Keeping your house tidy is not just about the occasional deep clean – it’s about developing daily habits that contribute to a neat and organized living space.
By incorporating simple routines into your day, you can maintain a clean home effortlessly. From cleaning up after yourself to making your bed every morning, putting dirty clothes in the hamper, washing dishes daily, and sorting through incoming mail and papers promptly, these small actions can make a big difference in the overall cleanliness and orderliness of your home.
In this blog post, I will explore 11 daily habits that will help you keep your house tidy and create a more peaceful and inviting environment for yourself and your family.
These are all things that my family and I strive to do on a daily basis. I started doing these things when my children were little and I was a stay at home mom and more of the load fell on me. Now my children are teenagers and I’m a working mom so it’s more of a team effort, but we’ve figured out if we want our home to remain peaceful and stress free it’s very important that we complete these habits on a daily basis, or as close as possible.
Clean Up After Yourself
This one simple yet powerful mantra reigns supreme – clean up after yourself.
Teaching this fundamental principle to our children is an ongoing process. While progress has been gradual, the impact for our family has been undeniable.
By emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility in tidying up, not only do we reduce the clutter and chaos in our home, but we also cultivate a sense of respect for our living spaces.
Embracing small, everyday practices such as disposing of trash promptly, placing items where they belong, and ensuring shoes find their place or bags are stowed away upon arrival.
These seemingly minor actions add up to create a harmonious and organized environment. This one step alone will lead to a much tidier home, I promise!
Make Your Bed Every Day
One simple yet often overlooked task is making the bed.
Despite its simplicity, making the bed can set a positive tone for the day ahead. Personally, I find that even though I leave before my husband wakes up and I’m unable to make the bed in the morning, coming home and making it in the afternoon instantly lifts my spirits. Not only does it create a sense of order and organization, but it also makes the bedroom feel more inviting and cozy.
The act of making the bed can also motivate you to tidy up the rest of the room, creating a domino effect of cleanliness and productivity throughout the house. So next time you consider skipping this task, remember the difference it can make in your day and overall mindset.
Sort Incoming Mail and Papers
To maintain a tidy house and prevent your counters or desks from looking cluttered, it’s essential to establish good habits for organizing papers and mail.
One effective strategy is to designate a specific location for storing papers, such as creating a slot on your desk for bills. Important papers that need to be retained but don’t require immediate action should be filed away, while junk mail should be promptly disposed of or shredded to prevent unnecessary accumulation.
The accumulation of mail and papers can quickly lead to a cluttered and chaotic living space if left unattended. Taking a few minutes each day to sort through mail, file important documents, and discard unnecessary papers can make a big difference in maintaining a clean and organized living environment.
If you don’t have a good way to sort your mail and papers you can use something simple like this mail organizer. If you have a lot of mail and papers to sort you can use this six tier letter tray organizer, which has much more space. Either one will help you better sort and organize papers.
Put Dirty Clothes in the Hamper
One common issue is the accumulation of dirty clothes. With everyone wearing at least one outfit a day, it’s easy for laundry to pile up quickly.
A practical solution is to ensure that each bedroom and bathroom has a designated hamper for dirty clothes. If space is limited in the bathroom, establishing a specific spot for dirty laundry and making sure everyone knows where it is can also be effective.
Even young children can contribute to keeping the house tidy by helping with the laundry. By teaching them where the dirty clothes should go after changing, you can instill good habits early on. Turning it into a fun game by timing how quickly they can put their clothes away can make it enjoyable for them.
Our boys loved it when we made anything into a competition, so this worked great for them. Starting this routine when they are little can establish a helpful habit that may carry on into their teenage years, making the chore less of a battle as they grow older.
If you have a small space for a hamper to go, here are a few ideas that you might be able to use that don’t take up a lot of room.
X-Large Hanging Laundry Hamper with Over Door Hooks & Adhesive
Straighten Living Room/Family Room Every Day
Focus on tidying up the room where everyone gathers after work and school before heading to bed.
In many households, this tends to be the living room or family room, where throw pillows, blankets, and even stray socks or shoes can accumulate throughout the day. By taking a few minutes each evening to straighten up these items, you can start the next day with a clean slate and avoid waking up to chaos.
Waking up to a mess can set a negative tone for the day, leading to feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated. By incorporating a nightly tidying routine into your household, you can prevent clutter from piling up and feeling overwhelming.
