Speaking of cleaning, the year 2022 was great. I must say I grew to love cleaning. I know that might sound odd but it is true. Briefly, I followed certain cleaning rules that helped me keep my home clean and tidy all the time.
If you’re like my past self you hate cleaning. We think we hate cleaning but actually dread it because it feels drawn-out and neverending. The results vanish shortly too.
In truth, cleaning is not laborious. The way we do it is.
Well, if this wasn’t true — why would some people clean effortlessly and others don’t.
Our cleaning technique/sequence of sub-tasks makes all the difference.
After 15 years of trial and error, I have reached a point in my life when my parents appreciate my clean home. When I am ready to welcome unexpected visitors in the shortest time of 10 minutes.
How did I get there?
I was tired of living in a mess.
After reading several articles on cleaning, and watching seasoned homemakers, I discovered some cleaning rules. I came up with some reliable rules and practices for my home that made cleaning, a piece of cake.
I set strict rules for myself; I became more disciplined; I followed those cleaning rules religiously for some time. This time I was a little patient and consistent.
Truth be told, it changed my life.
And now I can’t wait to share my cleaning rules with you my lovelies. So let’s begin.
10 EFFECTIVE HOUSE CLEANING RULES THAT’LL MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
1| Pick 3-4 areas/rooms:
That you want to focus on.
This step is crucial if surprise guests get you cold feet.
For me, it’s my living room + entrance, kitchen, and bathroom.
When these areas in my home are picked up, my house looks clean.
I usually restore things, arrange them, and sweep-mop the floor daily. So my living room is under control.
But my entryway is mostly messy and calls for attention.
For the kitchen, I like to keep on top of the dishes. I wipe the counters twice a day and try to keep them clutter-free.
For the bathroom, I follow my 5-minute bathroom cleaning routine that I have already shared with you.
That’s all, no more terrifying random visits.
Similarly, you can pick areas in your home that are noticeable, make a list of what needs to get done in those areas, and work accordingly.
Along with this, also make sure that your home smells good. Because that’s going to make a whole lot of difference.
2| Create a playlist of your favorite songs:
Which can be your cleaning playlist.
You can also listen to a podcast. But I find upbeat music helpful, especially on the days when I don’t feel like cleaning at all.
Cleaning gets done so much faster when you’re listening to your favorite songs.
This a tiny little step to make cleaning time a little more interesting.
3| Put your home to bed each night:
Every night, before I go to bed, I put everything back where it belongs. It hardly takes me 2-5 minutes to tidy up each room but that makes a huge difference when I wake up in the morning.
You’ll experience a positive change in your life as you start implementing this.
Take a look around the important areas/rooms in your house — living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. See if anything is out of place. Put it back in place. That’ll make all the difference.
Your house will look so much cleaner when you wake up in the morning.
For your kitchen, you can check out my article on putting your kitchen to bed in less than 10 minutes.
Leaving the house untidy at night is a recipe for a miserable day ahead.
It doesn’t take so long when you do stuff often.
But is always best to get control and make preparations for the following morning.
4| Keep your laundry current:
Want to save yourself from an insane laundry day?
Do laundry two or three times a week.
This is going to make your life so much better irrespective of your family size.
One day you can throw in a load of bedsheets and covers. Towels or homewear clothes on other days.
It becomes a lot easier to deal with a small load (wash, dry, and put away). Lesser stuff is often easier to manage.
5| One-move storage system:
This is again a wise step to keep your house tidy all the time.
What I mean by a one-move storage system is — you store things in the place of their first use. That means store them where you use them.
This single-move storage system involves not only grouping similar items together but when you open your closet, vanity, or drawer — you grab whatever you want to use in one move.
For example, store skincare and haircare products in the bathroom where you use them instead of a dresser in the bedroom.
Cleaning rags and kitchen towels in the kitchen cabinet drawer.
Dishwashing and kitchen cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink.
Bathroom cleaning supplies near the bathroom.
