10 Steps to a Cleaner Home

You work hard, you raise a family, you run errands and do countless other things. You don’t have time to be Mrs. Cleaver on top of all of that. Maybe your husbands calls to say he’s bring company home for supper. Maybe you’re just tired and aware that there’s a possibility of someone seeing your house, even if it is the pizza delivery guy. You need some quick help! What are people going to notice? What can you get by with?

According to Good Housekeeping magazine (Nov. 2006) the five things that people notice are:
1) Piles of mail.
2) Dust bunnies and cobwebs.
3) A messy bathroom.
4) Dishes in the sink.
5) Full trash cans.

So, going on these five things, I’ve assembled ten things that you should be able to do in under thirty minutes a day to make your life easier. That’s thirty minutes combined, not all at once, so no more excuses!

TIP NUMBER ONE:
Sort your mail the instant that you bring it in. Immediately throw away all of your junk mail so that it is not able to clutter your home. Keep all mail in the same place so that when you sit down to pay bills or write correspondence, you are not searching for it. Put it in a drawer, file or cabinet.

TIP NUMBER TWO:
Do not leave your dishes in the sink. Whether it is a single glass or an entire sink full. Do not put them off. Doing the dishes right away will only take a few moments of your time and you won’t wake up the next morning dreading last night’s baked on lasagna.

TIP NUMBER THREE:
Buy cheap baby wipes and use them to quickly wipe up spills, dust furniture and to clean off glass surfaces in between your heavier cleaning.

TIP NUMBER FOUR:
Purchase either an automatic shower cleaner or the after shower spray. If used daily they will help prolong the time before you have to get in there and scrub!

TIP NUMBER FIVE:
Go through each room and collect items that do not belong there. Have a box or basket devoted to this task. Two nights a week empty the box or basket and put the items back where they belong.

TIP NUMBER SIX:
After you have done your laundry do not leave it in the basket. Although this chore takes some time, putting it away will save you time and frustration when looking for clothes in the morning.

TIP NUMBER SEVEN:
When watching television, use the commercial breaks to your advantage. In two minutes you can complete simple tasks such as sweeping the kitchen floor, cleaning a toilet or gathering the trash. Don’t forget to grab your broom and make a quick sweep of the corners and light fixtures for cobwebs.

TIP NUMBER EIGHT:
Make your bed every morning. Not only does it look nice, but knowing that you are coming home to one less menial task can make your day a little better.

TIP NUMBER NINE:
Picking up pieces of lint and other small debris from your carpet’s surface can buy you a little more time between vacuuming and gives a cleaner look to your carpet.

TIP NUMBER TEN:
Light a scented candle or spray with air deodorizer. Not only should your house look clean, it should smell clean too.

Practicing these tips will not mean that you never have to clean your home. They will, however, stretch out the time before the “deep clean.” No matter how busy your day is, you can accomplish these ten things. When you are finished with them, take out the trash – that’s tip number eleven. Now you can relax and enjoy your clean(er) home.