Cleaning Hacks and Habits of the REALLY Clean
There are people who make a habit of keeping really clean houses. You’ve seen them in magazines. Their houses look like model homes. Not a stray coaster or book lying around. You could eat off of the kitchen floor. Everything has a place and there’s a place for everything. We admire them and are secretly frustrated by them.
Who lives like that besides Marie Kondo?
Well, there are people who do and the habits and hacks they have developed and practice, we can adopt, too. We can have a really clean, organized, amazing looking house and not freak out when people drop in at a moment’s notice. Or no notice at all!
Eight Easy Steps
Make your bed. Have you seen the video of Admiral William McRaven addressing the University of Texas graduating class? He encourages young people to make the bed as the first big accomplishment of the day and additional achievements will add up. So not only will your bed be tidy, you’ll be more productive!
Use a vacuum. No, we’re not talking about vacuuming the carpeting and rugs every week. We’re talking about vacuuming EVERYTHING with the soft attachment. The nightstands, end tables, lamps, curtains, mirrors, window sills, dining room tables, countertops – if there’s a surface in a house – they vacuum it. Humans (and pets) leave detritus on everything and a vacuum will actually GET IT and not just move it around with a dust cloth. By the way, you’ll find the best vacuums for pet owners, here.
Tidy as you go. This means clothes you try on before leaving the house, clothes you take off when you come home, pots and pans you used to prepare dinner…don’t veg out on the couch after a hard day and leave everything out to accuse you in the morning. It’s a fact of human nature that the longer something out of place stays there, it starts to look like it belongs! Start tidying as you go through your day, tuck away stray shoes, put dirty clothes in the hamper, you’ll wake up stress-free and the house will already look cleaner and more welcoming!
Donate unneeded items regularly. If you’re like the average American family or couple, you probably have more water bottles than you have people living in your home. Donate them. Ditto the clothes you never wear, the dishes you never use, the small appliances that are stored in the back of a closet, etc. Declutter, donate, and do it often! Marie Kondo says we hold onto too much stuff because we’re either afraid of the future or clinging to the past. Well, she doesn’t exactly say clinging, but you get the idea.
Wipe it down before you walk away. Whether it’s a kitchen counter or a bathroom counter, if you can make a habit of wiping down the surfaces before you leave the room, you’ll be a leg up toward having a REALLY CLEAN house! It doesn’t take long and it doesn’t take a lot of effort – its just one of those things that makes everything else look that much more polished and together.
Clean the fridge weekly. Every fridge needs a weekly refresh. Since the Mayo Clinic recommends that you toss leftovers after three to four days or risk food poisoning, this should be a recurring event! Granted guests can’t see what’s in your fridge unless they’re sleeping over and helping themselves, but things tend to spill and grow green and blue fuzz, even in 40º coldness!
Don’t procrastinate. In a blog about procrastination, James Clear says Isaac Newton’s first law of motion applies here. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. If you can find a way to get started you’re likely to finish according to psychology studies that reveal that we don’t like leaving things unfinished. Did you get a package from Amazon today? Yippee! Now empty the box, pop the bubble wrap, break down the cardboard and put everything in its place!
Designate a paper place. Put all your mail, bills, notes from school and each other, takeout menus, flyers and coupons you want to use, in one place. That’s one way to keep your counters and office from becoming a blizzard of paper. Make a drawer for takeout menus and coupons and create folders for bills, school memos and to dos, and other important printed pieces. If you can get into the habit of filing bits away and putting paper in its place as SOON as you get them.
Pristine and Clean in Colliers Hill
In the master-planned community of Colliers Hill, moving into a new home is an inarguable treat. Everything is clean and pristine with lots of storage space to help you keep it that way. Homes from Meritage Homes, Richmond American Homes, and Century Communities are near all the necessities and amenities, entertainment, dining, recreation and shopping! Tour the amazing model homes here and find the perfect ranch-style or two-story floor plan — priced from the high $300s.