This practice not only sets a positive tone for the day ahead but also instills a sense of order and calm within the home environment. Even with young children and their toys, involving them in the cleanup process can turn tidying into a fun and engaging activity. By making a game out of tidying up, such as a friendly competition to see who can clean up the most toys the fastest, you not only keep the mess under control but also teach valuable organizational skills to your children.
Having children help clean up and take responsibility for chores in the home is very important for their growth and development. I talk more about this in 7 Ways to Raise Independent Children and 16 Things Great Parents Should Teach their Children.
Wash Dishes Every Night
One of the key areas to focus on is the kitchen.
As the heart of the home, the kitchen often sees a lot of activity, making it prone to clutter and chaos. It’s easy for tensions to rise when there’s a mess to contend with. Trust me, I’ve been there.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a dishwasher, running a load each night can work wonders in keeping the dishes under control. For those without this luxury, committing to washing dishes daily is a small but impactful step towards a cleaner and more peaceful kitchen environment.
For parents with young children who are not yet able to assist with chores, the struggle is real. I empathize with the challenges of managing a household without additional help.
In situations where older children are present, involving them in dishwashing duties can be a game-changer. Encouraging them to take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves not only lightens the load for parents but also instills a sense of accountability and teamwork within the family unit.
Remember, a little effort from everyone goes a long way in maintaining a tidy and stress-free home.
Wipe Off Counters Every Night
One simple yet effective way to maintain cleanliness is by regularly wiping off the kitchen counters.
We have 5 teenagers to help us with this chore, so we’ve implemented a system where each child is responsible for a specific kitchen chore each night, including wiping down the counters. By dividing up the tasks and rotating responsibilities, we ensure that this important chore is completed daily.
This routine helps us maintain a clean kitchen. It also contributes to a sense of order and cleanliness throughout the entire home. A tidy kitchen truly sets the tone for a welcoming and organized living space for the whole family to enjoy.
Sweep Kitchen Floor
Not only does regular sweeping help to keep dirt and debris at bay, but it also contributes to a sense of cleanliness throughout the entire house. Walking on a clean floor can make a significant difference in how fresh and welcoming your home feels, helping you to enjoy a more pleasant living space overall.
I know when I’m walking on a dirty floor, it makes the whole house feel dirty. By incorporating this small but impactful habit into your daily routine, you can elevate the cleanliness and ambiance of your home with minimal effort.
Take Out Trash
Another simple but often overlooked task is taking out the trash each day, especially if there are items that can cause unpleasant odors. By emptying the trash regularly, you not only prevent foul smells from lingering in your home but also create a more hygienic space for you and your family.
However, when the trash only contains non-smelly items like papers and is not yet full, the decision to take it out becomes more personal. Some may prefer to wait until it’s fuller, while others may choose to dispose of it daily to maintain a clean and clutter-free home.
For us, with 7 people living in our home, we usually fill up two trash bags a day, so you can see where it would be up to you and how much trash you collect in a day.
Get Rid of Clutter
Getting rid of clutter is a huge way to help keep a tidy house!
Clutter in our living spaces can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety, and being overwhelmed. By regularly decluttering and organizing our surroundings, we create a sense of order and calm that can positively affect our mood and productivity.
Getting rid of items we no longer need or use not only frees up physical space but also clears mental space, allowing us to focus on what truly matters. So, next time you’re tempted to hold on to that old magazine or unused gadget, remember that a clutter-free home can lead to a clutter-free mind.
Have a Place for Everything and Put Everything in its Place
Maintaining a tidy house is not just about cleaning up regularly; it’s also about having a designated spot for every item in your home.
This is especially important if you have children because if they don’t know exactly where something goes, then they will throw it anywhere! Let’s be honest, sometimes even if it does have a specific place to go they will throw it anywhere. It also makes the other steps in this list easier if you know where to put stuff.
The key to a clutter-free space is ensuring that everything has its place and is put back where it belongs after use. By establishing this simple rule of “a place for everything and everything in its place,” you can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on tidying up.
When everything has a designated spot, it not only makes cleaning up easier but also helps you locate things quickly when needed. So, take the time to organize your belongings and create a system that works for you to enjoy a more organized and stress-free living environment.
Conclusion
Maintaining a tidy house is not just about cleanliness; it is about creating a peaceful and stress-free environment. By following the 11 simple steps discussed in this blog post, you can transform your living space into an organized sanctuary.
A clean home not only boosts your physical health but also contributes to your mental well-being, allowing you to relax and unwind in a clutter-free space. Embrace these habits, and watch as your home becomes a haven of tranquility and order, providing you with a sense of calm and contentment every day.
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