If you’re tired of having a messy house, read this. We’ll show you 7 home cleaning habits that will make your home a happier, healthier place to live!
If you’re not as happy in your home as you’d like to be and you can’t quite figure out why, look around you …
Is your home clean and clutter-free? If not, then you’ve found your answer!
Research shows that organized, clean homes lead to higher satisfaction and happiness from those who live in them.
It’s almost a paradox of sorts for most people. Cleaning doesn’t make them happy, but having a clean home does. What’s a non-neatfreak to do?
Don’t despair — there’s an easy solution. With these seven simple habits, you can learn how to keep a clean house and become a happier person.
1. Get Rid of (and Avoid) Clutter
Go through your home one room at a time and declutter. This may include things like:
- Junk mail
- Extra office supplies
- Garbage
- Items you don’t use or need
- Duplicates
Throw or give away what you are not actively using (unless it’s seasonal, in which case it should go into storage).
Now for the hard part:
You must take steps to avoid accumulating more clutter in the future.
Usually, clutter builds up when you purchase things that you don’t need, or when you are offered freebies. So before you accept items or buy anything new, consider whether you truly need it or not.
And don’t let mail and papers pile up. Toss out junk mail immediately and file any bills or important documents as they come in.
2. Clean Up After Yourself
There’s one simple key to maintaining a clean and happy home:
When you’re done using something, put it away.
This includes washing your dishes as you use them. Don’t get in the habit of saying it’s gotta soak. It really doesn’t — you just need to scrub a little harder.
Keep your counters and surfaces clean. Don’t use them as a place to leave things until you’re ready to deal with them.
Also, if you spread clutter into another room, take it back to where it belongs. Don’t leave office supplies or dishes in the living room, for example.
When it comes to household cleaning products, not many people are aware of the hazardous ingredients and formulas they might have. It’s important to check labels to make sure you use them safely. Not to mention products with natural ingredients are always a better choice.
Sustainable products are less harmful to the environment and are helpful for our health and comfort.
For instance, try getting eco-friendly wipes for surface cleaning instead of chemically disinfecting wipes, as they are made of zero plastic and do not contain harsh chemicals.
It’s your home, so you get to make the rules. But cleaning up after yourself is easy and can make a big impact.
3. Keep a Cleaning Schedule
Habits are easier to adapt to when you have consistency. Keeping a chore calendar will remind you what needs to be done and when.
Make a list of the daily cleaning tasks you need to do and post them on your fridge or someplace visible. Then, compile a list of weekly chores, monthly deep cleans, and annual spring cleaning tasks.
Physically write them out or plug them into a scheduling app on your phone. You can even tell Alexa to remind you when it’s time to take out the trash or do other chores!
This act of putting chores on your calendar will help you keep yourself accountable. Once it shows up on your reminder list, follow through and complete the activity within 24 hours.
4. Make Cleaning Less of a Chore and More of a Game
Mary Poppins says, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun!
She’s got a point there, and we can learn a lot from her in regards to our cleaning habits. To learn more, you could get in touch with EMAB Cleaning Services.
What’s the one thing that you can implement to help make cleaning easier?
Music!
Surveys show that 45% of people listen to music when they work. It makes the act of cleaning and helps us to focus better. If cleaning by itself is pure drudgery to you, try adding your favorite jams in the background to make it more fun!
Technology helps make chores less burdensome, too. You may want to invest in a Roomba to keep your floors clean or an automatic shower cleaner if those are loathsome tasks for you.
Whatever you hate doing, there’s probably an easier (and maybe even fun) way to do it.
5. Delegate
If you’re a Type-A personality, you want the job done well and now. But this approach can put unnecessary stress on you.
Instead, don’t take on the bulk of the cleaning yourself. If you have others in your home who can assist you, ask them to help.
Create a cleaning schedule that lists everyone’s responsibilities. It may take some time to get everyone on the same page, and you might have to teach people how to do their jobs, but your hard work will pay off. In time, you will all be happier and your home will be clean.
And if you live alone but can’t keep your place clean, hire help! There are plenty of services like Bright Touch Cleaning, King of Prussia available to get assist you.
It’s a small price to pay for the happiness you’ll feel when you walk into a spotless home a few times a month!
6. Use Organizational Tools
If you want to keep an organized and clutter-free house, you’ll need some storage containers. They’re the best place to hide your stuff away. Depending on their size, you can keep them in the closet, under your bed, or even in an outside storage unit.
You’ll be thankful when you have a lot less clutter taking up your living space!
And you don’t have to stop with storage containers. There are organizational tools that you can incorporate into every nook, cranny, and drawer of your home.
Here are a few areas of your home that could probably use some organizing:
- Containers and lids
- Pots and pans
- Wires, cords, and cables
- Movies and books
- Clothes in drawers
- Junk drawers
Whatever your needs are, there’s likely an organizer to fix it!
7. Make Your Bed Daily
It might sound trite, but many experts say that making your bed can help you be happier and more productive over time.
There’s a reason why it’s been a must-do in the military for centuries. Making your bed reminds your brain that there is satisfaction in completing even the smallest task. Your bed looks great, and now you want to keep the rest of your home looking good, too.
It’s another habit that your parents were right about. Who knew?
In Summary
Ultimately, happiness is something we find for ourselves. It can’t be found without your permission.
In other words, it’s up to you to take charge of your life and work toward being as happy as possible. These seven cleaning habits are a great place to start. They’ll put you on the right track, and the rest is up to you!
Author Bio:
Jenna Monen is the Business Manager for Reserve at Seabridge. With over ten years of experience in the industry, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. She finds joy in helping others and makes this community a place everyone loves to call home.