There’s nothing like the feeling of an orderly, bright, recently cleaned home. But if you’re like most of us, that clean feeling is gone within a few days (or if you have kids, hours) of the cleaners leaving (or you putting the Clorox away). If you want to keep that just-cleaned feeling around a little longer, there are a few ways you can stretch out the cleanliness to last longer than you thought possible.
Never ascend the stairs empty-handed.
If you live in a two-level home, chances are you spend a lot of time trudging from one floor to another during the day. Why not make better use of those trips? Every time you run up the stairs, take something with you that was left out downstairs, but actually lives upstairs. From toys to books to clothes to laundry, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to keep the house picked up without carving out extra time with which to do it. And of course, the staircase goes both ways, so grab something that lives downstairs from upstairs on your way back down.
Get the table “all set.”
Dinner might not be for another three hours, but that’s no reason not to make the dining room table look beautifully set and ready for a lovely family dinner. Heck, you don’t even have to plan on eating at that table in the near future to set it right. The thing is, when your dining room table looks beautiful, orderly and ready for a lovely meal, your family will likely think twice about throwing backpacks, mail, homework and other junk all over it (they may even put that stuff away. Imagine that!).
Double mat the doors.
You probably have a doormat outside your front and back doors. But what about directly inside them? Think about it; how often does your family (or you!) take a lot of time to stomp off dirt or wipe their shoes before they charge through the door? An extra mat inside the entryway is a great way to collect some of that residual dirt before your family has a chance of spreading it throughout the house.
Stock the cabinets.
You’ve heard that you shouldn’t store all your eggs in one basket. Well, the same should be said for your cleaning supplies. Keeping all cleaning solutions and tools in a central location might seem simple, but it also means you’ll have to think about it before you reach for them to start cleaning. Instead, keep a few multi-purpose cleaners, rags and other appropriate tools in “satellite” locations so they’re available for use as soon as you need them. For example, keep a few bathroom cleaners right under the bathroom sink so you can quickly wipe out the sink after your oldest son shaves in it or sweep the floor after three girls blow dry their hair.
Get a light-weight vacuum.
If vacuuming is an ordeal, you’re less likely to do it very often. Invest in a lightweight vacuum that offers a variety of attachments to help you clean every corner and surface of your home. Keep the vacuum in a central location so you can grab it at a moment’s notice and have it put back away before the commercial break ends on your favorite TV show.
Wash your windows.
There’s something about beautiful, natural light pouring into your home to motivate you to keep it clean and orderly. If that’s the exact motivation you’re looking for, splurge on a professional window cleaning service. One your windows are clean, you’ll want the rest of the house to match, we promise.
Ready to get those windows sparkling? Give us a call. In the meantime, tell us your best housekeeping tip!
Leave a Reply