We all enjoy a clean house, but who wants to spend all their free time trying to do it? keep the house clean? I used to do just that: give Saturdays to scrubbing, dusting and vacuuming. It left me resentful until I changed my approach. Now, I follow a handful of simple habits that make keeping a clean house practically automatic.
The secret is to adopt these habits into your life one at a time. Don’t try to change everything overnight. Wait until one task becomes a natural part of your routine before adding the next. You can even get your kids involved so they learn these skills early. Here are 10 real-world habits that keep my house looking great every day.
1. Make your bed after breakfast.
The bed is the largest surface in your room, so when it’s messy, the whole room feels messy. I would make my bed, get busy and completely forget about it. Now, I make it right after breakfast. This gives the leaves some time to cool and air out, which helps prevent dust mites.
I made it even faster by changing out a comforter with a washable cover that I wash every week. You just lift it up, and boom, your bed is made.
2. Empty the dishwasher while the coffee is brewing.
When there is no space in the dishwasher, dirty dishes pile up in the sink or on the counter. Counter clutter acts like a magnet for more clutter. To stop this cycle, I empty the dishwasher every morning while my coffee is brewing. It only takes 5 minutes, but because it’s empty, it’s easy to put dirty dishes straight into the machine all day. So those 5 minutes I spend pay me the whole day.
3. Wipe down the counters after each meal.
My biggest pain in the kitchen is finding dried dirt or crumbs on the counter. I solve this by keeping a bottle of soapy water on the counter and doing a quick spray and wipe after every meal or snack. It’s incredibly easy because the counters are already clear of dishes. (See how the habits match?)
My daily cleaning routine
From making beds to removing water spots, my daily routine leaves your entire home looking guest-ready.
4. Disinfect sinks daily.
Tasteful sinks make the whole bathroom or kitchen feel cluttered. Plus, the longer toothpaste splatters or food spills remain, the harder it is to scrub them off later. I still have the sanitizing wipes. Every morning after I get ready, I spend a minute wiping down the bathroom faucet and sink. In the kitchen, I do the same quick wipe right after I rinse the morning coffee maker.
5. Run a load of laundry daily (or at least sort it).
No one wants to spend their day washing, drying and folding mountains of laundry. To avoid the weekend pile-up, I do a load of laundry every day. I load the washer at night and set the delay cycle. This way, the machine finishes as soon as I wake up, preventing any musty smells. Then I take it to the dryer in the morning, fold it after a quick tidy up and the day’s washing is done.
Now, I admit it: If you live in an apartment building or use a washing machine, this is not a practical habit. Instead of loading daily, consider using a sorting hamper to separate your clothes from lights, darks, towels and underwear. Then wash loads only when their dam is full.
6. Tame the pile of paper as it arrives.
On my kitchen island and dining room she created papers until I felt overwhelmed. To fix this, I moved my paper shredder to the kitchen. Now, I deal with mail the second I walk through the door. Spam goes straight to the shredder. Bills and important letters go to a designated mail sorter so I can schedule payments right away. This keeps paper from getting in the way of a clean house and saves me late fees.
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7. Shake the doormats.
Stopping dirt at the door is the easiest way to reduce dust and squeaks inside your home. Install mats both inside and outside of each exterior entrance. Of course, these mats trap a lot of debris, so they need regular cleaning. I made it a habit to shake out or vacuum the mats every few days when I got back from walking the dog. It takes seconds, but keeps floors cleaner with zero harsh scrubbing.
8. Use clutter baskets strategically.
Walking around the house all day putting individual items away is exhausting. Instead, I keep a dedicated clutter basket in the living room and another at the foot of the stairs. When I see things lying around, they go into the nearest basket which is emptied before she goes to sleep. This way, the surfaces stay tidy and my house stays clean.
9. Close the kitchen every night.
Nothing ruins my morning faster than waking up to a messy, smelly kitchen. So, every night before I go to sleep, I follow a “Close the kitchen” routine.. I put away the kitchen scraps, run a multi-surface floor sweeper to grab crumbs and pet hair, rinse the sink and take out the trash. Waking up to a fresh, tidy space starts the next day smoothly.
10. Clean like clockwork.
It may sound strange to clean a space that doesn’t look dirty, but it’s one of the most important tricks to keeping your home clean. Think about it: when you spill juice, the wipe immediately takes a second. If you wait a week, it becomes a sticky nightmare to rub on your hands and knees.
When you get used to constantly doing things on a schedule, instead of waiting for things to get dirty, it makes a huge difference. Cleaning becomes easier and goes faster, which means your whole house looks better all the time.
