I love cleaning, organizing, decorating, and making my home a haven for my family. This is one of my very favorite things. Here are ten simple, basic tips that, done daily, will really help you to keep your home beautiful and low maintenance.
1. Never put any dishes in the sink or any clothes in a hamper. Directly put dishes in the dishwasher and clothes in the washer and run each once a day. When they are finished, get them out and put them up, so that the dishwasher and washer will be open to add new items to.
2. First thing in the morning, every morning, light a scented candle. They are beautiful and if you get the right kind, will make your entire house smell amazing. My current favorite is Pink Sands by Yankee Candle.
3. Give every item a home. EVERY item. It's very hard to keep a clean house when everything is everywhere and nothing has its place. From your tv remotes to your hairbrush to your luggage, everything needs a specific home.
4. Deep clean once a week. I like doing it all in one big spurt, but that's just me. I put a cd on, sing along, and vacuum, scrub the bathroom, clean the kitchen stove/counters, steam the tile, wash/make beds, etc. If you do this once weekly, it will cut down on having to do huge overhauls to catch up. It is way easier to just do it once a week every week for me.
5. Organize, file, and put away papers. I advise using pull out file folder organizers from Walmart with separated sections and dividers, so everything is easy to find. If you need your social security card or birth certificate, you can easily find it.
6. Sort through your mail the second you get it. Yes, it can be hard to keep up with, but it is an important part of not junking up your home. Throw away ads and junk mail and open and sort right then important bills, etc. Dealing with it in the moment helps it to not be forgotten or misplaced.
7. As soon as you walk in the door, hang up the clothes you have on. Put your jacket in the jacket closet, shoes away, and hang up anything else you might have or put it directly in the washer. This keeps laundry from ending up on the floor and creating a huge pile/mess.
8. Declutter! Clutter stresses me out. I can't breathe around it...it makes me feel suffocated. Make sure you are not collecting more items than you have places to store them. If you are already at capacity, get rid of some things! It is amazing how the things we truly value end up being blocked by junk when we let them. Do something good and give to Goodwill or a shelter where it can truly be used for good and watch your home's beauty and comfort increase.
9. Take the trash out as soon as the bag is full. Yes, it can be a pain. But letting trash bags build up is one sure way for your home to look its worse...and just get nasty.
10. Decorate from the front door in. Your front door (lawn/porch/etc) says a lot about your style. Put up a beautiful, tasteful, non holiday specific wreath year round and a classy doormat. Make sure your home (even from the outside) is clean and inviting. You also never want an overcrowded walkway. If you can, "introduce" your decor at the door---make your door and front area match the interior of your house!
These are ten tips I use in my home to keep it looking its most beautiful and well kept... I hope they will help you to do the same in your home!
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