The secret to a consistently tidy and clean home is to do a little bit everyday. Incorporate these daily cleaning tasks to finally enjoy a tidy home.
Why daily cleaning?
Although the idea of cleaning everyday can sound daunting, it really only takes maybe 15-20mins out of your day. The benefits far outweigh the small bit of output.
- Daily cleaning keeps clutter at bay so that there isn’t a build up at the end of the week.
- Ensures an atmosphere that you can relax and enjoy yourself in.
When should I do the tasks?
Keep in mind that although these tasks should be done daily for optimal outcome, they do not all get done at the same time of day. For example: I do the bedroom chore in the morning, first thing when I get up. It wouldn’t make sense to make the bed right before I went to sleep in it! However, I do the kitchen tasks in the evening as I’m winding down for the day. This will give me a fresh clean start for tomorrow.
It also goes without saying that some things, depending on your situation are best done a few times a day. The living room for example, especially when you have children. Its really helpful to have a few ‘pick-up’ times in your day before each transition to a new activity.
I have included a guideline for when these tasks are best done, but of course, incorporate the tasks into your day to best suit you.
Bedroom
- make your bed
- put your clothes away
- quick tidy of any other miscellaneous items.
- 1 load of laundry
One tip to a having an automatically tidy looking space is to focus on the biggest surface areas. Your bed is the most important aspect to have tidy in your room because it is the most dominant piece of furniture. If you can’t do anything else, make sure to make your bed!
I’ve added in a load of laundry here because it is just a hugely beneficial habit to get yourself into. That being said, I personally only do a load of laundry every 2-3 days because it is just my husband and I. This is enough to keep our laundry from piling up and staying very manageable. This may of course differentiate from your situation but regularity is the key I’m getting at.
Recommended time frame: morning, shortly after waking.
Curious about more benefits to making your bed first thing in the morning?
Kitchen
- wipe down table and surfaces
- take out the garbage
- empty and clean the sink
- start the dishwasher
- spot vacuum/mop
Although I’m constantly in the kitchen throughout the day and maintaining it as a stay at home wife (soon to be mom), I still make sure to have these tasks done before I call it for the night. Even though I’m not 100% perfect, waking up fresh to a tidy and clean kitchen gives me enough motivation for even the days when I’m super tired.
Recommended time frame: after dinner/evening before retiring for the night.
Living Room
- Clear all surfaces
- Replace pillows and blankets
- General tidy
Clutter attracts clutter. Although it may seem a bit redundant to tidy up items that will only be pulled out again first thing tomorrow morning, it’s important. The more things left untidied will have a multiplying effect, and pretty soon your entire living room is consistently cluttered. Plus, waking up to everything being in its place and tidy is so much better than ‘picking up where you left off’ so to say.
Recommended time frame: after dinner/evening before retiring for the night.
Bathroom
- Wipe down sink, counter, and toilet.
- Tidy floor/counters
- Straighten towels
Although I’ve always made sure to tidy the bathroom everyday, I never used to wipe down the sink and toilet. Its currently just my husband and I (baby coming in august!) so I never felt the need to and would just do a full clean weekly. I noticed however, that after a couple days, dust would start to accumulate and the bathroom just wasn’t as ‘sparkly’ only a couple days after my deep clean. I’m now following my urge for cleanliness and incorporating this activity into my daily routine so that I can always have a ‘sparkling’ bathroom.
Recommended time frame: Flexible, mid-morning/afternoon, whichever works best for you.
Although this may seem like a lot, once you’ve done it a couple times and figured out a system that works for you, it goes by really fast. It also starts to become an automatic habit that you do without even consciously thinking about it. Now it’s your turn, start these daily cleaning tasks today for a tidy home!
