Here are 10 things to add to your routine that will save you time in the long run and give you a clean home to boot!
1. Make your bed every day
Set aside just three minutes every morning to make your bed. Regardless of the style or storage situation elsewhere in your bedroom, a freshly made bed makes you feel in control and on top of your day. Everything will follow from here.
2. Always load your dishwasher at the end of the day
Clearing away the dishes after a meal is one thing but loading your dishwasher and handwashing your pots and pans, knives and chopping boards will result in clean and tidy benchtops to return to each morning. Even if the dishwasher is not full, make a habit of loading it up and setting it to run, then wiping down all of your sink and benches for a clean and clear food prep area. Use a little air freshener or essential-oil-and-water spray to finish.
Begin the next day by unloading it for an empty dishwasher ready to handle the meals to come.
3. Tidy bathroom vanity after use
Always tidy away your makeup and grooming products after use and wipe down your bathroom or ensuite vanity each morning. Ensure a place for everything and pack away immediately to keep clutter at bay and allow for easy cleaning and wipe down of your benches.
Have your makeup and hair products organised into racks, draws or acrylic holders to encourage simple storage and easy access. If you’re makeup collection is extensive, it’s worth investing in storage designed to care for and organise it properly. Find stylish containers for storage of other essential items to keep your vanity clutter-free and beautiful.
Wipe out your basin daily and check your handtowel and replace with a clean one a couple of times a week.
2. Use organisers and stackable containers for storage
Invest in a system of containers for your under-sink storage. Use as many as needed to fit the space and cater for all of your products, organised by use and type. This also helps to keep your supplies fresh as items are less likely to get lost at the back of a shelf or cupboard.
Use drawer organisers throughout the house to keep things in check in your hallway, bedside table and kids’ craft stations.
5. Use baskets and/or drawers in your hallway
Shoes, hats, dog leads and umbrellas all collect in your entrance hall and not all are attractive. With daily use they tend to look untidy if not given adequate storage. Choose a set of drawers or freestanding baskets to organise your hallway and style it up with decorative hooks and holders to create a stylish welcome to your home.
6. Have a lightweight vacuum cleaner
Easy to carry around your house and kept within easy reach, a portable vacuum cleaner is the answer to your incidental cleaning woes. Rather than lugging the whole unit everywhere, you’re more likely to grab a stick or hand-held dust buster for quick clean-ups and to whip around high traffic areas in no time.
7. Start a system to organise paperwork
A simple filing system for keeping and storing paperwork and receipts will not only save you time looking for papers, it will keep surfaces in your home clear of papers building up in piles here, there and everywhere. A cheap file organiser or set of chic drawers kept handy in your kitchen or living area works well for keeping receipts, school notes, invitations and invoices ordered and handy.
8. Empty your bin often
Rather than letting kitchen and household rubbish bins pile up into a groaning, side-splitting mess, empty your kitchen tidy and recycling bin often. This is a great job for children learning to contribute to housekeeping if you make it fun. A quick wipe down of the inside of your bin and frame each time you do so will keep things clean and hygienic. Place small bins into each room in your home – bedrooms, bathrooms and home office to ensure litter doesn’t collect.
Green tip: To aid in the breakdown of household waste, don’t tie your waste bags when you dispose of them – simply use the tabs to carry them to your wheelie bin and allow for the waste to tumble out into the garbage truck and, in turn the dump. Better still, don’t use bags at all to line your bin.
9. Keep a cleaning cloth in each room
Having a small sponge or cleaning cloth in each room will make incidental clean ups easier and more likely to happen. Tuck a sponge behind your vanity or in the corner cupboard, keep one in your bathroom and laundry for daily wipe-downs and hide dusting cloths at the back of bookshelves or cupboards in your home office or rooms removed from the kitchen or laundry where you store cleaning equipment.
10. Add indoor plants to your home
Not only a beautiful addition visually, indoor plants purify your air and keep you healthy, offsetting chemicals thrown off by plastics and finishes found in your home.
