I recently had a reader that asked how I keep my house so clean and tidy. I assure you, not every space is neat and organized. My desk and my closet are probably the messiest parts of my house. My desk is a brain dump of ideas and the craziness of managing too many things. Once the comment came in, I immediately took a few minutes to organize and clean it.
Keeping things clean and organized helps me feel a bit more in control. When there is so much out of my control right now, I know as my home is my safe space and where I am spending the most time, I can keep this organized. It is a complete coping strategy that I am happy to admit.
There are few things that make me happier right now than a clean kitchen and puppy snuggles.
For those of you with kids right now who feel like there is WAY TOO much happening, please do not feel stress or pressure from this post to do anything more than you are doing now. I do not have small kids at home except for Henri who has not learned to pick up his toys before bed. Parents with kids at home, I applaud you and think you are amazing.
Here are a few small things I do daily/weekly to keep my home clean and tidy.
Make the Bed. When I wake up, this is the first thing I do after brushing my teeth. I am not an expert bed maker but it instantly makes the room feel more pulled together. I also love crawling into a made bed at night. It is a simple pleasure.
Vacuum/Swifter. I love to vacuum. I am very lucky Henri does not shed. I shed a lot and feel like I am constantly cleaning up dirt and hair around the house. The kitchen is probably the place that has the most to vacuum on a regular basis. I keep my Dyson here and make it accessible to clean up crumbs and dry spills. Henri isnāt the biggest fan, but we are getting there. I really like to pick up anything that he could chew on or eat right away so he doesnāt get something he isnāt supposed to. I also have darker floors so dirt shows a lot faster. In a perfect world, I would vacuum daily as my nightly clean-up routine.
Load/Empty Dishwasher. This may be one of my favorite things. I actually named her Rosie. I LOVE a clean kitchen. Please donāt ever give me a dirty sink with dishes. I canāt handle it. I have been known to clean up dinner before actually eating because I am thinking about the dishes the whole time. (itās not normal) At night, I load the dishwasher and clean the sink. You can stick your sponge in the dishwasher to give it a good healthy clean. In the morning, I empty the dishwasher while I make my French Press coffee. It is a great way to multitask.
Wipe Down Counters/Kitchen Table at Night. This is such an easy thing to do and makes all the difference when you wake up in the morning. This goes along with the clean sink/clean dishwasher.
Reduce the Clutter and Clear the Area of Things You Donāt Need This goes in the category of everything has a place. If you donāt need it, put it where it belongs or get rid of it. I traveled to Paris and back out of a suitcase for two years and didnāt have room for a bunch of things I didnāt need. Make a pile for donation and take it on a weekend run when you are out.
Place items on Stairs to bring up/down My mom used to do this to my sister and me as kids. Anything that didnāt belong downstairs needed to be brought upstairs. I do this now to get the clutter out. It also helps me remember to bring something upstairs or downstairs.
Laundry/ Wash sheets Weekly I typically do this on a Sunday because I have the time and I am home. I love fresh sheets to start the week off. I hang dry a lot of my clothes especially all my workout clothes. Sheets go in the dryer and I wash with Laundress. ļ»æ
Everything Has a Place My mom makes fun of this for me. But really it helps keep me organized and my brain can manage more knowing that I know exactly where my keys are. In the kitchen, there are drawers that have all my most used items in the front for easy access. If everything has a place, it is easy to return it when you tidy up. If it doesnāt have a place, toss it or donate it.
Baskets in Every Room I have baskets in pretty much every room to keep things organized. Hats, gloves, masks, and all Winter items can easily fit in a basket and easy to grab on the way out the door. Henri even has a basket of toys in one of the middle rooms. He loves to keep toys ALL around the house. I love them to be picked up at the end of the night so I donāt trip on them. I find Target has an inexpensive and good selection. I also keep baskets in the closet to organize things too if I donāt have enough drawer space or shelves.
Light a Candle This is a simple thing you can do as you are cleaning. I love having a candle on the kitchen counter to light as I am doing the dishes or organizing. It helps me unwind at the end of the day.
Take out Trash/Recycling Often. I like to clean the fridge on the weekends before meal prep so I have empty clean containers for meals. Boxes are piled up at the door after they are emptied and they can be taken out when I take out Henri. This is a quick and easy Sunday task. Henri likes to follow me around everywhere. Right now the trash is all up high because he likes to get into it.
Donāt be afraid to ask for help! If you have the budget and ability to hire someone to help clean your home safely, do it!
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