Keeping up with your everyday housekeeping needs can be daunting and time-consuming. But professional cleaners and maid services providers say that keeping your house clean and tidy does not have to take up all your time.
It is all about starting some good habits that you eventually get to follow instinctively. The more habituated you become, the easier it will be to maintain your home.
Here are seven habits you can adopt to help keep your home clean and orderly all the time.
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Make your bed daily
People think that making their bed every day is a waste of time. But this makes a huge difference in keeping your bedroom neat and orderly, and it will only take a couple of minutes of your time.
To make things a lot easier, simplify your bedding. For instance, cut out your top sheets and just use a washable cover and a duvet. But if you love top sheets, you can use a large enough duvet or comforter that you do not need to tuck in the sheets, and minimize the number of your pillows.
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Prioritize accordingly
All cleaning is not created equal. Create a list of the things you like to get done and prioritize what must be completed today, and what can wait until the next day or what can be done on a weekly basis.
Stick with the things you must do right away before trying to do the other things on your list. For example, you can’t leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, nor should you postpone cleaning off the mess in your oven. But cleaning the bathtub or places like the attic or garage can wait.
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Involve the whole family
It seems a lot easier to do the cleaning job yourself, but spending a significant amount of time teaching your children to perform age-appropriate jobs is important for the both of you. With them, you get extra hands to help, and they learn to perform small tasks and develop a concern for cleanliness and responsibility.
Begin by having your kids put their shoes and coats away if they come in the house, clean their own rooms, and put the dishes in the dishwasher. As they are able, you can ask them to do more tasks.
Getting your family involved will make a huge difference in making your home clean and tidy when these simple things are done. Your kids may need supervision for the first several weeks, but cleaning up will become a habit eventually.
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Declutter
Taking some time to declutter and organize your home will help cut down the time needed to clean. Fewer items on the surface tops and counters will cut down on dusting, and make cleaning faster and much easier.
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Dust and vacuum regularly
By dusting and vacuuming once or twice a week, your house will stay cleaner. This will also help you save time since you do not have to do a major cleanup every time you want to tidy up in your house.
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Wipe surfaces after each use
Whether you just cooked a meal, made a sandwich, brushed your teeth or put on your makeup, make sure to wipe down the surface you just used. This task will only take a few seconds and will keep the area clean and ready to be used again.
Remember that when you let dust, grime and grease build-up over time, it will be harder to clean up some surfaces.
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Get some help
If you are time-crunched and you want to spend some time with your family, it is time for you to enlist the services of a professional. There are professional cleaning service providers ready to tackle your cleaning requirements.
Professional cleaners can perform routine cleaning. This service includes making beds, the thorough cleaning of kitchens and bathrooms, dusting all surfaces, and mopping. You have the option to limit the service to some areas or rooms as well.
But if your house has not been cleaned for quite a long time, you may need some sort of deep cleaning service. Depending on your budget and needs, you can arrange for professional cleaners to come weekly, monthly, twice a month, or some other variation.
A professional cleaning service may not be for everyone, but when chores are already a major source of stress, or have become too time-consuming, spending a little extra money will go a long way. And if you don’t want to keep hired help all the time, just maintain the cleanliness they have achieved for you.
Just like becoming successful in other parts of your life, keeping a well-maintained home boils down to your daily habits. If cleaning is done regularly, your home will always be in great condition.
AUTHOR BIO
Rania Bellos launched Dust Busters Cleaning Services with the help and support of her husband after spending 15 years working in the banking and finance industry in France, Lebanon and the UAE. She welcomes the daily challenges and exciting opportunities provided by the highly competitive residential and commercial cleaning services market.