I have, however, found a few simple tricks that help me put a little more space between cleaning projects. I hope they work for you and your home too!
1. Get some mats.
The first thing I have done is invest in large, thick mats and rugs for the inside and outside of all of my doorways. We don’t all take our shoes off the minute we step inside, so these big mats help stop the dirt at the door and really reduce the time between carpet cleanings. A good idea is to purchase mats and rugs that can be easily shaken out, so a good shake off the porch can cut down on laundering the rugs themselves.
2. Use dryer sheets to dust the surface.
Another great trick is dusting with dryer sheets. This doesn’t work on every surface (like glass tops), but it does work for most wood surfaces and is great for baseboards and trim. The dryer sheets not only pick up the dust, but they help repel it as well. Also, after dusting, your home smells great!
3. De-clutter.
My favorite way to keep a clean home is to get rid of clutter. The less unnecessary stuff you have lying about, the neater your home looks. It’s important to keep in mind that you really want to de-clutter in areas where you store things (drawers, closets, storage totes), as these are the places where items you are least likely to be using are hiding and taking up space. On top of that, if you really want to get rid of mice, the first thing you need to do is try to keep dirt away as far as you can. It’s really great to purge your home right before you do your holiday shopping when you’re expecting an influx of new “stuff” in your house. This helps you really think about what items may be up for replacement or you what may soon no longer have room to store. Also, get yourself in the donation-spirit by reminding yourself that your donated clutter could make someone’s Christmas!
4. Mind your laundry.
Make a habit of putting dirty laundry directly in a hamper and clean laundry away as soon as it’s finished. I’ve found the easiest way to accomplish this is to own several hampers and no laundry baskets. A hamper in each bedroom and in the bathroom gives you a nice tidy place to put dirty laundry out of sight, which helps keep things looking neat. Just take the hampers themselves into whatever area of the house you do your laundry and sort and wash from there. If you don’t have laundry baskets to set your clothes in, you’re more likely to put them away on-the-spot instead of letting clean clothes sit around in the basket for days. Also, this keeps you from having empty laundry baskets around just tempting you to fill them with extra clutter, such as toys, that really should just be put away.
5. Keep “clean-as-you-go” products handy.
A couple of wet-wipes or a Magic Eraser (or the generic version) on your kitchen or bathroom counter looks way nicer than spills and built-up messes. I like to keep wipes on my kitchen counter so I can wipe the counter, as well as the table off, after each time I use it. This is a quick way to keep things looking neat and saves me from cleaning big messes that build up if I don’t. I’m also a fan of after shower sprays that help deter soap scum build up in the shower and tub. The shower always takes me the longest to clean and this keeps me from having to do it as frequently as well as it looking and smelling nicer in-between deep cleans.
6. Set aside a day and time to do your cleaning.
My last tip is to set aside a day and time to do your cleaning. I do little “clean-as-you-go” things all week, but my reserved cleaning time is Monday right after work. I picked this day because I hate Mondays anyway and the time because I’m still in go-mode from work. Also, I have no other commitments during that time and nothing else is likely to crop up. You can pick any part of the week that works for you, just make sure it’s a time-slot you can consistently dedicate to cleaning. I know that my home will always look nice and clean because I know I’ve set aside a little over an hour each week to keep it that way.
