you’re stuck doing all the chores you put off during the week. If your weekends are full of laundry piles, dust bunnies, and the need to deep clean your kitchen, then you need these tips for keeping up with cleaning so it doesn’t ambush you on the weekends.
Homeowners and housekeepers can both benefit from incorporating five simple daily tasks to maintain a clean home. By making the bed every day, cleaning as you cook, and tackling your home’s trouble spots daily, you can effectively manage household cleanliness without letting chores pile up for the weekend. These easy habits save time and improve the comfort and hygiene of your living space.
1. Make the bed (yes, every day)
Picking up around the bed or piling things on top is tempting. But make sure to actually make the bed (and yes, we mean every day). A freshly made bed sets the stage for a clean room and helps motivate you to keep new messes from happening. Take a moment to make the bed, and just like magic, you’ll find the rest of the room will stay cleaner and pick up more easily.
2. Follow the Girl Scout’s code
This might sound like something your mom would say, but it’s truly the one thing that will save you in the long run: Clean up after yourself. Get to the toothpaste splatter in the sink while it’s still wet. Make wiping down the bathroom mirror part of your morning routine. When you leave a room, take a moment and make sure you left it how you found it. Leave no discarded shoes, no untucked chair, and no dirty dishes behind. These little things add up to a house that’s still clean when the weekend comes, saving you hours of time that could be spent relaxing.
3. Clean while you cook
There’s nothing more demoralizing than staring down a sink full of dishes, pots, and pans after cooking dinner. Instead of stacking used dishes next to the sink and going on to the next thing, clean up cooking messes as you go. Make it a goal to maintain clear counters and a clean sink by tidying up while you cook. This way, after dinner, all that’s left is to clear the table and enjoy some quality time with a good book. It’s a simple strategy yet incredibly effective in keeping your kitchen clean and your post-dinner routine a breeze. Who wouldn’t appreciate that?
4. Sweep the mopping away
Your family spends a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, which means that those floors get dirty fast. Sweeping or vacuuming every day keeps the kitchen floor from getting full of ground-in dirt and debris, which saves you from having to mop and scrub later. If you have a vacuum with a hard floor attachment, kill two birds with one stone by quickly cleaning the kitchen floor while you vacuum carpeted areas like the living room. Take care of this task every morning or as soon as you get home at night, and you’ll be able to painlessly enjoy kitchen floors that rarely need a deeper clean.
5. Tackle your trouble spot
Every home has a trouble spot, that mess that seems to grow faster than any other. Whether it’s stacks of junk mail, piles of laundry, corners full of pet hair or carpets full of toys, identify your house’s trouble spot–and then demolish it, before it has a chance to demolish your weekend. Tackle your trouble spot daily, and you won’t be buried in it by Saturday.
If you’re tired of spending your weekends cleaning, start doing each of these five things on a daily basis. Incorporating speed cleaning techniques into your daily routine will help you maintain a tidy home without sacrificing too much time. By keeping your interiors clean, you’ll not only protect the life of your interiors, but you’ll also reclaim your weekends and live a more relaxed, more comfortable life!
