Enjoying a clean home is simply a matter of developing clean habits... Here are ten of the most effective "clean habits" we can develop to keep a more tidy abode.
(Photograph is from Country Living)
1. Make your bed. When you get up in the morning you should immediately make your bed. This will tidy up any bedroom.
2. Put things away as soon as you are done using them. When you do not put things away you create a new "dumping ground" for everyone who walks by... so instead of one item to put away it will quickly become many items to put away.
3. Have a "home spot" for everything, yes, everything in your home. If you know exactly where the scissors go it is easy to not only find them, but also to quickly put them away again. (The home spot should be near where an item is most often used.)
4. Throw away junk mail while you are going through the mail. I have a trash can at the foot of the stairs in our garage, so as I walk from the mailbox to our home I can sort the mail and throw away the trash... typically the additional clutter will not make it inside our home.
(Photograph is from House Beautiful)
5. Shine your sinks... this one is essential for our family because we have insanely hard water... after you use the sinks grab a dry hand towel, washcloth or tissue and wipe down any water spots or soap residue. This is important for both kitchen and bathroom sinks.
6. Keep several small trash cans in high traffic areas of your home. The more convenient your trash cans are the less likely trash will end up somewhere else.
7. Wash pots, pans and dishes as you cook and immediately after eating. Dishes are sooo easy to wash when they are freshly used... you will very rarely have to "scrub" anything. This habit alone will save you so much time.
8. Wake-up your home and put your home to bed every day with a quick 5-20 minute straighten of each room... it is amazing what you can do in 5-20 minutes of focused quick cleaning.
9. Get rid of stuff... get rid of stuff... get rid of stuff. It's simple - a home with less "stuff" is easier to keep clean.
10. Have cleaning supplies mixed and ready to go in commercial spray bottles. This one is very handy when you are dealing with unexpected messes... like a sick child.