If you find your kids or husband never put their dirty clothes into the hamper even after telling them several times. Take a look at where you have placed the hamper? Is it easily accessible? Is it easier for kids and even elders to open it and dump the clothes in? Maybe placing an open basket (one without a lid) in your bedroom or near the bathroom can improve the situation. Also keeping detergents, fabric conditioners, and a basket near the washer can make laundry time hassle-free.
Another way is to keep a trash bin in every room. Keep it in a place where it is easier to use.
Similarly, your nightstand is not only a place to decorate with flowers and lamps. It should be functional as well. In fact, it should be organized thoughtfully. After a long day, you would hardly feel like getting up to grab a book/planner, pen, foot cream, or specs in case you want to read a book. So it’s smart to have those things on your nightstand.
6| Do it in one go:
Halfway spots make your house look untidy. Try to eliminate them as much as you can. Start targeting one spot and build on it gradually.
For instance, earlier my kitchen table was a catchall spot. Though it was convenient to toss everything on, it made me feel terrible.
But now the surfaces of my house are clear. I use them for work or decor purposes only. However, when they’re unused, they are mostly empty because that’s how I like them to be.
7| Do it daily:
Daily care is imperative for home management.
In fact, everyday maintenance takes less time than delaying until the condition gets out of hand.
By just giving your home 5 or 10 minutes a day you can get your home in pretty good shape.
It’s simple, the house that has been neglected for a week is going to take an hour or two to get back in order.
However, when you do it daily you can keep your house looking clean without spending a big chunk of time cleaning.
In the earlier years of my marriage, I never used to do my dishes or kitchen clean during the daytime. I used to do it at night. I remember it took me 1 hour to put things, wash the dishes, and wipe down the stove and countertop as I was a messy cook. It was a huge energy and time-consuming process. Since it took a lot of effort I simply dreaded the task. Life was pretty stressful. Then I started putting the ingredients back in their place after use. Doing so made the task a little easier. Then after some time, along with that, I started wiping down the messes instantly. That my job 60 percent easier. Then I started rinsing the chopping board, knives, and like items, immediately. Since it got easier with every additional step. I started enjoying the task. Now even a small bit of wrapper or peel on my countertop makes me feel uneasy. I can’t stand dishes in my sink. I always like my sink to be empty if not shiny.
The same was the case with laundry and other parts of cleaning.
By neglecting cleaning tasks you are only going to make your tomorrow worse. It only going to add extra hours to your cleaning schedule.
8| Preventive care:
You really work hard to declutter, clean, and organize your home but it barely stays that way. Just like your teeth need to be brushed daily. Your skin needs to be cleansed daily. Your nails need to be trimmed regularly. Things in your house require attention and care regularly.
The house is going to get messy. The clutter is going to pile up and things scatter.
The simplest solution is preventive care.
There are 3 easy ways to do this.
- Declutter every now and then
- Clean as you go
- Straighten up before bed
9| Look before you leap:
Being organized is essentially about being logical before acting.
Often, following the same old cleaning methods get you nowhere.
The way our mom or grandma did their housework may not work for us. So, we should be open to change. Maybe there’s a better way to clean the dishes faster, maybe there’s an effective way to keep on top of your laundry, or maybe there’s an easier way to dust your house, sweep, or mop the floors.
Thankfully, in this era of the internet, finding new solutions, tips, tricks, and techniques is available at the click of a button.
Find some new, efficient, and time-saving ways of doing your housework. Look for shortcuts and ways to do things faster and better.
10| Declutter from time to time:
I agree decluttering at times is challenging. For me, the decision-making that goes into whether to keep or discard something is the tough part.
But those efforts pay off when your day-to-day life becomes easier. Life is better when you have only the things you need. The fewer number of items in your house, the fewer decisions you have to make.
Plus, more stuff equals more items to dust, clean, organize, and maintain. And move back and forth while cleaning.
Final words:
There you have 10 effective cleaning rules to make your life easier. These cleaning rules have helped me keep my house clean and tidy all the time. I hope they’ll help you too.
Keeping the house clean is easier, you just need some discipline. A little determination (to give your house a few minutes a day) can help you have a clean and beautiful home.
I hope you find this helpful. Be sure to share your experience. Thank you so much for reading. Happy cleaning!