10 Quick Cleaning Tips That Everyone Should Know

When it comes to keeping your house clean, it can sometimes feel like everything is working against you. We know how it goes: no matter how many times you tell your kids to pick up their clothes, it never happens. Dishes pile up in the sink, stacks of paper and bills stream across the kitchen table, and the clutter of everyday life starts to take over your house. It’s enough to drive anyone crazy!

Here’s the thing, though: There are foolproof ways to ensure a clean and organized household.

It’s really all about building healthy habits – small everyday actions go a long way, when it comes to keeping things nice and orderly. And, best of all, by adopting these daily cleaning habits and tricks, you won’t have to waste time on Sunday cleaning your house.

So, if you’ve found yourself envying those elusive people whose homes are always immaculate, it’s time to follow these cleaning tips.

1) Always Make Your Bed

Making your bed every morning is a fantastic way to start the day. Not only will your bedroom instantly seem neater, but the burst of productive energy you’ll feel will benefit you throughout the day. Making your bed only takes roughly 30 seconds, and it’s a great mental boost – what’s not to love?

2) If You Get Something Out, Put It Away

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? When you get something out, put it back in its place.

However, as most of us can attest to, this doesn’t always happen. And, while it may take some time getting used to, by enforcing this rule with yourself and your family members, you’ll enjoy a much cleaner house.

Think about it this way: Be consistent about putting things away in the moment, and you won’t have to waste large chunks of time cleaning!

3) Don’t Let the Mail Pile Up

Eek, we’re all guilty of this one! It may seem simpler to just let the mail pile up and then deal with it later, but you’ll just end up spending way more time than necessary sorting through it all. Instead, figure out a mail/paperwork system that works for you and your family – and then, stick to it. No matter what.

4) Take Out the Trash When You Leave

Don’t let the garbage sit around all day – simply take it out when you leave each morning, or whenever you walk out to your car.

Getting into the habit of taking out the trash and recycling every day when you leave the house will prevent garbage pileup and keep things smelling fresh.

5) Clean Your Toilet & Spray Your Shower With Cleaner At Night

As you’re going through your nightly bathroom routine, take a couple extra minutes to clean your toilet and spray your shower with cleaner. Use a wipe to clean off the toilet seat, as well. Taking the time to do so will keep your toilet neat, in between deep cleaning sessions.

6) Rehang Clothing That You Wore at the End of the Day

This is another one of those habit-building tasks that takes no more than a couple minutes – yet many of us don’t do it. Resist the urge to toss your clothes around your bedroom! Hang it back up in the closet or put it in the hamper.

This is the one room of your home that tends to get neglected the most, but it’s also the most important room (nothing’s more important than sleep!) Your bedroom should feel like a cozy, comfy palace, and rehanging your clothing at the end of the day will help with this. Bonus points if you also make an effort to NEVER let unfolded laundry into your bedroom.

7) Brush Your Pets at Least Once Every Other Day

If you have a dog, a cat, or multiple pets, we can’t stress this tip enough. Brushing your pets at least once every other day will prevent hair from piling up in every corner of your house. This will not only will save you a serious amount of vacuuming time, but also limit the amount of dander or other allergens that your furry friends may bring into the house.

8) Clean Your Counters & Wipe Down Surfaces Daily

There’s nothing like a pristine countertop to make your home feel neat and orderly. Wipe down your coffee table while you’re catching a show on Netflix, clean the surfaces in your bathroom as you’re getting ready in the morning, and wipe your counters and stovetop before you go to bed each night.

Trust us, it’ll feel amazing to wake up and start the day with sparkling clean surfaces!

9) Empty / Fill Dishwasher While Waiting For Your Coffee to Brew

Emptying and loading the dishwasher is a pain for every homeowner. We put it off, until they pile up and out of the sink.

Save some serious time by chipping away at this task while you’re brewing coffee, waiting on toast, or doing any other breakfast task. You’re sitting around waiting, so why not do something productive?

This way, your dishes won’t pile up and sit in the sink all day. And you won’t have to do the dishes at the end of your work day, when you least feel like it.

10) Clean As You Cook

This little tip may seem super simple, but it can be truly life-changing. When you’re cooking dinner, try your best to clean up as you cook.

Put clean dishes away while the pasta water’s boiling, wash pots and pans as soon as you’re done using them, and clean any of your prep work before sitting down to eat. This makes for super easy cleanup!

Keep in mind, too, that you should swap out your dish towel(s) every couple of days to prevent contamination. (And don’t even get us started on that dirty sponge.)

Change Your Cleaning Habits, Change Your Life.

For those of us with busy lifestyles (ahem, most of us!), taking the time to adopt these quick and easy cleaning tips can be a lifesaver. By taking an extra ten minutes per day to clean up after yourself, you’ll feel way more organized, and you won’t need to waste tons of time doing housework on the weekends. Streamline your home, and your life, by getting into healthy cleaning habits – you won’t be sorry that you did.

What is your go-to cleaning tip that you do around your house? Let’s hear them down in the comments below.