It’s time to come clean. Does your heart sink whenever it’s time to tidy up the house? Many of us may hate it but housework doesn’t have to be a dirty word. There are simple things you can do to cut down the stress when dealing with your mess. Here are eight tips for keeping your home clean and healthy this year.
Sanitizers Are Your Friends
About half of all common cold instances typically show up during the spring and fall. However, that doesn’t mean you’re safe during the rest of the year. You can help protect your health by making sanitizers your best friends. Sanitize all the surfaces in your home that you touch on a regular basis such as countertops, doorknobs, toilets, and sinks. Don’t forget everyday items you handle such as your phone, computer, and remote controls.
When disinfecting, use paper towels or disposable wipes. Using dish rags or sponges tend to just spread the germs around instead of killing them. When using a disinfectant wipe, allow the surface you clean to air dry. Don’t forget yourself in the process. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water often and use hand sanitizers to kill harmful germs and bacteria.
Toss Out Your Junk
Clutter can accumulate fast, especially if your living spaces are small. Go through your home at least twice a year and purge any items that you don’t really need. Take it one step at a time to avoid overwhelm. You don’t have to declutter the entire house in one day. Start with one room in your house each month and work clockwise to pick out and eliminate items you want to go.
Don’t forget to organize your home office if you have one. Individual workstations today are around 39 square feet, which is much smaller than they used to be. Yet, your desk in your home office can be the biggest source of clutter. Invest in filing cabinets to keep your paperwork organized. Determine what items are absolutely musts to keep on your desk to assist you with work you need to get done and get rid of the rest.
Clear The Air
Approximately 90% of new homes have ducted heating and cooling systems installed. These systems need to be cleaned at least twice a year. Change the filters on a regular basis as well to help fight against allergens and mold. Open up the windows when you can to allow fresh air to circulate.
Gather As You Go
When every you go from one room of your house to another, take one thing to put away with as you go. Take your empty cup as you get up from the couch and put it in the sink or dishwasher while you head to the bathroom. Gather your dirty clothes and towel when you get out of the shower and toss them in the hamper. Whatever items that are out of place, pick at least one item to take care of as you move about.
Doing The Dishes
You’ve come home from a hard day’s work and whipped up a delicious meal for your family. Now you have to clean up all those dirty pots and pans when you’re already tired and beat. It can be easy to want to throw up your hands and put it off if you don’t have a dishwasher to take care of the work for you. But if you want to keep your home clean and healthy, you’ll need to buckle down and get the job done fast.
You can make this job easier by enlisting a bit of help. Take turns as a family breaking down the cleanup efforts. Have one person wash while another dries and cleans off the counters and stovetop. Alternate each day so no one is stuck doing the same thing day after day. If you have older kids, they can chip in as well to lessen the burden.
Lighten The Laundry Load
Dirty clothes can have a tendency to pile up quickly that it can make you wonder how many people are actually living in your home. To keep things under control, make a plan to tackle one load each day. Toss in a basketful before you leave for work and transfer it to the dryer when you get back home. After dinner, spend a few minutes folding and putting everything away. Then you won’t have to worry about having one massive mountain when the weekend arrives.
Rally The Troops
Everyone in your house should have some role to play in keeping things clean. Gather all the people that live together with you and delegate roles and responsibilities for household chores. The point is everyone should step up and chip in with something. It can be as simple as having your spouse take out the trash on their way to work or putting the kids in charge of tidying their rooms and putting their own clothes away. Having everyone contribute keeps the mess down easier without making one person have to keep up with it all.
Reward A Routine
Schedule regular housework tasks into a daily routine. For example, you can dust all your surfaces on Monday, tackle the toilet on Tuesdays, vacuum and sweep on Wednesdays, and so on. Figure out the major tasks that absolutely have to get down and sprinkle them throughout the week as your schedule allows. This will free up your weekends for activities that you truly enjoy.
Every time you complete your daily tasks, give yourself a small reward for a job well done. This reward can be something simple such as taking a nice hot bubble bath or curling up on the sofa to watch your favorite movie. Having something to look forward to when you are finished will motivate and encourage you to keep going. You’ll also get the job done faster because you’ll want to have more time enjoying your favorite activities.
By following these eight tips, you can make keeping your home clean and healthy much more manageable. It doesn’t have to be one huge overwhelming chore on your to-do list. Tackling small things on a daily basis will give you peace of mind and be able to truly call your living place home sweet home.
