Simple Living

1. How to identify “hot spots” and what that even means

“hot spots” as I call them, are simply areas of your home that tend to collect clutter throughout the day. One way to identify these hot spots is to look around a room or area and think about what purpose the room is supposed to serve. Are there used dishes or cups on the living room coffee table? Does your dining table have stacks of books or laundry sitting on it?

How To Take Action:

Decide on a time in your daily routine that you will commit to checking and clearing these areas. As you become more consistent in checking these spaces, it becomes easier to clean and less clutter accumulates. Once you remember that the table or chair will have to be cleaned off later, you tend to avoid placing items that don’t belong there in the first place. Dedicating five to ten minutes each day to clearing these areas will help you establish habits for a clean home.

2. Empty Laundry Hampers And Wash At Least One Load Of Laundry A Day

Keeping up with laundry can seem overwhelming sometimes and seems to be the number one housekeeping item that always seems to pile up. Everyone needs clothes to wear each day and yet there seems to never be enough time to have them washed, dried, and folded!

How To Cure The Laundry Blues:

Keeping your dirty laundry in smaller hampers makes it easier to remove the laundry and put it in its final destination. Especially if you have multiple hampers throughout your house. Using smaller hampers helps keep unwanted smells and mildew at bay because they must be emptied frequently.

Find a time in your day when you can easily start a load of laundry. Perhaps start a load of wash as soon as you wake up and commit to having it in the dryer before breakfast. Another great option is to load the washer before bed and dry as soon as you wake up. Folding the clean laundry right out of the dryer helps keep the time you spend handling the laundry to a minimum.

3. Keep Up With The Dishes

This one is pretty self explanatory, however it can sometimes be one of the hardest habits to learn and implement. Clear countertops and an empty sink is a welcome sight for yourself and your family. It is an easy way to quickly feel accomplished and once you form the habit, continues to motivate you.

Practical Tips:

If you have a dishwasher you have a head start! When it takes a day or so to completely fill the machine, find a way to remind everyone that the dishwasher is being filled up. If your dishwasher is magnetic, find a pretty magnet and place it on the dishwasher when the contents inside are dirty. Not magnetized? Place a command hook and make a sign to help remind your household what is inside.

No Dishwasher? Let’s talk

Not having a dishwasher may sometimes seem inconvenient, but it doesn’t have to be. It may be taboo, but I still find it easy to have a clean home without a dishwasher and I think you can too!

If washing dishes after each meal is overwhelming, set times in your day that you wash the dishes. I have made a habit of washing a load of dishes after lunch, mid afternoon, and right after supper. Having a dedicated spot for dishes waiting to be washed is helpful as well. I hate having to remove dishes from the sink before I can wash, so we set the dirty dishes on the side of the sink. When that small bit of counter is full I know it is time to wash. Having a sink of soapy water ready while you cook is an easy way to encourage washing as you go.

4. Tidy Up The Bathroom While Getting Ready

Part of creating good habits to have a clean home is finding ways to sneak in cleaning while going through your normal routine. Keeping cleaning supplies in each of the bathrooms makes it easy to quickly wipe down any surfaces that need attention. I like to take a laundry basket into the bathroom with me to collect dirty laundry and items that belong elsewhere.

5. Perform A Clean Sweep Once Each Day

Choose a set time each day for members of your household to clean up after yourselves. Focus on tasks that quickly overwhelm if not tended to regularly. Most of the tips above fit into that category. Use this time of day to go through the list above and check if you have started or completed any of them. My family generally does this twice a day: once before my husband returns home from work, and again before bedtime. My children clean up toys and books that were used during the day while I fold a load of laundry and put dishes away. I also use this time to quickly make my bed and sweep the main living areas of our home. Setting a timer motivates you not to get distracted.