6 Small Beginner Habits to Keep Your Home Clean & Manageable
If you have ever looked around and thought, “How did our house get like this?!” - you’re not alone. Between kids, work, and the little surprises that life likes to throw our way, keeping the home tidy and put together can seem absolutely impossible. Over time, I’ve learned that it’s not about perfection -just a few consistent habits that make the biggest impact. Some may seem obvious, but if your mom never taught you, read the blog post below to see how they can work for you!
How do I keep my house manageably clean every day without spending hours (and money) deep cleaning?
What is one small habit that makes mornings less stressful?
How can I keep the bathroom clean without deep cleaning it constantly?
Is air-drying laundry really better than using the dryer?
How can I keep my shower clean without scrubbing it top to bottom every weekend?
What can I do when no one else seems to help pick up after themselves?
If we are being completely honest, I don’t think I understood the overall effects or importance of a clean and organized space growing up. I don’t think that I was ever really taught a structured way of staying clean.
It wasn’t until I was older, living with other people, and taking care of my own space that I realized why my mom was always complaining. I learned that picking up after yourself was showing respect to the people you were sharing your space with. It took time to break a lot of the bad habits I had learned along the way and to make some new ones that have been serving me ever since.
I love nothing more than being able to enjoy the space where I live and to keep it well maintained (even if our teens don’t quite get that yet). So, what are the small habits that keep your home more manageable?
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Here are the small habits that anyone can do regularly to keep their home manageable
Invest in Automated Cleaning
Automated cleaning has been my savior! Oddly enough, I was against it for the longest time. I just knew a robot wouldn’t be able to clean things as well as I could by hand. I certainly wasn’t going to spend hundreds of dollars for one to do a mediocre job.
However, our family essentially lives out of bags, especially during the months of August - May when volleyball season is in full swing. A couple of years ago, my husband and I finally broke down and invested in a Shark Ion vacuum. BEST INVESTMENT TO DATE!
I have started a routine everyday before leave for work. Dining chairs and stools go up onto the table and counter space, cords are moved, and I start the auto vacuum. It helps to have as much out of the way as possible.
Does it clean every nook and cranny? Unfortunately, no. Does it help keep down on the overall maintenance by keeping the floors tidy? Absolutely, yes!
When it comes to returning home after a long few days of out-of-town volleyball, I would much rather spend 20 minutes sweeping the floor than I would spend an hour.
This is the exact model that we got. I will say that we have had issues getting it to connect with the app, but it has worked nonetheless!
Get the link, here.
If You Can Only Do One Thing, Do This
Your bedroom is supposed to be the place you can go to relax, be comfortable, and wind down from the day, so make it a priority! If you’re having a difficult time, focusing on one small and more manageable task first will help you feel like you’re back in control.
It is well known, making your bed everyday reduces stress, promotes better sleep, and if you have one of those days where nothing else goes right, you have at least accomplished that one small thing. It second only to putting my contacts in to see.
To top it off, once a week the bed is striped, washed, and remade. This is SO important, especially if you’re prone to breakouts. If needed, I will throw them in the machine on my way out the door. A clean bed is an absolute MUST .
Minimal and Accessible Cleaning Supplies
This just makes sense. Every bathroom and kitchen sink should have 3 things under it - glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, and this one spray that I use daily - Dawn Power Spray which is linked here.
I use it on almost everything, counters, sinks, baseboards, large appliances, for washing off surfaces, and dusting. The bonus is that it smells better than a lot of the other household cleaners. When I don’t have time to do a deep clean, a spritz of this stuff and a quick wipe keeps dust and grime at bay until I can take a scrub brush to it.
Brushing your teeth when you notice the mirror is looking a little grimy? Pull out the glass cleaner and knock it out in the time it takes to shine up your pearly whites. Getting ready to hop in the shower and notice the toilet needs a quick scrub? Hit it quickly with the toilet bowl cleaner. Doing the dishes when you look down to see the spot of a missed spill on the floor? Grab the Dawn and a paper towel and proceed with your day.
Whether it’s your busy schedule, ADHD, or the compulsiveness to function in a clean space, accessibility and convenience in every room is the key!
Opt to Air Dry
The days of hanging clothes on line in the summer have just about become non-existent. But, is using the dryer really that much more convenient?
Not only do I find that air drying makes my good clothes hold up longer, but it also makes taking care of them quicker and more convenient.
Keep your empty hangers near the washing machine and when it’s done cycling, take your clothes out to hang. We are fortunate enough to have both a wire shelf above our washer and dryer. We also have a small mud room with shelves that make hanging clothes to dry rather convenient.
Proceed with the rest of your laundry or start a new load on your way out the door. When you get home, grab the hangers off the racks and head right into your bedroom closet. Voila! Laundry day was cut in half.
Keep Your Shower Sparkling
Why shouldn’t one of the best times to clean your shower be while you’re in it? I store a cleaning bottle and small brush right in the shower. While I let my face wash set and I take a couple quick minutes to check for any soap spots or mildew. I always give the curtain a quick spray before getting out just to keep it from accumulating build up. This helps maintain the cleanliness in between deep cleans.
Don’t Do The Job Alone
I struggled a lot, especially as a new step-mom and coming into a delicate family situation. There is a lot to unpack here and will honestly have to be it’s own blog post.
Becoming a parent teaches you a lot about yourself. I had always seen myself as fairly laid back, but the first time I discovered dirty clothes and wet towels across the bathroom floor, I struggled. I also struggle with their rooms on a consistent basis. Side Note: If you’re the parent of a teen, I guarantee I know where all your missing silverware is.
I am proud of the things that I’ve worked hard for and with ADHD, I function much more clearly when the chaos is of my own creation, not of someone else’s. I take it as a sign of disrespect when someone refuses to take care of something the same way that I do. But, that isn’t the life (or the reasoning) of a teenager. They are still learning to process how their brains work. Like I said earlier, at that age, I wasn’t properly taught the importance of keeping your space clean either.
It takes a lot of biting my tongue and looking the other way, but in certain circumstances, you have to let them be... messy. Make sure you’re setting the example on your expectations and ask politely for them to clean up after themselves. It’s okay to ask them to pitch in to help, as long as you’re being equally as helpful.
Sundays, for hygienic purposes, they are expected to clean their room and the guest bathroom before they switch households for the week. If they don’t get it done, they come back the next day. With their bedrooms right next to each other, I sometimes have to literally have to avoid that end of the house because it causes me so much anxiety to see it so disheveled.
One thing I refuse to do any further is clean up after them. As a matter of fact, I’ve even taken to putting my dumbbells across a barrier to subject the vacuum of wandering into their bathroom and getting stuck in their clothes. Essentially, how they want to live is their choice and how their mom and dad want to parent is their choice, but it’s my choice as to how far out of my way I’ll go to help. They ran out of towels? They know how to do laundry. You can’t find that hairbrush you just had? Can’t use mine. Sorry. Can’t find a spoon to eat with? Guess you should wash one quickly before your food gets cold. You want to have friends over but your area is disgusting? Too bad. Maybe next time.
Your home doesn’t need to be perfect. You just need a rhythm that fits with your family. Small daily habits may not keep your home spotless, but it will keep everything from piling up to the point of being overwhelmed. If your life feels like it’s a little unfocused and untamed, you can still invite moments of calm into your space.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other hacks that would be good for those who are trying to get into a more solid routine.
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