How do you get a clean home? If you’re a working mother like me, keeping your house clean and organized can seem impossible. We often think it requires a lot of time and effort, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By making these slight changes in your environment and habits, you’ll see how I reduced the time spent cleaning in my house.
Table of Contents
1. Choose clothes that shed less lint
Who doesn’t love cozy blankets for the sofa in winter? But what about the amount of fibers they shed? They’re like little cats that get everywhere and you can’t easily wash them in the washing machine.
Synthetic fabrics or natural fibers like cotton help keep the accumulation of small fiber particles deposited on surfaces throughout the house. And if there’s less dirt, there’s less dusting to do too. In this article, Utopia Cleaners talk about the “lint producers” and “lint attractors” explaining this:
Lint Producers are types of clothing that create lint that sticks to the rest of your laundry. The culprits of producing lint are fleece sweat suits, chenille items, new terry cloth towels, and flannel pajamas. Then look for “Lint Attractors”. Lint Attractors attract lint and can make it get all over your other clothes. These include corduroys, synthetic blends, and dark fabric. To prevent lint, sort Lint Attractors from Lint Producers and wash them separately.
The “good” fabrics, which are not lint producers nor lint attractors, may be somewhat more expensive than low-priced ones, but consider the quality they usually have and the time you save on cleaning. It’s worth it.
2. Organize and tidy up to get a clean home
It’s very logical that if your house is well-organized, it’s easier to keep it clean. First, put everything in its place. And, as I often tell my child, if you take something, put it back in its place and not somewhere else.
Whether it’s kitchen utensils, books, or clothes, having a system reduces clutter and saves you a lot of time in the long run. The fewer things scattered around, the easier it is to clean everything in one go, without stopping to move or lift something.
By the way, did you know that decluttering can boost your mood? Research has found that tidying up improves a person’s mood and satisfaction. A University of Connecticut study discovered that during periods of intense stress, individuals tend to engage in repetitive actions like cleaning, as it provides a feeling of control amidst chaos.
3. Implement the 1-minute rule for a clean home
Something I read in a book about minimalist living ingrained this advice in me. It’s the same “1-minute rule” explained by Melyssa Griffin in her blog years ago:
The idea is to immediately do any tasks that come up if they will take one minute or less to complete. For example, if you walk in the door after coming home from work, don’t just kick off your shoes in the living room. Take the extra 20 seconds to place them back in your closet.
Wiping the countertop, putting lunch dishes in the dishwasher, or putting shoes away are simple tasks to complete immediately and prevent clutter. Also, since it doesn’t seem like much work, we don’t procrastinate doing it. If you had a mountain of dishes to load into the dishwasher, you’d surely resist starting that task.
So, spend just one minute cleaning different areas each day too. For example, on Mondays, clean the sink and bathroom mirror while getting ready in the morning. On Tuesdays, wipe down kitchen cabinets while making lunch and waiting for the sauce to simmer. On Wednesdays, dust all surfaces in the living room. And so on, with a list of effortless tasks in case I forget what I can do in a minute while waiting on the phone or cooking.
4. Ventilate for 10 minutes
Ventilating daily is crucial, as it helps maintain a healthy environment in your home. But the idea of keeping windows open all day is false. It doesn’t need that much time; just 10 minutes a day refreshes all the air. This significantly reduces dust accumulation because there are fewer particles circulating.
5. Invest in a powerful vacuum cleaner
I didn’t know what it was like to have a clean house until I invested in a powerful vacuum cleaner last year. Plus, cordless upright models are more efficient and convenient. First, you don’t have to bend down every time you need to move the cord or handle, and second, because it doesn’t blow air from below but from above, it doesn’t stir up dust from underneath.
When you use such a vacuum every two days, dust doesn’t accumulate, and you can see the floor surface shining at all times.
The one I bought has special allergen filters like HEPA that trap dust mites and other allergens. With fewer dust mites, there’s less dust to clean, so I usually spend about 10 minutes cleaning the entire house.
6. Minimalist shopping habits
What does shopping have to do with cleanliness? Easy, the accumulation of things. If you have fewer things, you have less to clean.
I have a neighbor who loves shopping and already has her basement packed with things, some still in their original boxes unused. She isn’t elderly, and although it could be a disorder, that’s beside the point. The thing is, now she has to move house and doesn’t even know how to face her basement. She’s asked several neighbors for help in cleaning it up.
It would be much simpler to develop a conscious habit of asking ourselves before buying: “Do I really need this or is it just a whim?”
7. Adopt principles of Japanese home design
We know Japanese houses for their minimalist and efficient design. And they look so tidy and beautiful, don’t they? A key aspect is keeping only the essentials visible and storing everything else out of sight in closets or cabinets.
Thus, not only does it create a peaceful and organized space, but it also prevents dust from accumulating on exposed surfaces. If we apply this concept to our homes, it becomes much easier to maintain a clean and serene environment.
8. Leave shoes at the door
Shoes track in dirt, dust, and bacteria into our homes, making cleaning tasks harder. In the past, the masters of the house wore shoes, and the servants cleaned up behind them all day. But that’s not the case nowadays, is it?
One of the easiest ways to keep floors clean is to adopt the habit of leaving shoes at the entryway. I have clean slippers that look like new for guests to use inside, minimizing the spread of dirt throughout the house. Some of my friends tell me they love it because it gives their feet a break from closed shoes.
Just that one simple thing can really help in minimizing the need to sweep and mop the floor every day.
Conclusion
For me, creating a clean home that requires minimal maintenance is essential. I don’t have extra time to spend hours on this task. Having a young child makes everything a bit more challenging, but maintaining my habits helps restore order quickly.
With simple improvements in my home, like the cordless upright vacuum cleaner, changing textiles and bedding for higher quality ones, using a dryer, I spend much less time on house maintenance.
My child is allergic to dust mites, so having an effective cleaning system that works is truly important for me. This way, I spend more time with him enjoying a clean and safe play space.
Creatine for All: Exploring its Benefits for Non-Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
A Promising Breakthrough: Skin Patch Offers New Hope for Toddlers with Peanut Allergy
As prices are going up daily, one should take into consideration what comes first in their household.