Walking through your front door after your house keeper has been there dusting, washing, scouring and sanitizing, is a feeling you’d probably like to reproduce - I know I would. But like many good intentions, this one may also be put aside when daily family life eats into your valuable time. We’ve put together some quick and easy suggestions for how to maintain your home in a fresh and healthy manner between regular housekeeper visits, without breaking the time-bank so that you can have more quality, stress-free time to enjoy with your family.
Start the Day Right
First things first - make your bed as soon as you get up in the morning. Did you know that doing this one simple task has been studied thoroughly and is actually indicative of leading a more productive and less stressful life? These are things we can certainly get behind. Plus - It looks beautiful, gives all of those extra cushions and pillows a place to go and is a fabulous way to start your day!
How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean
The kitchen is often where most of life happens in a family and it can become messy, smelly and ‘germ-y’ in record time. Developing a few simple habits will help keep it biologically safe and tidy.
Wash or put your cooking utensils and dishes into your dishwasher as soon as you’ve finished with them while cooking. You’re busy at the stove and counters anyway so there’s no reason to leave them on the counter or in the sink.
Wipe spills and drips immediately! They’re usually easy to clean in the moment, but if ignored can become hard or sticky and make your floors, cabinets or counters look and feel grimy. This is especially true on stove tops; clean the mess pronto or you’ll have a much bigger job trying to remove cooked-on food particles without scratching delicate surfaces.
Keep a container of Baking Soda in the fridge and freezer. Change it out monthly and it will help keep your appliances smelling fresh.
Have everyone take their dishes off the table when dinner is over and place them in the dishwasher. If everyone helps, the table can be clean, dishes dealt with, and everyone able to relax in about 5 minutes. Also a good habit to instill in your kids, it makes them a much more welcome guest on sleepovers.
Lastly, quickly sweep the floors! You’ll be surprised how much debris has collected over the course of the day and sweeping will prevent it from being tracked throughout the rest of the house.
Tame the Clutter
More often than not, prevention and proactive organization is the key to a clean and healthy home. Here are a few tips to manage everything from the mail to toys:
Keep a basket or tray close to your main entry for mail. Once you’ve dealt with it, move it to the recycling bin or drawer. Old mail can collect over time and take over valuable counter space.
While you’re in your organization brain-space, add a basket or bin in every room! They can act as a catchall for everything that doesn’t have its own special place and help keep the room looking organized and clutter-free.
Trash collects daily and oh my, those smells! Daily trash control is essential to maintaining the fresh scent and healthy environment in your home. Keep a few extra bags in the bottom of your garbage receptacle for quick and convenient change-outs. Paper towel or another absorbent product will keep the occasional leaks from becoming a gross and gooey mess in the bottom of the can.
How to Maintain the Bathrooms
Bathrooms are a haven for bacteria and smells, but these quick and easy routines will help retain some freshness between house cleaning services.
Wipe your bathroom counters, faucets and mirrors daily. Keep a small microfibre cloth folded and placed conveniently near all bathroom counters. Use it to quickly wipe errant toothpaste drops and water spots on faucets, sinks and mirrors as they happen. Those little water spots can quickly become unsightly hard-water stains that will eventually corrode your fixtures.
Have a tray to place personal products, jewelry etc on the counter. If everything is contained, the counters will look so much tidier even though you haven’t removed anything you need on a daily basis.
Squeegee your shower and wipe the faucets after every use. This will take 2 minutes at most, and will preserve your shiny tiles and glass shower doors for years to come, while also keeping them shiny and germ-free until your house cleaner’s next visit.
Keep a container of your cleaner near the toilet. Every few days just a quick spray and brush will keep stains and smells under control. Use a clean cloth to wipe the seat and lid and bam!.. clean toilet forever.
You Know What’s Always There For You? Laundry…Laundry is ALWAYS There For You
That never-ending pile of dirty socks, sweaty t-shirts and damp towels can collect bacteria and some nasty smells. Having a laundry bin in every bedroom and bathroom is key here. Wet or damp towels can cause every other item to become smelly and/or mildew-y after a few days so it’s important to make sure they are dry before being put in with the rest of the dirty laundry.
Quick Bedtime-Routine to Keep Things Clean
Do a 10-minute pickup at night before you go to bed. Scan each room and do a quick walk-through, picking up empty cups, folded paperwork, books and errant clothing.
Doing this daily will keep your home neat and tidy between regular cleaning days and you’ll love the way everything looks and feels when you get up in the morning.
What a great way to start your day!
If you’d like more tips like this, be sure to leave a comment and share this post with your friends!
The Organic & Clean Team